BU in a 16 yo u-trip tourney about a month ago. R1 and slow roller hit between short and 3B. F5 charges in to field the ball. For some unknown reason I'm drifting toward the mound from B - apparently I think I'm opening up the throwing lane. As F5 picks up the ball, I realize we're looking face to face. I think "oh, $h!t" and drop to a knee as I turn to see the throw. I never did see the throw - it hit me squre between the shoulder blades!!!
Base coach said the throw was so far off the mark that it would have bounced 5 feet in front of me had it not hit me. That didn't make me feel any better about it. My partner tells me, "well, you know better than to turn your back on the ball." I told him, "yeah, but if I hadn't, he would have hit me in the chest!!!"
They called the UIC out there to check on me. He told everyone when he got there that I was going to get a stern talking to after the game. All the coaches told him not to get on to me too hard b/c it was a bad throw. He never said a word. He knew I had beat myself up more than he ever could.