A batter hits two baseballs with the same force. One hits the ground near third base. The other is a home run out of the park. Where was there more work done?

Question

A batter hits two baseballs with the same force. One hits the ground near third base. The other is a home run out of the park. Where was there more work done?

The ball that hit near third base shows more work because it hit the ground much harder.
The ball that hit near third base shows more work because the force applied was greater.
The ball that went out of the park shows more work because the distance was greater.
The ball that went out of the park shows more work because the force applied was greater.

Answer 1

The ball that went out of the park shows more work because the force applied was greater. Work is equal to force multiplied by distance, so even though the ball near third base may have hit the ground harder, the home run ball required more force to overcome the gravitational pull and travel a greater distance.