Little League batter hit in head embraces pitcher in inspiring display of sportsmanship
By Dakin Andone, CNNUpdated: Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:27:47 GMTSource: CNNThe pitcher for the Texas East Little League team hung his head, clearly upset after his last pitch hit the 12-year-old Oklahoma ba
By Dakin Andone, CNNUpdated: Wed, 10 Aug 2022 13:27:47 GMT
Source: CNN
The pitcher for the Texas East Little League team hung his head, clearly upset after his last pitch hit the 12-year-old Oklahoma batter in the head, knocking off his helmet and leaving him lying in the dirt at home plate.
But Isaiah Jarvis, who at first had gripped his head, soon recovered. He was OK, and the crowd at the Little League Southwest Region championship in Waco, Texas, applauded as he stood up and took first base.
Back on the mound, though, Kaiden Shelton was still shaken. That's when something amazing happened: Isaiah stepped off the bag, walked to the mound and wrapped his arms around the pitcher, letting him know he was all right.
"I wanted to go over there and spread God's love and make sure that he's OK, and make sure that he knows that I'm OK and that I'll be OK," Isaiah told CNN Wednesday morning, appearing on "New Day" alongside Kaiden.
"Hey, you're doing great," Isaiah said in a video that's gained widespread attention as strangers everywhere have praised the young man's show of sportsmanship.
"It felt like he cared," Kaiden said when asked about his reaction to Isaiah's hug. "I also cared about him, and that just showed that baseball is sportsmanship -- there's a lot of sportsmanship in baseball."
Texas East went on to win the game, advancing to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, later this month.
