Married To Baseball

Smile Back

Jailyn~

"I just be like, you, what you need. You can't get nothin' from me," the first lines of Mac Miller's 'Smile Back' ring out as I take my spot in the box, "You was talkin' sh, now I'm somebody you would love to be." Fuck bro even censored this song gets me hyped. How the hell didn't I make this my walk up sooner? I take one more practice swing before holding up my hand to the ump as I tap the end of my bat to the edge of the plate before swinging it back up in my stance. God damn, it feels good to be back.

I watch the pitcher as she starts her wind up before the ball leaves her hand and I track it from there, low outside corner. "oh and one," The umpire calls out, not sure I'd have called that a strike but, it was I guess close enough I'm not going to argue. It is the first inning of our first game anyways. I twirl my bat a little getting set again kicking the dirt, digging my cleats into it making the box how I like it before getting back to ready position. Watching the pitcher again she winds up exactly the same and the ball takes relatively the same path as it comes towards the plate and I swing all the way through and see it fly. I watch it a second chuckling to myself before tossing my bat to our dugout as I make my way around the bases while the ball lands over the fence. That's almost becoming too easy. I catch Cody and Christian high fiving each other from where they're sitting cheering us on right next to the dugout.

"Oh shit, thirteen can I get your number?" Christian calls as I make my way into the dugout I shake my head laughing a little pretending not to pay attention to him as I high five everyone jumping around so incredibly hyped over my home run. First one for us and for this season not too shabby.

The inning continues on and more and more of us reach and make it in to score, there's still only one out as the top of the order comes up again. Vern takes the plate as I start grabbing my stuff to head out again. "Hey, hottie with the braids," Christian calls out tossing a seed at me making me look up at him for the first time laughing, "You got a boyfriend?"

"A husband actually," I respond winking at him with a smile as I slip my batting gloves on.

I'm pulling the straps tight as Christian replies, "Damn, he's one lucky guy." I just smile rolling my eyes laughing as I slip on my helmet and grab my bat watching Vern as she finishes her at-bat with a line drive to center field getting a single and knocking Taylor in for an RBI. Eight nothing in the bottom of the first with one out is pretty damn crazy. "Hey one-three not that you need it, obviously, but don't suck."

"I'll keep that in mind," I tell Christian before I leave the dugout and take my place in the on-deck circle as Maddy takes the plate.

Five pitches later and Maddy draws a walk and 'Smile Back' begins to play once again while I step up to the plate. I kick the dirt around again digging my cleats fixing my box before cocking my arms back ready for the next pitch. The first thing she throws is a fastball straight down the middle. You'd think given my last at-bat and how the rest of the inning has gone so far she'd have intentionally walked me or at least thrown something less hittable. I smack the ball and watch it fly off my bat again, jesus christ I just went two for two homers and we're still in the first inning. As entertained as I am by it, I've gotta keep it contained because their team is struggling, and I can see it on their faces as I make my way around again.

Stepping down back on home plate I head back in high-fiving Nat as she takes her place at the plate and then Taylor as she takes the on-deck circle. "God damn two in one inning? My girl is on fire!" I smile a little shaking my head, doing the little hand thing by my neck telling him to cut it.

"I know, I feel bad though," I tell him putting my helmet back after going through the congratulatory obligations after a homer. "Like eleven nothing in the bottom of the first. Great for us, just not for them."

"That's not on you though," Christian says laughing.

"Well I knocked six of our eleven in so, it's kinda on me," I tell him grabbing my visor and getting it back on. "Obviously it's on their pitching and defense but, I don't really have to attack it as hard as I do."

"Oh Jai, only you would feel bad about hitting two homers in one inning," Cody tells me teasingly making me laugh.

"If we weren't up eleven nothing in the first inning it'd be whatever," I say chuckling a little, "They're struggling and it's hard to see even if we're the ones killing them."

"Don't stress it JJ," Christian says laughing, "Just go get drilled by a pitch in your next at-bat cause you're kinda asking for it."

I scoff as I laugh knowing he's a hundred percent right, "I was expecting it this last at-bat. I figured letting off one homer would get me drilled right away. We'll be done at four and a half, if I make it just on base I'll probably talk to Ken and see his plan on pulling people. There's no real reason to have the A-Team in when we're up like this."

"Do you guys have a run-rule?" Cody asks.

"Nah," I shake my head, "Not in regular season at least, I don't know what this is being called as though. It's if a team us up by eight after five or the four and a half in this case. If it is going to be called which I kinda hope it is because this is crazy."

"You guys ever win a game like this?" Cody asks me and I shake my head.

"Never by this much this early," I tell him pulling up a bucket and sitting on it watching us continue our pretty insane first inning, "The only time I've had a game like this was when I was a sophomore in High School. Then the rule was you could call it if one team was up by fifteen at three and then seven at five. I think we ended up winning twenty-four to nothing because no one said anything from either team once we'd hit fifteen."

"I'd give you shit for talking to us but honestly at this point, I don't think anyone cares," Christian says laughing a little as another crack of the bat rings out as a ball flies to deep right. For their sake, I hope they can make the play.

"Oh, definitely not," I say, "Even if it was close and we weren't raking no one really cares what I do anymore as long as I'm producing where I need to. Seeing I've got two homers in an inning, I think I'm good." I shoot back a cocky little grin making the boys laugh before Cody gives a nod to someone behind me as a pair of arms wrap around me and I can only assume its Carly.

"Well Beli, your first game everything you've expected it to be?" She asks as she lets go of me and sits on my lap instead. I hold my arms around her as we both look at Cody.

"Definitely expected it to be a little better competition, getting to see Jai's dingers in person though is fun."

"If you're lucky you might get to see her get drilled with a pitch too today," Carly says patting my leg as we both laugh as the second out is made on us. There's only four more spots now until I'm up again.

"I want someone to get an out now, I don't wanna have to run again or wear a pitch," I say complaining a little getting a few laughs. "It's also such a chore getting all my stuff on again like I swear I just got my visor on."

"Oh poor baby," Christian teases making me laugh rolling my eyes. My attention is pulled again as Alexis makes contact and gets a little grounder to the first basemen. Thank god honestly.

Carly gets up and I grab my glove and am about to jog out when Ken stops Carly, Maddy, and I from hitting the field and calls Hannah, Liv, and Lynayah up, "You three head out. Carly, Maddy, Jai, you can head back to the clubhouse. We're good."

The three of us look at each other and laugh a little before cleaning our stuff up. Once Carly and Maddy finish they pop out of the dugout for their curtain call getting cheers. Once I've got my shit all gathered I do the same grinning as I hear the crowd cheering loudly for me and my performance in this single inning now. I give Christian a wave of his own winking at him before stepping down and heading down to the clubhouse all my stuff in hand. Well this was a damn good start to this season.