Pitcher Charged With Felony for Hitting Fan With Ball

A minor league baseball pitcher who allegedly threw a ball into a fan during a bench-clearing brawl has been charged with felonious assault.

Julio Castillo, 21, of the Peoria Chiefs was arrested yesterday and arraigned today in Montgomery County, Ohio, where he is being held in lieu of $50,000 bond, according to the Associated Press. The 10-minute fight with the Dayton Dragons, a Class-A team, resulted in the ejection of 15 players and the team's managers.

Previous incidents in the inning led to the brawl. As the teams' managers were discussing an up-and-in pitch by Castillo with the umpire, one pushed the other, and the benches emptied.

The teams protested the ejections by phone to the league's president, saying they didn't want to finish the game with pitchers playing in the outfield, and the sanctions were eventually reversed. After an hour's delay, the game resumed, and Dayton won 6-5.

Further disciplinary action is reportedly under consideration. The fan was treated and released.

Additional coverage:

NBC News: "Chiefs pitcher Castillo charged in brawl game"

Sporting News: "Pitcher arrested on felony charge after brawl"