Little Leaguer hit by pitch hugs upset pitcher, goes viral
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WACO, Texas (NewsNation) — A Little League batter rose from being beaned by a pitch to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game Tuesday in Waco, Texas.
The incident happened during a Little League Southwest Regional Playoff final.
Righthander Kaiden Shelton of Pearland, Texas, was facing batter Isaiah Jarvis of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tuesday when an 0-2 pitch got away from him and slammed into Jarvis’ helmet. Jarvis fell to the ground, clutching his head as his concerned coaches ran to his aid.
After a few moments, Jarvis’ head cleared enough for him to walk unaided to first base. Meantime, Shelton stood on the mound staring at the ground in tears over what had happened.
After a moment, Jarvis walked from first base to the mound and put his arms around Shelton, telling him, “Hey, you’re doing great. Let’s go.” Shelton’s teammates and coach gathered around the pair to join in consoling the young righty.
The gesture drew a standing ovation. Pearland went on to beat Tulsa 9-4 and advanced to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, starting next week.
Speaking to NewsNation on “Rush Hour,” Jarvis said he was simply trying to spread the love of God.
“I just wanted to make sure that he was OK and he knew that I was going to be OK,” Jarvis said.
While Jarvis has been hit by pitches before, he said this was the hardest one he’s encountered. He’s now sporting a bruise on his face and has some headaches, but otherwise is in good shape.
As for going viral on the internet, Jarvis said it’s been “crazy.”
“I’m super surprised,” he said. “I knew I was gonna get some attention, maybe like 100 views or something, but it’s up to 1 million now or something around there.”
The moment of sportsmanship also drew praise online where it quickly went viral.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., took to Twitter to celebrate the act.
“Just remember, this is who we are inside. Strip away the learned cynicism and hatred, and this is who we are,” the tweet read.
Longtime ESPN host Linda Cohn called it a moment of “genuine compassion.”
Dan Rather, veteran journalist and former CBS anchor of nearly 25 years, saw it as a teaching moment — especially for adults.
“We can learn from the instincts of children. More comfort and empathy,” he wrote.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
