'Hawk Tuah Girl' throws out first pitch at Mets vs Athletics game, sparks social media backlash

After splitting the first two games of their series with the Oakland Athletics, the New York Mets opened their series finale at Citi Field on Thursday. To start the game with the ceremonial first pitch, the Mets invited a guest not many expected.

Haliey Welch, widely known as the 'Hawk Tuah Girl,' was invited by the team to throw the pitch before the game. She became a viral sensation after a clip from a video by Tim & Dee TV on YouTube gained widespread attention on social media.

The 22-year-old was joined by her friend before Thursday’s game. Her friend caught the pitch and was also in the viral clip.

Here is the video of the moment:

The two friends can be seen wearing the Mets jerseys and after throwing the pitch, they did a celebratory chest bump in front of the audience, which Mets fans were not happy about.

The role, which is often given to celebrities and sports legends, sparked heavy backlash when given to Haliey Welch. Some reactions were sarcastic, while others were furious about her selection to throw the pitch.

"We’re letting anyone throw out the first pitch," one fan said.

"Of all the people that deserved this chance, this is the one you picked? Seriously?" another fan added.

"We needed another reason to not like the Mets. Stop adding to her 15 minutes" one fan said.

"It's amazing how popular people are these days. It would be better to give visibility to other types of people such as nurses, scientists, etc." one fan wrote.

The day ended with the New York Mets losing 7-6 to the Oakland Athletics. The Mets will start a new three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Friday.

Haliey Welch opened up about the changes in her life after going viral

Since going viral, Haliey Welch has made several public appearances. On July 29, she joined country singer Zach Bryan on stage at his concert. She has also made guest appearances on several podcasts, including Whitney Cummings and Bill Maher.

In a TikTok video, Welch addressed and denied rumors that she has an OnlyFans account, saying:

“There will never be an OnlyFans. I just make funny jokes, that’s all I do.”

In the same video, Haliey Welch shared that she left her job at a spring factory and mentioned that her family was upset because paparazzi were frequently outside their home.