Ryan wiped the sweat off his brow and adjusted his grip on the baseball. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the field. The scoreboard read 3-2 his team the Red Socks, had the lead. But their opponents, the Dodgers, had two runners on base. Ryans Coach’s voice rang in his ears « Trust your arm, kid. This is your game. »
He exhaled slowly, trying to manage his nerves. The Dodgers’ best hitter Jack Cole, swung the bat, having struck home runs all season. His fingers trembled slightly as he signaled for the catcher. Silence. The stadium fell still. Ryan wound up and fired the first fastball. CRACK! The ball screamed towards home plate. Then Jack made contact. The ball rocketed into the sky. Time seemed to go slower as he watched the ball sink. « Please let it stay in, Please let it stay in ».
The center fielder sprinted toward the ball. The crowd roared, then held its breath. His leathered glove stretched then, at the last second, the ball landed safely in his mitt. Out! The crowd sang. Two outs.
The runners scrambled back to their bases. Relief flooded Ryan, but it wasn’t over yet. The next batter stepped up, a rookie, nervous but determined. Ryan dug his cleat into the mud. He could feel his heart pounding.
Ten seconds. Fifteen seconds. One more pitch. One more out.
He flipped the ball nodded at his catcher and threw a smooth left handed curveball. The batter swung and missed. Strike three. Game over. The stadium erupted. Ryan’s teammates rushed to him, cheering, and clapping his back. He had done it.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ryan glanced at the field, looking alone at the crowd. « Ten minutes ago, he had stood on the mund, nerves eating away at him. Now he stood as a champion. »