The incident occurred during the top of the fifth inning as Padres infielder Sung-Mun Song stepped to the plate against the Mariners. According to video circulating widely across social media, the fan was filming herself and her friend from the stands moments after an earlier foul ball had drifted near their section when a second line-drive foul suddenly rocketed into the crowd and struck her directly in the head.
The impact immediately stunned the fan, later identified in other reports as Jamie Golla, who described briefly blacking out after the ball hit her.
“Once it hit me in the head, I just blanked out for a quick second,” she said in an interview following the incident. “I didn’t know what had happened. I thought someone caught the ball. I didn’t realize it came back towards me.”
The fan said nearby spectators and stadium staff reacted immediately as concern spread through the seating area.
“Everyone around me was concerned,” she explained. “Thankfully, the staff was very quick to respond to everything and took care of me.”
According to the fan, multiple people nearby said the impact produced an audible cracking sound upon contact, which can be heard in the video. Despite initially wanting to remain at the game, she was ultimately encouraged to seek medical evaluation.
“I just wanted to watch the game,” she said. “I didn’t want to go to the ER, but everyone around me was like, ‘You need to go get checked.’”
Reports indicate she was later taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further examination. The extent of her injuries has not been publicly disclosed as of publication.
The frightening incident has once again sparked conversation around fan safety at Major League Baseball stadiums, particularly as foul balls can reach spectators in fractions of a second at speeds exceeding 90 miles per hour. In recent years, MLB teams have expanded protective netting in many stadiums following several serious fan injuries involving foul balls and broken bats entering seating areas.
Friday’s game ultimately ended in a 2-0 Padres victory over Seattle, though for many fans in attendance, the unsettling foul-ball strike became the night’s defining moment.
Originally published on May 16, 2026.
