PITTSBURGH — A woman taken out of PNC Park on a stretcher Monday night after being hit in the head with a foul ball during the Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Chicago Cubs has been released from the hospital.
The woman was walking to her seat behind home plate during the second inning when a foul ball went into the netting and hit her in the head, knocking her to the ground.
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The game was delayed for 23 minutes while medics treated the woman who was eventually taken out of the stadium on a stretcher.
Players and fans alike Tuesday recalled the incident and remembered it as a horrible situation.
Catcher Francisco Cervelli was standing just feet away from the play and described it as a “scary moment.”
“I went to see her,” he said. “She was talking, thank God.”
Cervelli said he’s been hit in the head before and, unfortunately, knows how the woman feels.
Shortstop Jordy Mercer also had a good vantage point at the play, and said he hopes he never sees anything like that again.
“A bunch of us were talking about it in the dugout,” he said. “Never seen anything like that before.”
Pirates fan Sisley Harkins said future incidents can be avoided simply by fans keeping their eyes on the action.
“I always follow the ball,” she said. “It’s a part of coming to the ballfield and watching the game.”
The Pirates said they are hoping to eventually do something for the injured fan.
The Pirates released the following statement on Tuesday:
<em>"The female fan who was struck by a foul ball during last night's game was sent via ambulance to the hospital for the appropriate examinations. Thankfully, the fan was released from the hospital following those examinations.</em>
<em>We are extremely grateful for this positive outcome. The organization is in the process of reaching out to her to show our support. Due to privacy laws, we will not reveal the name of the fan, nor additional details at this time.</em>
<em>We wish to thank the PNC Park personnel and fellow fans who were on the scene at the time, as well as the Pittsburgh EMS for their quick response."</em>
The team said Monday night that the woman was conscious and alert after the incident, and was thanking her caregivers while giving a "thumbs up" gesture to nearby fans.