Fortunately for Stewart and Longhorn fans, she suffered nothing more than a busted lip, said Texas coach Mike White after the game.
“Just a little cut, so just a little bit of blood,” White said. “She’s OK.”
With two out in the top of the sixth, left-handed batter Ella Dodge hit a hard chopping groundball to Stewart at first. The ball struck the ground in front of home plate then bounced off the orange safety bag at first. Stewart wasn’t able to knock it down and was struck flush in the face. Blood was seen just below her lip, on her chin, afterwards. The ball was 72 mph off the bat, according to the ESPN broadcast.
Umpires on the field ruled it a fair ball before Texas challenged and the call was overturned.
Stewart went to the locker room after a brief consultation with Texas staff on the field and did not return to the game. Freshman designated player Hannah Wells replaced her at first. Stewart, an All-SEC pick for the second year in a row, hit her program-record 30th home run earlier in the game. She was 1-for-3 on the day.
Stewart should be ready to play against either Texas Tech or Alabama when the WCWS championship series begins Wednesday.