The visiting team goes up to bat first. The manager decides in advance the order in which the players will bat, and they (or their substitutes) must follow that order throughout the game. Usually the heavy hitters bat at the head and middle of the lineup.
A run is scored every time a player has made a complete circuit of the three bases and has returned to home plate. To get on base the batter tries to hit the pitched ball anywhere inside the foul lines so that no opposing player can catch the ball before it touches the ground. The batter (now called the runner) must then reach first base at least, before the ball is recovered and thrown or carried to that base ahead of him. A ball batted safely in this way is counted as a hit.
A ball hit far enough to permit the batter to reach first base safely is called a single; a hit good for two bases is called a double; and one good for three bases is called a triple. When a fair ball is hit out of the playing field the hit is good for four bases, or a home run. If the first batter singles and the second batter does likewise, the first batter is advanced to second or third base. Then if the third batter should hit a home run, his teammates on base will score ahead of him for a total of three runs.