Fouling Out With Easy Money

     It was Friday, the day of the Wildcat-Tiger game at Hanson Field. It was warm and sunny, good weather for baseball. The stadium, packed with excited fans, sparkled with a coat of fresh green paint. With two outs, it was the bottom of the ninth inning and Wildcats were up to bat. With just a few errors on both sides, the game had been close. There was a hush in the stands as everyone waited for the next pitch. In the infield, after hitting a double, Doug Fisher, the Wildcat’s lanky first baseman, was on second base.

     With a count three balls and one strike, Ted Mason, a strong left-handed hitter, was up at bat. Doug took a long lead; the pitcher fired the ball to the second baseman. The tag missed as Doug leaped back to the bag.

    The stadium was quiet as the pitcher prepared his wind up. In the second row, Donna, Gloria, and Joan sat motionless in their seats, waiting.

     “Wow, this is it,” Donna said.

     “Do you think he’ll hit one?” Gloria asked excitedly

     “We’ll see,” Joan said.

     “Look at Doug! He’s about to run,” Donna said.

     Ted cocked his bat and the pitcher hurled a fastball. It dropped low for strike two. In the dugout, Coach Edwards muttered, “You’d better nail this one, Ted.”

     The pitcher held his head down studying Doug on second base. Ted stepped away from the plate and took a couple of practice swings. Tiger fans booed. Ted cocked his bat waiting for the pitch.

     The ball exploded from the pitcher’s hand. It came in low and fast. Ted took a powerful swing––Wildcat fans roared at the crack of the bat––the ball soared to center field.

     Near the backfield fence, the center fielder leaped up to catch the ball, but he missed. The ball rebounded into the field. The Wildcats’ third base coach motioned Doug to run. Doug cleared third base and raced to home plate. The center fielder picked up the ball and hurled it to home plate.

     The ball came in high; the Tigers’ catcher leaped up and caught it. Doug slid into home plate under the catcher. Doug and the catcher tumbled over each other in a cloud of dust. The umpire threw his hands out.

     Loud cheers and applause went up from Wildcat fans. On the other side of the bleachers, loud boos went up from Tiger fans.

     The umpire rubbed dust from his eyes. Doug and the catcher slowly got up from the ground, brushing dirt from their uniforms. As Doug staggered to the dugout, Wildcat players applauded and shook his hand. Tiger fans yelled their disbelief at the umpire’s call.

     In the bleachers, Donna and her friends jumped up and down, screaming.

     “Wow, what a game. I didn’t know Doug could run so fast,” Donna said, hugging Gloria.

     As Wildcat players headed to the locker room, Coach Edwards pumped his fist in the air hollering, “Super game, I knew you could do it.”

     “Right on Coach,” Bruce said shaking his fist. 

     In the dugout, Doug was searching for his glove. He couldn’t remember where he laid it. As he looked under a bench in the dugout, Bruce came over and slapped him on the back. “Hey Doug—that was a great play.”

     “Have you seen my glove?” Doug asked.

     “No, I’ll help you look,” Bruce said. 

     “I’ll bet Joe took it. He’s always pulling pranks like that,” Doug said.

     “Hey, it sounds like something he would do,” Bruce said.

     After a thorough search of the dugout, they headed to the locker room. Bruce put his hand on Doug’s shoulder. “This was our big game—the conference title!“

     “Yahoo, we’re going to Kansas City,” Doug said.

     “Keep it up Doug—you’re playing great.”

     Doug looked serious. “You know; I didn’t think I would play ball."