ONE Bottom of the Ninth Crack The second the softball smacked against the sweet spot of the Louisville slugger I knew it was a double if not better I love the sound of bat connecting with ball how the shock waves travel down the body of the bat into my hands zinging my fingers with victory Only thing was I wasn’t the batter I was already on base Run Rana run I didn’t even hear the cheers from the background I calmed my mind took a deep breath and turned the noise into a quiet hum of energy It’s not often that I get on base So when I do I take it very seriously I’m working on my 4
batting skills But until they improve my trips to first base are few and far between It was the bottom of the ninth No outs My team the Dodgers was tied with the Cardinals One more run would win us the game and clinch our spot in first place at the end of the regular season A victory we had chased all year long As soon as Alana dropped her bat and headed for first I took off Rather than watch the softball to see where it landed I kept my focus on Coach Kim at third base If I was supposed to keep running she would let me know Sure enough as I sprinted toward second Coach Kim waved her arms in a giant circle the signal to keep running I rounded second and headed toward third feeling the thump-thump thump of my heart pounding in my chest Out of the corner of my eye I sensed movement on the field Flashes of red Cardinal jerseys zigzagged around me I ignored them and kept my 5
sights on my coach like every good base runner should Alana must have creamed the ball I thought I didn’t look into the stands to see if my parents were watching I didn’t sneak a peek into left field to see if the ball was close I just kept my eyes glued on Coach Kim After another second she threw her arms down to the ground the signal to slide The ball must be heading toward third I needed to hit the dirt and get my feet there first Just like in practice I lifted my left leg while straightening my right throwing them into a figure-four position as I dropped to the ground and threw my hands in the air The momentum pushed my straight body across the sandy gravel toward third base My foot hit the base a split second before I heard the familiar thwack of ball hitting glove Safe called the umpire 6
Before taking my foot off the base I made a T with my hands The umpire called Time-out Excellent base running Rana Coach Kim said giving me a pat on the back I straightened up and wiped the dust out of my eyes I felt my back pocket to make sure my batting glove hadn’t slipped out since I took it off at first base Some girls would then wipe the dirt and gravel from their pants But I liked to keep it It reminded me that the game wasn’t over yet Just as I had suspected Alana had made it safely to second I flashed her a thumbs-up Despite her small frame Alana was one of the best hitters on our team She had the upper body strength to bring the bat around quickly and the patience to know when to hold back The same smarts that helped her on the ice hockey rink also worked well in the batter’s box I loved watching Alana at the plate And secretly I wished that I could hit like her 7
