Auburn pitcher Ashlee Swindle left Friday night’s NCAA Tournament game after being hit in the face by a line drive.
The Tigers were facing Colorado State in their first game of the Tuscon Regional and leading 9-5 in the fifth. Swindle was facing Ashley Ruiz with one out and one on, and Ruiz lined a comebacker at Swindle. Swindle was unable to get a glove up and got hit in the face by the ball. She went down instantly.
The stadium went silent and Swindle was carted off the field after being hit.
Chardonnay Harris, who started the game for the Tigers, re-entered the circle for Auburn after Swindle was hit. Swindle, the team’s leader in innings pitched, entered the game 10-8 with a 3.04 ERA on the season.
The incident recalled memories of the traumatizing situation Team USA pitcher Paige Lowary went through in 2016 when she was hit in the face by a line drive. Lowary later ended up wearing a mask while pitching, which is something some softball pitchers do for protection considering the circle is only 43 feet away from the plate.
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