University of Tennessee softball signee Cat Hosfield of Murfreesboro Riverdale High School suffered a fractured left ankle in two places Friday night during a game in Ocala, Fla.
She will miss the rest of the season.
Hosfield, who holds the nation’s single-season high school strikeout record with 659, will have surgery to reset the ankle according to The Tennessean and expects to be out at least 12 weeks. The state championships are in nine weeks.
The newspaper said the injury occurred on a pop-up slide on Hosfield’s double in the top of the first inning against Forest (Fla.). When Hosfield attempted to bounce up, her metal cleats gripped the dirt and second base and did not give.
“It all comes back to the metal cleats,” Riverdale coach Jeff Breeden told The Tennessean. “Before the injury, I liked us having them. But if these guys are doing a pop-up slide, they better not pop up. When her cleat hung, it broke the bones instead of rolling the ankle.”
This is the first year metal cleats have been allowed in Tennessee high school softball.
After Hosfield was taken to a hospital, her parents drove her 10 hours through the night to see Dr. Damon Petty, an orthopedic surgeon at Nashville’s Baptist Hospital, who will perform the operation.
“They can fix it up and she can play summer ball and she can play at UT,” her mother, Anne, told the newspaper. “We called (UT co-head coach Ralph Weekly) and he doesn’t seem worried about it. She just can’t finish her senior season, which stinks. She feels like she let her team down. ”
UT's new $45 million football…
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 7
Einstein writes:
I hope she heals OK. It sounds like she will be a tremendous softball pitcher for Tennessee.
GreerVol22 writes:
Ditto Einstein. There is a big difference in soft and metal cleats and coach needs to teach these girls technique before turning them loose with new equipment.
I was always taught if wearing metal cleats to make sure that the heal of your leading foot is off the ground skimming the bag and to pop up you simply catch the toe of your trailing foot on the bag and stand up. It clears out the shortstop and second baseman as a bonus.
andefromtn#212139 writes:
The trouble is some girls teams still wear shorts instead of pants and as a result many of the kids are pop-up sliding. It is so much safe for the player if they stay down. Sure they might not be able to go to third on an errant throw or if the ball is passed but their legs, ankles and feet will survive the slide easier. I know she is sad to miss the rest of her senior season of high school ball but she will have four great years as a Lady Vols. Now she needs ro rest and heal because we'll need her next spring since Rhodes finishes up her career this spring. We'll have two super pitchers next year with Ward and this kid in the circle for the Lady Vols.
PureOrange writes:
Wish her the best and a speedy, total recovery. She will be a great asset to our Lady Vols beginning next year.
volboy81#211803 writes:
sorry for the tough break Cat. We look forward to you getting better & playing here in Knoxville next season.
Huntingdonvol writes:
I have seen this kid pitch!I assure you she is the real deal.I was shocked to here my stepdaughter come home from practice and we had to go buy a 130 dollar pair of girls cleats!The tssaa has done it again!Hope the best for you cat you will recover and become a great vol!
vol4good#206163 writes:
Wow, an athlete with humility. She feels like she let her team down. Thats the kind of people that make you want to pay to see them perform! Heal quick Cat. Vol fans are fired up to see you soon.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.