Sometimes when you're in a slump, everything goes wrong. Even when you don't swing the bat.
Earlier this year, Itawamba Community College baseball player Walt Gardner hit into perhaps the unluckiest out you can make in a game. The game was on March 8, but it's been circulating on social media. Gardner — who hit ninth in the order for the Fulton, Miss., school — was up against pitcher G.W. Pigott of Mississippi Delta Community College.
Pigott delivered an errant throw — but fortunately for him, it wouldn't matter. As Gardner attempted to avoid getting hit by the pitch, the ball managed to clip his bat, which was still upright from his batting stance. That resulted in a pop-up that went just in front of the catcher, Mason Morgan.
Morgan dove out and caught the ball, resulting in an out.
Pitching to contact?@Gwpigott21 @mason_morgan25 @TrojanBB @PBR_JUCO pic.twitter.com/q711zCuYf0
— PBR Mississippi (@PBR_Mississippi) March 9, 2023
You don't see that every day. One might think something like this was so unlucky that the team probably went on to lose the game, too. However, Itawamba won the contest 5-4.
Pigott, the starter for Mississippi Delta, got the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits.
Exactly how we drew it up
— GW Pigott (@Gwpigott21) March 9, 2023
For his part, Gardner finished the game o-for-4 with two strikeouts. He finished his freshman season playing nine games, hitting .231 with one home run and six RBIs.
Sometimes it's better to just swing away and hope for the best.
