The New Girl

Chapter 17

Nick delivered the pitch and the ball was sent at Lem with a mighty roar of the bat. The ball bounced by him with Lem failing to block the ball down. Nick bit his bottom lip. A routine play that should have been easy for Lem resulted in an error allowing another runner on. Northend had a small lead of 2-0 in the third inning but that was never a safe lead. Safe leads don't exist in baseball. Any team at any time have the potential to turn the game around. It's happened hundreds of times in history of baseball and Nick knew that Barbara High didn't need Derek to win if Lem couldn't pull it together. He could hear the coach yelling from across the diamond.

"Damn it, Lem! Do you even want to play today? What was that?" he yelled. Barbara mocked him from their dugout since he was on that side of the field. Lem kicked the dirt around passively which his hand and glove on his hips. Nick looked over to Alan at second base who had his glove up to his nose and his other hand on his hip. He shrugged and clapped his glove at Nick. 

Nick stood back on the mound. The pressure began to rack up a little bit in his mind. He knew a misplaced pitch could cost him some runs. He came set on the mound after getting his sign. He looked over to second base where Alan and Devin, the shortstop were making sure the runner wasn't getting too far off the base. Nick took a deep breath and launched a fast ball toward home plate. The batter squared around to bunt but pulled his bat back due to the ball staying wide.

"Ball." the umpire called. Nick caught the ball thrown back to him and the coach stood on the wing of the grass outside the dugout. 

"Eagle Eagle Falcon!" The coach yelled. It was a bunt coverage stated by what out to get by where Falcon was called. The coach wanted to get the out at third base. Nick got into the stretch again. He nodded and became set on the mound. Looking over to second base, Alan waved him off to throw home. As Nick put his knee up to throw, the batter squared around to bunt again. Nick threw the ball right down the middle to force him to bunt the ball and the he bunted down third base. Nick charged the ball, but Lem did too.

"Lem!" Nick cried as the two almost collided. Lem fielded the ball but couldn't make the play.

"What the hell, man?" Lem barked back. "Lem! Eagle Eagle Falcon! Play Three!" Nick went to his ear, "You're suppose to stay home at third base to get the force out." Lem tilted his head back in frustration. The coach was losing his mind in the dugout throwing anything near him that he could pick up. The parents were just as upset as the coach and seemed like they were going to do the same thing. Runners were now at every base and Nick's back was up against the wall. 

The coach called time out and came up to the mound. The whole infield came in to hear what he needed to say, and though he talked calmly and under control, the vibe totally showed his anger. 

"I don't know what's going on today, guys, but I seriously need you to figure it out. Our back is up against the wall now. D up. Got it? Block down the ball and get a damn out." The coach said and walked away from the group. Everyone bumped gloves with Nick and returned to their position. Lem walked with his head down staring at each step he took. He was so tired from doing whatever it was that he has been doing that he can't think the way and react the way he would normally. Everything about him today is cut in half. 

"Lem!" Nick called over. Lem turned around. Small black bags under his eyes faded in and out with each blink. "You alright? You good?" 

Lem gave the thumbs up and then clapped his glove with his hand preparing it to receive the next play. Nick stood on the mound in his wind up. In the batter's box waited Barbara High's strongest hitter, Benny Halls. His body was so large that it felt as if the batter's box wasn't big enough for him. The strike zone seemed so much smaller now. Nick could feel his chest tighten as he knew the whole game can change instantly with this one at bat and regardless of the previous mistakes Lem has caused, Nick knew he was going to be responsible for it. That's the contract of any captain, taking responsibility for not being able to fix the problem.