Hard Knocks: More softball pitchers using face masks

<p style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;"><span style="color:black; font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:10.0pt; line-height:105%; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin">It has been revealed that more and more athletes are taking precautions to protect themselves.</span></p>

News 12 Staff

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May 19, 2017, 1:55 PM

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Updated 2,708 days ago

In the past few years, head injuries in sports have been a major topic for debate.

It has been revealed that more and more athletes are taking precautions to protect themselves.

William Floyd’s Macy Kane was struck, but was lucky and did not suffer a serious injury. Her older sister Brooke, however, was not as fortunate.

Brooke tells News 12 she did not see the ball when it knocked her out, and broke two of her legs during a fall. A softball can come back toward a pitcher in less than half a second.

More at Newsday

In a joint News 12/Newsday report, it was revealed that while there is no data that supports an increase in softball injuries for pitchers, but there is an increase in pitchers protecting themselves with a face mask.

According to officials, the main reason pitchers are protecting themselves with the masks is because aluminum bats are no longer used, but composite bats are.

Currently, there is no mandate for high school pitchers to wear the masks, but William Floyd softball coach Fred Luhrs says that is going to change.

He hopes if a mandate is in place, the next generation of high school pitchers will all be protected.