This happened in August but I just saw it and wanted to share it with you in case you hadn't seen it either. At a little league tournament in Waco TX Kaiden Shelton was pitching in a tied 3-3 game with runner on first and second and 2 outs. Kaiden was trying to throw an inside pitch to Isaiah Jarvis of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Isaiah liked high inside pitches and they were trying to get him to chase one out of the strike zone to strike him out as they had an 0-2 count.
The pitch ran up on him and hit Isaiah in the head. Isaiah was sprawled out across home plate holding his head while coaches and medical personnel ran to aid him. Kaiden stood on the mound in shock. He said a silent prayer that the boy he had never met, but just hit with a pitch that he threw his hardest, would be OK.
Thankfully after a few minutes they got Isaiah up and realized that he was fine. He had been shaken up but there wasn't a concussion or permanent damage he shook it off and went to first base. Then something amazing happened. The ump signaled for them to "play ball" and the next batter stepped in the box but Kaiden was frozen. He couldn't throw. He just stood on the mound replaying that last pitch over and over. He began to cry.
Isaiah standing on first saw that. He then walked off the base over to the mound and hugged Kaiden. He was asked about it and said "If you're throwing hard and you just hit somebody in the head, it's got to be a scary thing," he said. "So, I just wanted to go over there and make sure he was all right. Make sure he knows that I'm all right. And really just encourage him".
According to Kaiden his actual words were "Hey, you're doing great. Let's go."
Kaiden was unable to go on and had to be pulled from the game. Shelton's team won that game and had to play a tie breaking game with Isaiah's team 2 nights later. With 18,000 people in attendance they called for Kaiden to come in and close out the final 2 3/4 innings. He was close to perfect striking out 3 and giving up no runs. He did admit that he took a little off his pitches. “I’m trying to throw strikes and I’m just trying to not throw it as fast; just throw it right down the middle.” That was enough for them to win and actually earn the praise of the opponent's manager. “He looked like he was throwing pretty hard to me. But I also want to say I’m just so proud of this young man." As for Isaiah, he said "I love Kaiden and I think we're going to be friends for the rest of our lives".