Why do you think he would have used a bat against a cheerleader? They don't usually carry that much stuffing. He intentially swung the bat several feet over her head, so as to just hit the foam. And the girl was laughing about it yesterday. My response in another thread:
I just saw the interview with the girl on Sportscenter. She was all cheerful and laughing about it, said she was all excited because they are going to give her 2 autographed bats. Basically she sounded like she thought it was all overblown and not that big a deal, saying that he probably was just doing it as horseplay, couldn't believe that it was being made into a big deal, and couldn't believe that he was arrested.
Came across as a reasonable and 'cool' 18-year old, who 'get's it', unlike a lot of harumping and harping nannies(especially some of the 'serious journalists'). The same types who have completely watered down everything from playgrounds to recess, suspending for months elementary school kids who shoot a watergun or kiss a girl on the playground.
I bet she has older brothers that she loved playing with growing up.