PIEDMONT, S.C. -- One upstate boy is lucky to be alive after a baseball pitch hit him in the chest and stopped his heart. His family said they are grateful a doctor turned coach was only feet away.

Tad Buff said there are a lot of sports his 11-year-old son Andrew plays, but since he was 3 years old, Andrew has loved baseball.

“It’s always been my sport,” Andrew said. “I just love the game.”

However, it was only about two weeks ago that Andrew almost died at home plate.

Andrew said all he remembers from the experience is going up to bat, squaring off to bunt and feeling the ball hit him in the chest.

“It hit him flush in the chest,” Tad Buff said. “It made an awful sound. Andy dropped to his knees when it happened. It was a pretty scary moment.”

Buff said he was in the dugout watching the scene unfold in disbelief.

“I have a weird sense of time about it,” Buff said. “It was like slow motion for me.”

Doctors said the pitch hit Andrew in the chest and stopped his heart.

Within seconds, Patrick Lollis came running from a nearby field to help. Lollis was coaching a little league team nearby when he saw what happened. Turns out, Lollis is also a doctor.

Dr. Lollis said he performed CPR on Andrew for three full repetitions before Andrew started breathing again.

“When he started breathing again, he just looked up at his father,” Lollis said. “It was an awesome, awesome feeling. I just knew that the Lord helped heal this child.”

Andrew spent two nights in intensive care. Doctors told him he can not play baseball for another two months.

Even though his family is still shaken up by what happened, Andrew said he can’t wait to get back on the diamond.

“I just enjoy it so much,” Andrew said. “I just want to get back to it.”

Dr. Lollis said the one thing he wants everyone to take away from this story is how important it is to know CPR and how easy it is for anyone to learn.