He put his hands up to catch it and for some inexplicable reason didn't hold them close together. The ball tore through, hit him in the forehead, and bounced into some brush. There was a roar from the crowd and [West] took one look and turned tail.
He attempted to catch it with his hands but did not bring them together closely. The ball struck him forcefully and rebounded. There was a reaction from the spectators, and [West] quickly retreated.