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
OK Coach Kim whispered into my ear one more run and this thing is ours Remember be smart Take your lead but don’t get trapped in a pickle They’re probably expecting the sacrifice fly so make sure you get back here as soon as the ball goes into the air and tag up Got it I nodded yes in reply I got this I thought Tempted to peek into the energetic bleachers behind me I focused instead on Martina the Cardinals pitcher on the mound Martina was tall Easily the tallest in our entire eighth grade at Cape Elementary When we played softball in PE during the school year I liked being on Martina’s team As a catcher I appreciate a strong pitcher who can throw more than just fastballs But this wasn’t a PE scrimmage It was the Cape Summer League season ender and we were opponents Martina’s dark curly hair poked out from every end of her cap sticking to her forehead in sweaty 8
globs She knew I could steal and kept throwing side glances my way in an attempt to scare me back to base Not going to happen I thought Lara was up next batting cleanup the fourth and most important spot in the lineup Lara is our star third baseman Nothing gets by her glove She is also an expert at hitting the sacrifice fly a hit so far into the outfield that it gives the base runner a chance to tag up and get to the next base before the outfielder can throw it back Lara kept one foot out of the batter’s box She took practice swings as she turned to Coach Kim for the signal Coach Kim tugged on her right ear the signal for take a pitch Then she touched her nose and patted her head Those were just meaningless signals meant to confuse the other team Finally she clapped her hands and stomped her feet the signal for no more signals 9
