Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura, nicknamed “Ace,” died in a car crash in his hometown in the Dominican Republic early Sunday Morning. The news of 25-year-old Ventura’s death spread with the help of social media.

The crash happened on a highway in Rancho Arriba, a town in the province of San Jose de Ocoa, according to an article on the official site of the Kansas City Royals. The exact cause of the crash is not yet known, however the crash site was said to be mountainous and dense with fog. The Dominican Republic has the second-highest traffic-related death rate in the world, and took the life of former major league infielder Andy Marte in a separate car crash Sunday, according to The Kansas City Star’s website.

Many fans responded to the death of Ventura by gathering outside Kauffman Stadium. There they memorialized his life and baseball achievements through a mound of flowers, candles, hats, pictures and other memorabilia. Also, Royals pitcher Danny Duffy and infielder Christian Colon made an appearance at Kauffman Stadium to meet the accumulating fans with open arms and to grieve the loss of their teammate.  

Among the fans that gathered at Kauffman Stadium was sophomore Melissa Koppers and her older sister 2011 alumna Nikki Koppers. They desired to take part in the memorial because they both wanted to pay tribute to all that he did to help out the Royals. They said they saw him as a young and inspiring individual and felt compelled to pay their respects to him. They bought a flower and joined the other fans who had come to do a similar task.

“Whenever my sister Nikki is in town we love to see Royals games together, and I remember going to the games and seeing Ventura who made the stadium so exciting and lively,” Koppers said. “He was also a big part of their World Series runs that we enjoyed together as a family.”    

Along with the memorial made in front of of the stadium, by noon the team flag was lowered to half-mast in Ventura’s honor. Also, a picture of Ventura was cast onto the stadium’s center field scoreboard with the words “In loving memory,” according to The Kansas City Star’s website.    

Ending the day of mourning, fans gathered one last time outside Kauffman Stadium for a candlelight vigil to commemorate Ventura. The vigil was held from 6 to 8 p.m. and was initiated by fans on social media.

Though the sorrowful day has come to a conclusion, the memory of Ventura and his 100 mph fastball remain in the minds of many fans. Ventura’s funeral is scheduled for Tuesday in the Dominican Republic and Royals general Manager Dayton Moore, manager Ned Yost and other members of the Royals are planning to attend, according to ESPN’s website.