“This is one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen,” wrote CJ Fogler on X when sharing a clip from Saturday’s 2025 Women’s College World Series showdown between the Oregon Ducks and Ole Miss Rebels. And he wasn’t talking about the walk-off walk in the 10th inning to give Oregon the 6-5 victory at Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
The game was tied with two outs in the top of the ninth when pitcher Lyndsey Grein fired a ball directly into catcher Emma Cox’s mitt. While she caught the 3-0 strike, Cox immediately bent over and reached for her eyes. It seemed odd as the ball wasn’t anywhere near her face, but on replay, it became clear that Grein had kicked up a clump of dirt during the pitch that the softball then carried to the catcher.
Kudos to the ESPN broadcast that immediately showcased several angles of the pitch and the offending dirt speck that caused so much damage. The slow-motion look at the ball hitting the dirt head-on made it abundantly clear what had happened.
“Wait a minute… wait a minute..,” said announcer Kevin Brown upon seeing the replay.
“It went from her cleat, and the ball hit it off of her cleat,” added Amanda Scarborough.
“Are you kidding me?” asked Brown on behalf of everyone watching at home.
The moment also brought to mind another memorable pitch gone wrong: Randy Johnson exploding a seagull with a fastball.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.