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"YOU'RE UP, JIEUN!"
Jieun stood up, brushing her sweaty hands on the cloth of her pants. She reached over, tightly gripping her bat. The other girls gave her words of reassurance as she passed, a few pats being placed on her back. I sat at the edge of the bench, smiling as Jieun made her way to me.
"Wish me luck," she grinned, tipping her helmet lightly at me. I chuckled, playfully shoving her towards the entrance of the bullpen. I shouted a quick "good luck" her way, watching as she made her way to home plate.
I walked towards the fence of the bullpen, eager to watch her performance. It was the 7th inning, the last one. The score was 8-7, meaning that we were losing. We needed 2 more points and we could score the game. The anxiety ate away at me, chills spreading to all edges of my skin.
The pitcher took in a deep breath before swinging underhand, the ball flying at an immense speed. Jieun stepped out, releasing a powerful swing towards the ball. Unfortunately, the catcher caught the ball, stimulating a strike. A series of sighs echoed from various girls in the bullpen, all of us praying that Jieun gets a hit.
The catcher threw the ball back to the pitcher, who caught it with ease. She repositioned herself, pausing before blowing out a heavy throw. Jieun drew the bat behind her head before swinging it forward, striking the ball. The ball flew far out onto the field, which instantly sent Jieun into a quick sprint. The crowd cheered for her, watching her every movement. Jieun passed first base, making her way towards second. An outfielder from the left-field threw it to another outfielder, who threw it towards the second baseman. Thankfully, Jieun's foot touched the plate right before the second baseman tagged her.
I smiled in happiness, full of reassurance that Jieun made it to second base. Jieun has always been one of our fastest runners since we joined the team. The whole team praised her for it, including me.
I was our second batter, which meant that my play determined the fate of our team. If I scored a double or a triple, then Jieun could advance to the home plate and give us a point. This meant that we would tie the game, and give our third batter the chance to get me to the home plate. If we did this successfully, we would win the game. I turned around, bending down and grabbing my bat, butterflies forming in my stomach.
I grabbed my helmet, securing it on my head. The girls on our team cheered me on, giving me hope that I could do it. I stepped out of the bullpen, the sunlight brightening my skin. The air felt clear, light almost. I walked towards the home plate, clenching my fist on the handle of the bat. I reached home plate, tapping my bat lightly on the ground. It was something I always did every time I pitched, to calm my nerves.
I looked up, staring in the direction of the pitcher. She stared at me with a blank expression, the ball close to her chest as she prepared herself. I made a quick glance to Jieun, who had already positioned herself and stared at me reassuringly. I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath before glancing ahead.
