What does the term "ball" refer to in baseball contexts?

The term "ball" in baseball specifically refers to a pitch that is outside the strike zone and does not get swung at by the batter. If the batter does not swing and the pitch is deemed outside of the strike zone, it is called a ball, and it can contribute to the batter’s count.

When considering the choice about it being a strike, it does not fit with the definition of a "ball," as a strike is a pitch that either crosses through the strike zone or is swung at and missed.

The notion of a "touched ball" typically relates to plays that involve the ball being contacted in a way that affects its status or where it goes, which is not synonymous with how a "ball" is designated in the context of the pitcher’s delivery to the batter.

Thus, while choices mentioning a strike or a touched ball bring in other aspects of the game, they do not encapsulate the specific definition necessary to define a ball. The only answer that accurately represents what a ball is would be the one that states it is a pitch outside the strike zone. Hence, stating that all choices are correct would not be valid within the context of the definition of a ball in a pitch situation.