A high school senior from Delaware playing second base for for the Virginia Glory Mertz softball team makes a critical play even while trapped in a dust devil.
RICHMOND, Va. – A dust devil didn’t distract a Delaware teen with her eye on the ball during a recent softball game in Virginia.
A video showed high school senior Sophie Scurci on second base, not missing a beat when the ball headed her way. At the same time, a dust devil spins up on the field. Unfazed by the swirling dirt around her, Scurci dove and made the catch, throwing the ball to her teammate just in time.
“The ol’ dirt tornado rolled through Richmond, but Sophie Scurci was not affected!” wrote Coach Mike Mertz on X. “Amazing clip, and some amazing hitting also, putting up a 1.431 OPS for the weekend.”
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The U18 National Virginia Glory Mertz softball team played in Richmond on Monday when the incredible sports moment was caught on camera.
A screenshot shows the dust devil around Sophie Scurci on second base for the U18 National Virginia Glory Mertz softball team.
(Virginia Glory Mertz softball team /TMX / FOX Weather)
The vortex in the video is a dust devil, but the weather phenomenon can sometimes be confused with a tornado. Tornadoes form in severe weather and thunderstorm conditions, unlike dust devils, which can pop up on a sunny day, as seen in the video above.
Dust devils are created by strong surface heating and typically last only a few minutes. The vortices are usually smaller and less intense than a tornado but, on average, reach between 500 and 1,000 feet tall.