Interference/Dead Ball

Question
While playing an ASA game the other night a ball was thrown past the firstbasemen and hit a bat leaning up again the fence of the hitting team.  The umpire called dead ball and allowed the runner to go second base. Is this the right call by the umpire?  I thought a dead ball call was correct but does he get second base even though it is his own teams bat that it hit to cause the dead ball?

Answer
Hi Sherrod,

Doesn't seem fair does it...and it's not.  This call is protestable as a mis-application of the playing rules.

This is a blocked ball, but it is a blocked ball due to offensive equipment not involved in the game.  The ball is dead and all runners are returned to the last base legally touched at the time the ball became blocked.

If the blocked ball prevented the defensive team from making a out, the runner being played on would be out.

Mark