In the opening game of the 2026 Puerto Rico Challenge on Friday, Seton Hall University’s baseball team fell to Boston College, 6-4.
The contest turned tragic in the bottom of the fifth inning when left fielder Justin Ford, a junior utility player from Roxbury, New Jersey, crushed a go-ahead two-run home run to left-center field, giving the Pirates a brief 4-3 lead.
The 6-3, 185-pound Ford, who hit his first career homer in 2025 and had shown flashes of power with a .171 average in limited action last season, rounded first base in celebration.
However, he suffered a devastating ankle injury—widely described across social media and reports as gruesome, with some calling it a freak broken leg—after an awkward landing. He collapsed and could not continue, requiring a stretcher to leave the field.
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“Ford injured himself while rounding the bases,” Seton Hall’s baseball team said in an X post. “Please join us in sending Justin best wishes and a speedy recovery.”
Pinch-runner Jake Lopez finished circling the bases, but the incident overshadowed the Eagles’ comeback victory.
The moment drew widespread sympathy and prayers for the former Roxbury High standout and Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference honoree. No further updates on his condition were immediately available.
