I couldn’t concentrate, I was throwing the ball as hard as I could, and I wasn’t hitting my spots. It was hot and the other team was crushing every strike I threw. I was getting really upset and the ball was going further and further away from the plate every time I threw it. I wanted out of the game, but I didn’t want to tell my coach that because I thought he might be upset so I stayed in.
The moment finally came; once I walked another batter, my coach called timeout and walked out to the mound. While he was walking to me I wiped off the sweat on my face. When he got there he asked
“Are you alright?”
“Yes,” I answered lieing.
“I will take you out after this inning, just focus on this last out and let’s get out of it,” he said.
“Okay,” I answered. My coach walked back to the dugout.
The umpire called the batter in and said “play!” The first pitch I threw was hit. And it was hit hard. I looked up at the ball and it looked like it could’ve gone on forever. The umpire waved his finger in a circle indicating that it was a home run. I watched the batter trot around the bases and his teammates all gathered around waiting for him at the plate. I had to stay focused and I couldn’t let my emotions get to me or the inning would go on forever. The next batter got up. I threw my first pitch and it was hit softly. I finally had got the last out. I walked back to the dugout and sat on the bench thinking about how I had just messed up the game.
My coach walked over to me and said “Gabe, get up you are hitting first in the inning we need you.”
I put my helmet and batting gloves on. I grabbed my yellow Easton bat and I walked up to the plate. I was very nervous. I was hoping my bad pitching wasn’t going to affect my batting.
The crowd was shouting words of encouragement like
“You can do it Gabe,” and “Keep your eye on it.” I stepped in the box and within seconds the ball came in.
“Strike one!” said the umpire. I stepped out of the box and re-strapped my gloves, took a couple practice swings and stepped back in. I tapped the outside corners of the plate to make sure I could hit the ball over the whole plate. The ball came in and I swung with all of my power and I made contact. However, the ball went straight back into the back stop and it was a foul ball. I was even more nervous now. The count was zero balls and two strikes and the last thing I wanted to do is strike out. I stepped out again I took a deep breath and tried to have as much focus as possible. I stepped in again and I eyed the pitcher. He nodded his head saying the sign the catcher gave him was good. He started his windup and pitched it. The ball looked like it was in slow motion. I loaded and swung right where the ball crossed the plate. I hit the ball and I made such good contact I barely felt the ball come off my bat. It was high in the sky. For a second I thought it was going to drop in the outfield. I ran as fast as I could until I heard the whole crowd cheer. I looked at the ball and it went over the fence into the parking lot right behind the field. When I saw that ball soar over the fence, I had the biggest smile on my face that i’ve smiled in my life.
I started to jog around the bases and when I rounded third base my coach was there. He gave me a high five and said “Great job kid.” When I looked at home plate I saw all my teammates surrounding the plate waiting to jump on me when I touched home plate.
I remember hearing my teammate Jack’s voice saying “Wait for him to touch the plate.” When I touched it they all jumped on me and I had the biggest smile on my face. It was definitely one of the best moments of my life… even though we lost
In the beginning it was all downhill for me. I wasn’t pitching good and I couldn’t focus. However, I didn’t let my pitching affect everything else that happened in the game. I learned that no matter what happens is keep trying because something very good is waiting to happen. That is the lesson that I learned.