A junior college baseball game in Texas was suspended on Wednesday after a pitcher tackled an opposing player who had just hit a home run off of him.
North Central Texas College’s Josh Phillips hit a go-ahead homer in the top of the sixth inning. As he was rounding third base, Weatherford College pitcher Owen Woodward sprinted toward him and violently speared him. The hit caused Phillips’ helmet to fly off his head. You can see the video below:
In a game between NCTC & Weatherford,
Josh Phillips hits a go ahead home run and the weatherford pitcher LEVELS him while he’s rounding the bases…
Only in Texas folks pic.twitter.com/Bb5lpQ4t34
— Texas College Baseball (@TexasCollegeBSB) April 20, 2022
Umpires suspended the game, which was the first of a four-game series. Weatherford coach Jeff Lightfoot issued a statement addressing the incident.
“We are shocked and disappointed at what happened in our game today,” Lightfoot said, via ESPN’s Dave Wilson. “We do not condone this type of behavior. We have worked hard to build a program with the highest of standards. We are completely embarrassed by this incident, and we apologize to North Central Texas College and the fans of WC baseball. This type of behavior cannot be tolerated.”
It is unclear why Woodward was so irate. The video does not show what happened immediately after Phillips hit the home run or if words were exchanged.
Weatherford College said in a statement that the incident is being investigated by both the school and the school’s police department.
