meaning of "rip" and "corrall"

[kjc0123]

What is the meaning of "rip" and "corrall" in the following sentences?

 

The leadoff hitter for the students ripped the first pitch into the left-field gap, a routine double, but by the time the left fielder and center fielder hobbled over, corralled the ball, kicked it a couple of times, fought over it, then flung it toward the infield, the runner walked home and the shutout was blown. The rowdies in left field were hysterical. The students in the bleachers yelled for more errors.

[jno]

these are Americanisms but let me guess... 'rip' usually means tear (a piece of paper for instance) but it implies a quick movement, so what I think it means here is that he hit the ball hard so it went quickly into a gap between two players. 'Corral' is where horses used to be held in the Wild West (and probably still now), a kind of holding pen; so you have to imagine these two players surrounding the ball so it can't get away. (The writer's being a bit jokey, because of course a ball won't try to run away, unlike a horse, so the players don't have to do very much to stop it.)

[Peter Pedant]

Hi kjc - these are all American football terms, and basically none of the English will know because we are all too busy being glued to the tee-vee and watching England almost win at cricket this week.

Oh ! I say ! Good stroke, sir! Vay well played!