An unbelievable foul ball mishap gave ESPN producers an unexpected headache on Saturday during Curaçao’s 2–0 international final win over Chinese Taipei at the Little League World Series.
With both teams looking to break through in the midst of a scoreless game, Curaçao’s Nasir El-Ossais took a swing at an inside pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning. Unfortunately for ESPN, however, the 78 mph fastball El-Ossais hit took an unlucky bounce off the righty’s bat, over his shoulder and straight into a camera behind home plate.
The head-on collision produced a startling sound as the foul ball immediately destroyed the camera’s lens, giving fans both in the stands and at home a moment to remember. Not to mention, the repeated replays of the shattering glass made for a visual that truly has to be seen to be believed:
Foul ball right off the camera 😅
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 26, 2023
(via @espn)pic.twitter.com/71JzzNvu4N
Despite the clear and obvious damage to the unmanned camera, the foul ball, thankfully, didn’t lead to any injuries, though ESPN may feel a little ill over a bill they’ll likely have no problem covering.
As for Curaçao, El-Ossais’s viral foul ball wound up being only a footnote on the day as the team went on to topple Chinese Taipei in a rematch from last year’s international final to earn a second-straight Little League World Series championship berth.
