The Hitting Zone

Chapter 186 Game One: Sunset Preparatory 8

Top of the sixth would get to start with Noah, so as soon as we got back to the dugout, he grabbed his bat and helmet then left me on my own. I looked around and found Zeke already heading out to the on deck circle, and Garret was eagerly waiting in the hole. With the twins in the bullpen, I didn’t have anyone to talk to.

"Still sulking over missing out on the double play?" Julian noticed me looking around and made his way over. Surprisingly, Jason was right behind him and hobbled his way over.

I shook my head. "No, it’s okay. You got the last out and we didn’t give up any runs."

They laughed. Jason plopped down next to me. "It’s really not a big deal. Plays like that happen all the time. It was an especially nice stop for you."

That kind of stung. ’For you’? For a newbie, it was good. I let out another sigh.

Julian knocked on Jason’s head. "Don’t turn a compliment into an insult."

Jason smiled at me, sheepishly. "Oops. Sorry, Jake. I just meant-"

"Are your stitches out yet?" I cut him off, desperate to change the subject. I didn’t want to hear him try and take back what he originally meant. It would be even more insulting to be babied.

Jason lifted his injured foot, which could now fit in his shoe. "Oh sure! Got them out yesterday! The doctor said I could start jogging on Monday, and see how I progress from there."

"That’s good." I gave a light smile.

Jason leaned in close and whispered. "I cant wait to knock Chris back down to the bench and show him how a starter should really perform at the plate."

I tilt my head in confusion.

Julian leaned in. "What did you say to Jake?"

Jason leaned back out, feigning innocence. "Nothing. Just waiting to get better."

Julian gave him the side eye, but action on the field grabbed his attention, and ours too. We all looked as Noah was jogging to first after a ball four call. He was walked, bringing Zeke up to bat. Zeke got in the batter’s box and stared down the pitcher, ready for anything that came.

The pitcher was getting tired and started to have trouble getting the ball to the strike zone. On a 3-0 count, Zeke didn’t take a ball four, instead he connected as best as he could, sending the ball well past the infield. Noah took off sprinting. The ball hit the outfield fence, dying at the warning track. Both the center and right fielder ran to get it, with the right fielder beating him out just barely. By the time they got the ball, Noah had rounded second and didn’t look like he was going to stop at third. I watch the relay throw come from the right fielder, to the second baseman, to the catcher guarding home plate.

Noah was already sliding in, head first, when the catcher caught the ball and swung his body around to tag him. We anxiously awaited the umpires call.

The ump took a moment, then he extended his arms. "Safe!" 4-1.

Noah jumped up and pumped his arm. Then he ran back to the dugout to accept his compliments. He was beaming by the time he came back to our spot to sit down, where he also accepted a round of ’good jobs’ and ’nice run’ from Julian and Jason.

Noah brushed off some of the dirt from his slide. "Jake, wasn’t I amazing?"

I nodded and gave him a smile. "You run really fast!"

Noah raised an eyebrow. "There was technical skill involved too!"

I shrugged. "I didn’t see it."

Noah rolled his eyes. "You newbie. I had to round the passes at the best possible angle in order to cut down how many steps I had to take. Plus there was the timing of my slide. And the way I chose to slide."

I blinked. I really didn’t know so much could be going on when trying to score. Maybe I need to buy a book about baseball. I started to get lost in my thoughts, but not for long. Our offense died after Zeke’s double. Garret and Jordan both grounded out to short, not even giving Zeke a chance to advance to third. Then Sean struck out swinging to end it.

Bottom of the sixth, we took the field. Garret was well over 70+ pitches, meaning he would need a three day rest no matter what. Coach must think he’s doing okay with our 4-1 lead so he didn’t see a reason to replace him.

Garret got the third batter, who had hit a home run in the first inning, to ground out to Noah for the first out. The familiar face of the guy who took our money and ran, stepped up to bat. As a clean up hitter, he was doing a poor job with a groundout and a strikeout. Or I guess we could say, Garret is doing a great job holding them down to one run.

My thoughts must have jinxed Garret and my own team. On the very first pitch, the guy sent a high fly over the right field wall to make the score 4-2. Garret got a new ball from the umpire and checked his gripped, seemingly not upset about the player running the bases.

