Home plate collisions are often times avoidable.
If the runner is rounding third and the throw from the outfielder takes the catcher up the line, she damn well better field it behind or in front of the base path. Otherwise, she may end up flattened like an IHOP chocolate chip pancake after a night of drinking.
Time and time again, catchers don't learn their lesson or heed the advice of their coaches. Block the plate and you'll face the painful consequences that come along with it (unless you've got an elbow of steel).
One high school catcher in Missouri took a nasty forearm to the face when she blocked the path of a runner trying to score.
Softball Runner Forearms Catcher in Collision
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The catcher here is Kentucky Mustangs' Caitlyn Lawson. Her team was playing in the St. Louis College Showcase Tournament against the Dream when a nasty collision stopped play.
The batter poked a single to right field. The runner on second headed home with a full head of steam. Lawson, who had to kick the bat out of her way, first looked like she was going to receive the ball in front of home and the baseline.
Lawson anticipated the runner barreling toward her. She shuffled backwards sensing if she didn't she might not be able to turn around in time to tag her. That gave the runner zero time to go around her, resulting in a forearm to Lawson's face.
The catcher rolled around in visible pain. The runner tagged home as the ball squirted away. The video ends before we get to see if the umpire ejected anyone.
"Ow," one fan said in the background.
If you ask me, the runner had no choice but to run over the catcher. She hovered into the baseline and gave hero no time to react accordingly.
Lawson wound up playing collegiately at Kentucky Wesleyan. She played there for four years and hopefully never made the same mistake she did in this video.
