Married To Baseball

World Champions Pt. 6

Jailyn~

"Jai," Ken says waving me over as Brazil takes a mound visit in the bottom of the ninth as we're currently tied and they've just walked our last batter leaving bases loaded with two outs. With me up to bat next, they're in a pretty tight spot right now. I guess they would be if I hadn't gone oh for three so far. Leave it to me to choke now that we're in the Championship title game. I jog over to him meeting him halfway, "Where's your head at kid? It's not been your best game."

"I'm fully aware of that," I tell him with a hint of sass, "All it takes is one. One pass ball and Anavah can score, one hit and we're in. One more run, and we win. If I can go one for four today, I'll have done my job."

"Well, you better get that one because they're not going to intentionally walk you obviously, but they're going to paint your zone as close as possible. I'd guess upper inside to try and throw you off. More than likely they're going to pitch what they've been and have a lot more movement and little consistency for you to catch onto. It's worked for them now the last three at-bats you've had. Don't let it work for four." I nod and he hits my back, "Alright kid you've got this."

"Ow," I say jokingly shooting Ken a grin as I walk back towards the batter's box taking a few swings as I do. Holding my hand to the ump once I'm in the box I kick the dirt around smoothing out the ruts from all the various batters before me before twisting my cleats in the dirt where I stand. I twirl my bat in a circle once in my left hand as I get set and take my position, showtime.

I take a deep breath and let it out relatively slowly keeping calm, if I strikeout right here I doubt anyone is ever going to let me live it down. Locking eyes with the pitcher a second I give her a cocky smirk doing my best to get into her head. She's got just as much riding on these next pitches as I do in this at-bat. You can see how much she knows this too. Taking a deep breath with a small nod to her catcher she goes into her wind up. I'm loaded as the ball leaves her hand and I track it low and inside the zone, it'll be close. Blue calls it a strike and now I know what I'm looking at. Ken was right, she's definitely painting the inside as best she can. I take a step out of the box to adjust slightly back from where I'd usually stand in the box and reset as subtly as I can. They might catch on anyways but it's going to be harder for them to paint the inner corner as close as they'd like now without it being a ball.

The next pitch she hits the upper inside, oh and two count, fuck. That one should've been a ball. Blue isn't going to give me any slack, he hasn't this whole game why should he start now. I step out of the box once more and take a second to regroup, all I have to do is make contact. I mean, and not get a flyout or thrown out. Just make contact, that's what you do Jailyn. Taking a deep breath I step back into the box and push down on my helmet once getting set again.

I've gotta swing, she's not going to get called on a ball unless it's bad. Even then I don't know that Blue wouldn't call it a strike anyways. I track the ball in and make contact fouling it off, a little liner down the left-field side. Well, that's better than striking out. Getting set once more I can see where the end goal is for her. It's about to be a change-up. I track the ball in and make contact sending it right-center field on the fly. I take off just as everyone else on the bases does with two outs and I just stare it down, it's looking super fucking close. Way too close to be completely honest. "Go, go, go!" I start yelling as I see their right fielder at the fence where it should be coming down. "Get out! GO!" I scream watching where it drops.

I swear my heart stops a second and everything is in slow motion as the ball hits the top of her glove, holy fuck no. No fucking way that's all it did as it lands just over the fence. I scream as I throw my helmet off and greet my teammates rushing the field holy fucking shit I couldn't have made that more terrifying if I tried. I'm getting shoved around as we all jump around screaming with each other. Homer 75 of the season, all-time record, walking off my sixth world championship. I'm gonna need that ball.