Garret’s confidence eased my anxiety and made me feel like if he wasn’t worried, then I shouldn’t be worried. His confidence showed in his pitching as he was able to get back to back strikeouts from batters five and six, keeping the score at 4-2 as we go to the last inning.

I, cheerfully, picked up my bat and put on my helmet and headed for the entrance of the dugout. I would for sure be able to get one more at bat. Even with all the assurances I’ve received from some of my teammates, I felt like I haven’t done much. I’m just lacking in some way.

Julian hit a single just past the first baseman and safely stopped at first. Chris failed to get a hit, once again popping out to the center fielder. It wasn’t even near the outfield fence so Julian couldn’t tag up and advance to second.

I relaxed my shoulders as I stepped into the lefty’s box. There were many possible scenarios for what could happen at my at bat: hit, pop out, groundout, strikeout, maybe an error by an infielder, I could be walked, and so on. But seeing the pitcher sweating and looking exhausted, plus my clear mind, made me think that the odds were in my favor. Just in case..I looked back at the catcher. "I’m going to get a hit." I had to put it out in the universe.

The catcher scoffed, not taking my words seriously I guess. I put my attention back on the pitcher, and let my body get into its normal stance. The pitcher’s tiredness showed, as his pitches were all over, no rhyme nor reason. I found one that I liked and started to swing my bat. It connected perfectly with the barrel of the bat and took off, just over the third baseman’s head. I sprinted to first and saw Coach Luis waving me on, so I rounded the base path, and was able to see that my hit nearly rolled into the corner of the field. The left fielder fetched it and quickly threw it in to the shortstop. The shortstop turned to try and make a play, but I was already safely standing on second and Julian was standing on third. A stand up double. My favorite. I let out a smile.

"Woo!! Bambi!" I heard some of my teammates yell and shake the fence of the dugout. My smile grew a little more and I gave Noah a thumbs up as he moved to the on deck circle. He returned the gesture before focusing on Mahki.

Unlike our last game where Mahki went 2-3, today he was 0-3. Nothing looked wrong with him like injury or mental distress...he just couldn’t get anything going. And it showed. In his last at bat, his frustration seeped through, and he struck out swinging even though the pitcher was throwing quite a few balls.

Noah moved to the batter’s box. I thought he would fight for another walk, but he found a pitch that he liked and swung, sending a hard grounder up the third baseline. Unfortunately, the third baseman was playing closer to the bat than usual, due to Julian being there. He fielded the ball and threw Noah out at first the end the top of the seventh. 4-2.

We switched sides and Garret took the mound. This would be Sunset’s last attempt to tie up the game or take it over. I didn’t dare to take my eyes off the batter. Garret was only allowed a max of 110 pitches and he was nearing the 90s. Even if he didn’t look tired, that didn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t feel tired.

Luckily we started with the bottom of their lineup. The first batter up hit the bottom of a pitch, popping it up straight to me. I raised my glove and caught the ball, then was greeted with a round of applause. I nervously looked around trying to figure out what was happening.

"Just give it back to Garret." Noah told me. "The cheers are for him. He’s about to get the win against a better school so of course the families and spectators are happy."

I nodded and threw the ball back to Garret on the mound. Garret must have heard Noah’s words and looked a little red in the face. His own embarrassment became a distraction and he walked the next batter.

"Throw a strike, Garret!" Noah clapped. The team followed his lead and started to clap for our star pitcher as well.

Garret took a deep breath and faced the ninth batter. A flyout and a strikeout. He could easily get this guy. He came at him with strikes over the plate, getting an 0-2 count before the batter swung at the next pitch. He smacked a grounder just past Garret, between second base and Noah. I started to move.

"I got it!" Noah yelled, calling me off. I froze and watched. Noah caught the grounder with his glove, tagged second base, and with a smooth transfer of the ball to his throwing hand, he threw to Julian at first. Two outs! A double play to end the game! 4-2.

I ran to Noah, to tell him what a good play that was, but he pulled me into a headlock immediately. "Did you see how awesome I was?!" He started to laugh.

I nodded or at least, tried my best to. It didn’t take long for our teammates to surround us and to join in on the celebration.

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