If a speeding ball was rocketing toward you, you're first instinct might be to duck out of the way. Some might jump to the side. Daredevils might hold their palms up to try catching it.
The natural reaction if a scorching foul ball is zooming for your face, though, is to throw your hands and arms up to block it. Let's be honest, no wants a softball that weighs more than an 8-ball does to hit their pretty face and leave them bloodied and bruised. (Seriously, imagine if some pissed off fella threw a billiard ball at you because you were hustling him.)
Paisley Mederios reacted the only way she could when her teammate ripped a foul ball at her.
Softball Player Drilled By Teammate's Line Drive
@paisley.mederios and that?s on breaking your hand to save your noggin(; #softballcheck #fyp #zyxcba
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That's Mederios creeping off third base in a game at the West Flamingo Senior Center near Las Vegas, Nevada. Her teammate ripped a foul ball that was heading right for her head before she somewhat saved herself.
Mederios ducked and put up her hands to protect herself from the rocket liner, but she wore it off her right hand. It left a massive welt, and she at first thought she broke her hand.
That was a small price to pay. The line drive could've just as easily caromed off her head. Thankfully, she was wearing a helmet with a face mask, so she would've been OK had her fate been different.
Mederios posted the video of the scary line drive to social media app TikTok, where it blew up. As of writing, it has almost two million views. She clarified in a later video that she didn't break her hand and she was outside the foul line, which is why she wasn't called out.
@paisley.mederios #duet with @paisley.mederios Just to clear some things up in the comments ? #softball #baseball #xyzbca
Had the 4-foot-10 player been slightly taller, well, who knows what would've happened?
Paisley Mederios was a star at Mountain Home High School in Idaho, where she hit .487 with eight home runs and 41 stolen bases. She earned a spot on the College of Idaho's softball team in 2021 for her abilities.
Something tells me she'll always wear a face mask on her helmet.
