The Hitting Zone

The softball game started like it was the playoffs. Lineups were announced. Anthem was sang. The home team took the field as they were announced again. The coaches and Alisha showed up, sitting in the first row with me and Noah. 

Being the visitors, our school was up to bat first. Leadoff was a junior girl who struck out swinging. Kaylee came up next. 

Almost simultaneously, Noah and Alisha both jumped up and got closer to the fence. 

"Come on, Kaylee!"

"You've got this!"

"Eye on the ball!"

"Do your best!"

Almost instinctively, I got up too. I was slower to the fence and slower to cheer, but I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave it my best. "Just make contact. You're fast enough to beat it out."

"Yea, Kaylee!" Noah hollered. 

Kaylee didn't give us anymore time to yell out encouragement as she connected on an 0-1 count, hitting a high bouncer to third. She ditched the bat and took off running. The third baseman had to barehand the ball to have any chance at making a play. And she did it way better than I ever could have. She was a millisecond too late though. 

"Safe!"

Our small bleacher got loud and cheered for Kaylee as the next batter came up. KJ. She played in the outfield on days she didn't pitch, but I didn't know if her hitting was a whole lot better. I was worried about the double play, especially since stealing a base in softball was much more difficult than in baseball. There was no leading when the pitcher had the ball. But Kaylee surprised me and ran as soon as the ball left the pitcher's hand. KJ took the called strike, and the catcher was up and already throwing after the transition, trying to get to ball to second. Kaylee dived for second with her hands outstretched. 

"Safe!"

The three of us started to yell and jump in excitement. This team was supposedly good but here Kaylee was, running all over them. 

KJ did make contact on a 2-2 count, hitting a grounder to second. Kaylee took off for third, leaving the second baseman to throw to first to get the guaranteed out. Two out and runner at third for Marie, the best softball player in the league for the last two years now. 

"Let's go, Marie!"

"You've got this!"

"Bring her home!"

I glanced back at the bleacher full of the boy's baseball team and most of them were on their feet, yelling for Marie. I don't think she really needed our encouragement though. She smacked a heavy line drive in the gap of right-center for an RBI single, putting her team on the board first. 1-0. 

Kaylee walked by us and held up two fingers, making a v sign for victory. Them scoring first took a load off. With Marie on the mound, it was almost a guarantee that they would win. Almost. 

It was a tough game throughout as there wasn't another score for the rest of the game. The girl's hung onto their 1-0 win and went to the bus in a happier mood than the somber one we showed up with. 

Kyle was massaging Marie's shoulders just a few rows behind us, earning a lot of grief from both teams. There was a lot of people rolling their eyes like Noah, Kaylee, and Dave. 

"You're all just jealous." Kyle didn't mind. "My girlfriend is the best softball there is."

"Yea? I can say the same about my brother." Noah pointed at me. 

"He's my brother too." It was Kyle's turn to roll his eyes. 

"Yea, but I'm his favorite."

"That shouldn't count."

"Even Jeremy knows it, so it counts."

The two went back and forth. 

Kaylee got up on her seat to look back at me. "Does Jeremy really know it?"

I nodded. 

"And he doesn't feel bad?"

I shrugged. "I don't think so. It's not like we grew up together. Plus, I knew Noah first."

"You don't talk much about Jeremy." She commented. 

I shrugged again, helpless. "Not much to say. He's busy. We're busy."

"You saw him a lot last summer."

I nodded slowly. 

"Will you see him a lot this summer?" She asked. 

I scratched the back of my head, unsure. "I don't know. There's-" I caught myself. 

"What is there?" She kept questioning. 

"There's baseball." Noah came back to our conversation. "We're trying out for the regional team. Round two tryouts start early June."

"Just after playoffs." Kaylee nodded. 

"Then there's camps to sign up for. Stanford for obvious reasons. Maybe see Kyle play in the minors." He raised his voice to add. "If he can even get drafted."

"Of course I'll get drafted!" They started up again

"I think Garret will go before him." Kaylee locked eyes with me. 

I instinctively nodded.

"See?! Even Jake thinks so!" Noah hollered, making some of the guys laugh. 

Not Kyle though. "Jake Atkins! You think Garret is better than me?!"

I cringed in my seat and refused to look back. 

"Face it." Garret laughed along. "I have the advantage, being a lefty. AND being a hitter."

"Your hitting can't compare to Jake." Kyle shot back. 

"Jake ain't getting drafted this year." Garret laughed some more. He got up and looked at me. "Jake, you thinking about entering the draft right after high school yet?"

I froze. 

"Mom will still make us visit the five mandatory colleges." Noah answered. "Even me, who is definitely going to the draft. Let alone indecisive Jake."

"Jake's got a lot to see and compare." Dave winked at me. "Vandy is on the list though, right? I'll be there by the time you're doing college visits next year."

I started to nod. That didn't sound so bad. Visiting a college where I already knew someone. 

"Would you visit him first or Zeke and Stanford first?" Someone asked. 

I straightened up. "Well, probably Dave first, but only because I think Zeke will be in the minors by the time I do visits."

"That's true."

"We have a lot of good guys climbing up and making it out."

"I wonder who will be the first to make his major league debut?"

"Zeke is so good all around, that it would have to be him."

"Yea, but Garret and Kyle will have the advantage of entering the minors earlier."

The conversation shifted as the guys all started about who would represent the school first in the major leagues. I relaxed as it got away from me and closer to Zeke and the twins. The coaches finished boarding and we started the bus ride home. It was well into the night by the time we got back. We said quick goodbyes and went our own ways. 

"Man, today felt so long without any time on the mound." Dave sighed as he got into the front passenger seat. "I swear, practices are more fun than games where I don't even have a hope to pitch in."

"You pitched in the bullpen." Kyle rolled his eyes. "I caught for you."

"That's just casual work." Dave glanced back at me as I buckled up. "Hey, think you want to face off with me after practice tomorrow?"

"Sure." I nodded. I didn't mind at all. "Who will catch for you? Mitchell or Noah?"

"You better be asking Mitchell first." Noah cut in. 

"Yea, yea, I will."

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