Your Time

Chapter 58

{June 2036}

Carrie knew this was going to happen at some point. After graduating high school last year, Billie went to college at the University of Florida while Emma still currently attended the University of Oklahoma. Both schools had phenomenal softball programs. Both schools also made it to the Women's College World Series Championship with Oklahoma and Florida each winning 1 game in the best of 3 series.

It was the hardest game to watch because they couldn't cheer for either side. They had to remain neutral. It was also hard knowing one of their daughters would be heartbroken after this game.

Harrison and Carrie and the kids all got seats right behind home plate. That was part of the effort to stay neutral, so they weren't on Billie's side not Emma's, or the other way around. Carrie wore an Oklahoma shirt and a Florida hat while Harrison wore a Florida shirt and an Oklahoma hat. People often gave them weird looks upon seeing them at first, but the looks diminished when they realized who they were.

Neither Emma or Billie thought they would be playing each other in the college World Series. While Billie was still in high school, Emma would come home during her breaks and catch for her sister. That also gave Emma a lot of information to share with her team about what pitches Billie had, and where she liked to locate them. But Billie learned through playing with her sister before, what pitches she liked. And she knew for a fact Emma hated outside pitches.

During the coaches meeting, Carrie and Harrison could see their daughters smiling and laughing. Both girls were captains for their teams. It was then determined Oklahoma would be the home team. Emma and Billie gave each other a quick hug before heading off to join their teams for the national anthem.

Billie was batting 6th for Florida, so she didn't appear in the box in the top of the first. But Emma who was batting third for Oklahoma, would definitely get a plate appearance this inning.

When Emma finally got up to bat, she said something to Billie on the mound who laughed. It was going to be interesting to see how this at bat played out. Because Emma had caught for her sister for all those years.

The first pitch was a curveball that missed outside. One thing Emma wasn't going to do was chase a pitch out of the strike zone. She knew what Billie threw and which way her junk pitches broke. The second pitch missed as well. After getting the count to 3-0, Emma fouled a pitch off. The pitch was an outside riseball. Billie knew Emma hated outside pitches when she threw another one in the same spot.

Emma's count was full. Something was going to happen on this pitch. The pitch came in slower than Billie's other pitches. But Emma waited on the changeup. She drove the outside changeup to right center field where it dropped in for a double.

It was now the top of the 2nd with the score tied at 0. Emma was left on second base. After the first two Florida hitters flying out, Billie came up to bat.

Billie's junior and senior year of high school, she became so unpredictable at the plate. She was a very good hitter, but she was very fast. That gave her the advantage to surprise the defense with a bunt. Emma wasn't going to let her surprise them with a bunt. She had the first baseman and third baseman playing closer to the plate.

Billie squared around to bunt right away. The ball made contact with her bat, but bounced off her in the batters box for a foul ball. Before Emma could reach out and grab the ball for her, she picked it up and handed it to her sister.

Billie ended up hitting one off the wall for a double to match her sister. But her run would not come around to score and neither would any run for a while.

It was the top of the 8th inning, the score still tied at 0. Emma and Billie were both having great games from a hitting perspective, but their teammates couldn't hit them around to score.

Billie was pitching well. She only gave up 3 hits, all to her sister and struck out 10 so far in the game. After the Oklahoma third baseman flew out, that brought up Emma. The first pitch from Billie was crushed to center field. The center fielder ran back in a full sprint. All the Oklahoma fans stood, thinking this would be a walk off home run, but their hopes were crushed when the ball was caught at the top of the fence. Emma just missed that one.

The game dragged out into the 17th inning, already through what would be 2 softball games at 14 innings. Billie was still pitching for Florida, although her pitch count was up to 180 pitches. Emma was also still catching for Oklahoma, but they were onto their third pitcher of the game.

Emma was due up first in the bottom of the 17th. Normally this game would've had a chance of being over earlier, due to the runner placed at second base during the 10th to speed the game up, but this was playoffs, so that wouldn't happen.

In the game so far, Emma was 5-7 off her sister. But her hits didn't hurt Florida since Oklahoma wasn't able to cash in. With her 8th at bat, Emma had seen everything of her sisters multiple times. It wouldn't be long before she would get a hold of one.

The first pitch Billie threw was a drop ball. It was a very good drop ball. But the veteran senior sent the ball flying just over the fence. As Emma trotted around the bases, the other Oklahoma players surrounded home plate. They'd done it! The won the World Series 1-0!

Once Emma stepped on home plate, she ignored her teammates trying to tackle her and met Billie halfway between the mound and home plate for a hug.

Harrison, Carrie, and the rest of the family made their way onto the field, as the sisters hugged. They ran up to their two daughters, hearing laughter and Billie saying, "that was crushed."

Billie didn't even seem fazed that Florida had just lost the World Series. She was so proud of her sister. They hugged again. "You pitched a great game B."

"Thanks Emma. I'm glad you were the one to hit that. You deserve it."

As Emma received her trophy, she told Billie," I can't wait to see you back here next year."

Billie smiled. She would be back to win it next year. And the year after.