Haliey Welch doesn’t rush to the mound because of the return of her first pitch.

Welch, who rose to internet fame after an interview went viral in which she used the phrase “hawk tuah” to describe a sex act, threw out the first pitch before the Mets’ game against the Athletics at Citi Field on Thursday, and not everyone was happy about it.

Welch addressed her critics in a post on X on Friday.

“I guess some part of the baseball community wasn’t too happy to see me yesterday,” Welch wrote, adding an embarrassed grin emoji.

She then noted that her appearance was on behalf of the charity America’s Vet Dogs.

“The main reason I went to the game was to raise awareness and donate to America’s Vet Dogs, which matches dogs with war veterans to give them permanent homes. Support me and donate to this great charity. I miss you already, buddy,” Welch said, referring to the dog who had accompanied her to the first pitch.

WFAN host Sal Licata was one of the many critics of the first pitch.

“The Yankees have Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, who are breaking records. (Babe) Ruth, (Mickey) Mantle, (Lou) Gehrig and the Mets have Grimace and now ‘Hawk Tuah.’ Come on, brother, I can’t take it anymore, I can’t take it anymore,” Licata said on air Thursday. “It’s ridiculous. And then you wonder why the fans are so mad and upset. It’s embarrassing.”

“Is it the biggest deal in the world? No, absolutely not. Does it mean anything on the field? No. But that’s the problem. The problem on the field is not good enough and you come up with these silly gimmicks that are ridiculous. It’s a joke. ‘Hawk Tuah.'”