Woman struck by bat at Fenway Park remains in serious condition

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com/AP) - A woman who was removed from the Fenway Park stands bleeding from the head after being struck by a broken bat during a Red Sox game Friday night remains in serious condition, her family said Sunday.

The fan, identified as 44-year-old Tonya Carpenter of Paxton, Mass., was carried off on a stretcher after the top of the second inning Friday night. She was hit when Oakland A's Brett Lawrie broke his bat on a groundout to second base for the second out of the inning.

"He swung, hit the back and the back broke. And she got hit in the head, and she's bleeding. Looked pretty miserable," fan Wesley Locke said.

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After the third out, the game was delayed while the fan was tended to in the stands between home plate and the third base dugout. Carpenter was wheeled off on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital. Witnesses told FOX25 that the president of the Red Sox ran down from the boxes to try and help.

Another fan who was at the ballpark said, "She slumped down after she was hit, and the crowd of paramedics shielded her after."

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A source told FOX25 that Carpenter was at the game with her husband and son.

Red Sox player Mookie Betts spoke to FOX25 after the game Friday night, saying, "It's definitely scary, it's scary for anybody."

The Red Sox released a statement Saturday that read, in part: "All of us offer our prayers and our thoughts as we wish her a speedy recovery."

Boston police say Carpenter had surgery Friday night at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and her injuries were life-threatening. As of Saturday afternoon, she had been upgraded to serious condition.

Also on Saturday, Beth Israel released a statement, saying Carpenter's "family and loved ones are grateful to all who have reached out with thoughts and prayers but are requesting privacy at this time as Tonya recovers."

Fans headed to Saturday's game were a bit nervous given what happened to Carpenter.

"I don't really think there is anything else they could do. If you are going to be close down on the field you have to be careful and paying attention but that is just a freak accident."

Broken bat injuries are down considerably, especially since 2008 when the MLB researched record numbers because players were using bats made out of maple wood. The switch back to other wooden bats has cut bat breakage averages in half.

And as most people know, on the back of game tickets there is fine print, which warns fans about foul balls and broken bats.

Cox Media Group