Mother sues Penn Township Athletic Association after son is injured while pitching

The mother of a boy who was hurt while pitching batting practice last year for a Penn Township Athletic Association travel baseball team has sued the organization, claiming he was directed to participate in an unsafe drill.

Judith Gross of Manor said coaches were negligent and careless when they ordered her son to pitch behind an “L screen” at a short distance and without any instructions or safety warnings during an indoor practice on Feb. 28, 2021, at a facility in North Huntingdon.

She claimed her son was directed to pitch from “an unusually short distance,” and was given no prior instructions about how to throw behind a screen that leaves a portion of the player’s body unprotected.

“After ordering minor plaintiff and teammates to perform the drill inside the batting cages, no coach of defendant PTAA was directly supervising and monitoring said drill,” according to the lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County.

Gross claims her son suffered severe facial injuries — including three orbital fractures — when he was hit in the eye with a batted ball. He underwent surgery, according to the lawsuit.

The boy’s age was not revealed in the lawsuit, and the family’s lawyer, Jeff Monzo, could not be reached for comment.

Gross is seeking damages in excess of $30,000 for pain and suffering and mental anguish for permanent disfigurement.

Attempts to reach the Penn Trafford Athletic Association for comment were unsuccessful.