A NINE-year-old boy was killed after he was struck on the head with a baseball bat by a player who was warming up.
Kaiser Carlile was running to retrieve a bat when he was hit by a player from his favorite team the Liberal Bee Jays from Kansas.
The youngster was acting as a bat boy during the National Baseball Congress World Series match, picking up and organizing equipment for the teams.
He was dressed in his beloved team's red, white and blue outfit and was wearing a helmet during the match against San Diego Waves in Wichita.
Play was suspended as players rushed to Kaiser's aid after he was knocked unconscious.
Paramedics treated Kaiser at the scene before he was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency treatment.
The youngster died later from his injuries after the incident on Sunday.
His grief-stricken father Chad said he did not blame the player or the team for his son's death.
Fighting back tears he said: "I just want everyone to know there is no kind of remorse or anger towards what happened.
"This is something that was a tragedy. I've got my loss with my son, but it's just as hard for them. Kaiser was one to bring a smile to everyone's face."
The grieving family even attended a Bee Jays game on Sunday night but chose not to tell the team that Kaiser had died until play had finished.
Mr Carlile said: "I was able to see their eyes and the love they had for my son, it was no different than a father's love."
The National Baseball Congress World Series consists of teams from 15 amateur and semi-professional leagues in the US and Canada.
Bee Jays player Gavin Wehby, who held Kaiser in his arms after he was struck, said: "I only knew the little guy for two months but he became a little brother to many of us in a short few weeks.
"He always had a smile on his face and he was just a little ball of energy. He was the best bat boy in baseball, and he always will be."
Pitcher Kadon Simmons said: "It hurts to see someone so young and with so much heart pass like you did, but you are now in God's hands, and being the bat boy for the angels up above.
"It's amazing how much someone can touch your life in such a short time and how big of an influence someone can make."
Kaiser's death hit a nerve across the US and prompted the NBC to suspend the use of bat boys and bat girls for the rest of its World Series competition.