Final answer:
The acceleration of a softball during a pitch, moving in a circular arc at a steady speed, is centripetal acceleration, directed toward the center of the circular path the ball follows.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the acceleration of a softball during a pitch. When a ball is moving in a circular arc at a steady speed, as in the case of a pitch thrown by a softball pitcher, it is experiencing centripetal acceleration. This acceleration is always directed toward the center of the circular path the ball is following, which is a result of a net external force acting on the ball. Based on the options provided for the direction of acceleration, since the ball is moving in a circular arc and the clock is akin to an overhead view, the centripetal acceleration would be directed toward the pivot of the motion, which could be left or right depending on the handedness of the pitcher. In absence of that specific information, we can generally state that the centripetal acceleration is directed toward the center of the circular path.