Warren Central pitcher Pant recovering after getting hit in the head by line drive

Published 12:22 am Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Warren Central softball player Madison Pant was back at home recovering Tuesday night after getting hit in the head with a line drive in a playoff game against Grenada.

Pant, a sophomore pitcher, was struck by a hard-hit comebacker off the bat of Grenada’s Olivia Lashley in the third inning. She immediately fell to the ground as the ball caromed away and rolled into the third base dugout.

Pant spent several minutes sitting in the pitcher’s circle, dazed, as coaches and athletic trainers attended to her. She was eventually helped off the field and a large welt was visible on her forehead above her left eye.

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Pant was wearing a protective facemask. It wasn’t clear if the ball struck just above the mask, or if it hit part of the mask.

Pant was taken to the hospital a short time later. Her father, Jeremiah Pant, said Madison underwent a CT scan that did not show any evidence of a concussion.

The welt was also showing signs of going down, he said late Tuesday night. The family planned to keep Madison home from school on Wednesday as a precaution.

Warren Central went on to beat Grenada 7-6 in 10 innings to win their MHSAA Class 6A first-round playoff series. The Lady Vikes advanced to the second round to face South Panola in a best-of-three series that begins Friday in Batesville.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

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