Alabama-Vanderbilt Game Delayed After Scary Umpire Injury

A college baseball game between Alabama and Vanderbilt turned scary when a foul-tipped ball struck a referee in the head and knocked him unconscious.

The incident occurred in the bottom of the second inning. A low pitch from Vanderbilt was foul-tipped by the Alabama batter Brennan Holt, bouncing off the catcher's helmet and straight into the face of umpire Scott Kennedy - through the one spot where the mask offers no protection.

Video shows Kennedy falling flat on his back before receiving medical attention from the athletic trainers for both sides.

Here's a video of the incident.

It doesn't get much scarier than that. Thankfully, it appears that Kennedy is going to be okay.

The trainers ultimately managed to help the umpire sit up. A short while later he was able to get up to his feet and was able to walk off the field to get more assistance.

Fans Weigh In

Baseball fans watching the moment were stunned by the scene that played out at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

"I saw it happen in travel ball. Ten minutes he was calling the game again. Whut," one user remarked on X.

"Oof-that foul ball absolutely lit up the umpire. Hope he's okay. Baseball's brutal sometimes," wrote another.

"Hoping he's okay. But baseball umps take more abuse than most people realize. One bad hop and the whole game stops cold," a third wrote.

"That's scary. Hope that ump is ok."

Meanwhile, the game was able to continue with one of the other umpires stepping in to fill Kennedy's spot.

Alabama went on to win the game 5-0.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 2:58 PM.