Texas pitcher Miranda Elish, who was helped off the field in the second inning of Friday's NCAA softball super regional game against host Alabama after taking a throw to the face, is "doing well," according to Texas sports information director Brian Davis.
Elish suffered an injury to her sinuses and will be re-evaluated in Austin, Davis said.
With a runner on first, Alabama's Elissa Brown bunted Elish's pitch off of home plate. Catcher Mary Iakopo grabbed the ball with her bare hand and was already in motion to throw the ball to second base as the umpire called the ball dead and ruled Brown out for her foot being out of the batter's box.
Iakopo's throw struck Elish in the face from close range, and the pitcher fell to the ground.
Athletic trainers and medical personnel tended to Elish in the pitcher's circle. She was helped off the field toward the clubhouse to a standing ovation from the Tuscaloosa crowd.
Elish, who transferred from Oregon, was taken to a local emergency room as a precaution.
Texas coach Mike White told ESPN between the third and the fourth innings that Elish "is hurting a little but in good spirits." She is not available for Saturday's decisive Game 3, and any possible return this season will be determined at a later date.
Thank you for all the best wishes and love for Miranda #truewarrior pic.twitter.com/OuXKqZizCx
— Mike White (@TexasCoachWhite) May 25, 2019
Shealyn O'Leary replaced Elish, who had pitched every inning of Texas' four elimination games in the regionals, as the Longhorns rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win 7-5 and extend their season.
Iakopo hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to start the Longhorns' rally. In a 4-4 game in the fourth inning, she drove in two runs when her bases-loaded grounder was thrown away.