Ball ‘caught’ by ASU hit batsman, thrown back to pitcher
May 17, 2015, 11:39 AM | Updated: 11:40 am
No batter likes to be hit by a pitch, intentional or not.
Arizona State outfielder Johnny Sewald was hit by a high pitch against Washington State in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday, but the ball landed in a perfect spot to where it didn’t look to cause much pain — frustration notwithstanding.
Sewald trapped the pitch between his elbow and his oblique, essentially “catching” the ball that pegged him.
He then tossed the ball back exasperatedly toward pitcher Layne Bruner.
The Pac-12 Networks commentator, however, was elated by the moment.
“This could be one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen on a baseball field,” the commentator said.
The sequence even earned SportsCenter treatment.
The errant pitch loaded the bases for ASU with two outs and a two-run lead, but the home team wasn’t able to add to its advantage.
The Sun Devils did, however, emerge in 11 innings by a final of 6-5, winning the three-game series 2-1 and improving to 32-19 overall.
