Creative Writing: First Pickball

Imagine standing on a softball field expected to perform at the age of 5. Even though the butterflies in my stomach were starting a war, nothing was going to stop me from stepping on that field to play my first tee ball game as a Little Tiger. Fans cheered, but what I noticed most was a little boy in the outfield picking his nose. Standing in the box, I was terrified; the field looked huge. I had never seen anything like this before, but I knew that the little boy was the person I needed to hit the ball to, so I hit the ball as hard as I could. The ball went soaring through the air like a bird on fire. Dropping from the air, it rolled to the fence. At that time, I knew I had fallen in love with the game of softball. I was smiling from ear to ear, I couldn’t believe I had hit the ball that far! Both sides screamed, yelled, and shouted with excitement. Was all this commotion for me? I rounded first, but I couldn’t go to second because my teammate, Kylie Leach, didn’t run. I didn’t know what she was doing. Sadly, the batter after me hit a ground ball to the pitcher, and the other team threw him out at first.

My breakfast started to creep back up my throat as game time got closer and closer. I walked across the patch of grass behind home plate and was towered over by the 30 foot backstop with a huge net suspended from it. My bulging bag of equipment was beginning to make my shoulder hang. I walked down the steps into the cement dugout and placed my bag under the bench that spanned the entire length of the dugout. I sat down, laced up my cleats, and put my warm-up jacket on in preparation for batting practice. I stepped onto the grass surrounding the dugout to get the feeling of how wet the grass was. I dug my cleats into the grass and began my usual routine of taking certain practice swings as I gazed upon the press box in the wake of the backstop. Preceding the burn in my forearms, caused from the practice swings, I marched behind the dugout to the rows of batting cages to wait my turn in line. Pacing back and forth I knew I had to keep my nervousness to a minimum. I popped in a wad of Big League Chew and continued to

Clouds mugged the sun of light as the day progressed. Dusk filled the air on the baseball diamond where I would leave my legacy. Forth, was the championship game to be played, and the pressure of the starting pitcher, was not fazing me. In the zone, we said the Little League pledge. Jolts of excitement filled my muscles as I recited the piece that I know all too well. Warming up, I was controlled, and was ready to bring it. The game began with a bang. Strikeout after strikeout I fired, giving my all every single pitch. ‘BOOM’ went the glove after every pitch, whizzed right by the petrified batter. However, this was not much different for our team. Just two hits filled the board, I and my teammate Ian Keth. Scoring off of this was efficient,

Only being the bat boy, Stanton had to bring his equipment to the ballpark everyday and go hit in the batting cages before the team showed up. Stanton thought to himself, “Why is coach asking me to swing in batting practice today? He has never done that once since I became the bat boy.” Stanton walked back onto the field and stepped into the batter’s box. Before Stanton even took a swing, he looked at the beautiful Marlins Park. Straight ahead was the bright, colorful outfield walls that were painted green. Stanton soaked in the atmosphere. While the batting practice pitcher went to throw the first pitch to Stanton, Johnny Field, the Marlins seventh round draft pick said, “Come on coach! You’re giving the bat boy a couple swings? Ha-ha that’s funny.” Just as Field finished his sentence, Scotty Stanton crushed the first pitch he saw into the left-center field gap, landing at an estimate four hundred feet. Coach Mattingly said, “Sit your ass down Field, we should have drafted this kid over you!” Stanton gave Mattingly a smile. Stanton continued to punish balls, smashing them all over Marlins Park. To others, it was just batting practice, but to Stanton, it meant more. It felt as if he had the game of baseball back in his life. When Stanton’s round was over, the Marlins players were impressed, besides the envious Johnny Field. One Marlins player even told Mattingly that this kid needs to be in the lineup. Mattingly

It was the last games of the baseball season. We had are worse pitcher pitching for our team. And they had an ok pitcher pitching. We got to the semi finals and our coach was going nuts. I was in the locker room getting ready for the game and my teammates Austin and Tevan were right next to me also getting ready they were one of the best players on the team.

“Next up the right fielder Auuuuusstin Meeeehhhhrrrr” belows out of the speakers at full blast as I approach the plate. Feeling loose I ease into the batter's box sinking my cleats deep into the soft dirt where I can get a solid stance. Stretching my bat across the plate showing the pitcher how much reach I have tempting him to throw one in the zone. Weight is on my back leg as I slowly bounce the bat in my hands anticipating the first pitch. The pitcher begins his windup and I stop moving the bat and focus on the ball.

PAR1 was playing in a local softball tournament. He stepped up to bat and hit a single. As the next batter came up PAR1 took a generous lead off first base. The batter then hit the ball into the outfield and PAR1 took off like a rocket. PAR1 was nearing second base when the ball was overthrow allowing PAR1 to proceed to third. Just as PAR1 was halfway between third and second base the catcher picked up the ball and throw it to the third baseman. Instantly PAR1 made a b-line for the second base, and found himself in a pickle situation. While the third baseman threw to the second baseman PAR1 revered his direction and went back for his attempt at third. At the same time the second baseman threw to third baseman, just a little high making the

Two outs, full count, Crushers still up 7-6, bottom of the 7th with the Stix as the home team and a runner on first. Hardester throws one more a little outside and McCoy fouls it off. Next pitch right down the pipe and she hits a hard ground ball up the middle… and… KAMRYN LOHDEN DIVES FOR IT.”

But that time was short because my team decided to go down one, two, three. So I took the mound and countered with my own one two three half inning. I began to methodically work my way through the opposing team’s lineup, until I hit a snag in the top of the fourth inning. Two walks and an error later and the bases were juiced up with no outs. I tried not to show panic, because if was rattled, my team would know it and become antsy too and I did not want that to happen. So just began to pitch again like nothing happened. The next pitch, a fast ball down the middle the fourth hitter smashes down the left field line. But out of nowhere, my third basemen snags it out of the air and touches third. Two outs just like that. With much excitement, I went on to strike out the last hitter and walk in the dugout

The first pitch that the coach threw to me seared the hair right off my head since it was going so fast. “Strike one!” called the ump. Alright, I needed to believe in my abilities. The next pitched was hurled right in line with my face! When I opened my eyes, I saw that the baseball was a perfect pitch and the catcher hadn’t moved his glove. The coach was making a fool out of me with his famous curve ball. “Strike two!” the umpire proclaimed. The next pitch was the one that I would make my mark on. The pitcher wound up and thrust the ball toward the catcher’s glove. I loaded and fiercely swung as hard as I could. After what seemed like forever, I looked into the catcher’s glove, and there was the ball. I felt dreadful. “Strike three!” I heard in the background. As I walked back to the dugout, I wondered what did I do wrong, what could I have changed, and what does the coach think of

The first pitch was a 74 mph fastball that whizzed by him for the first strike. “Man, he pitches fast!” Billy thought. The next pitch was also right down the middle, just a little slower, but had slowed down enough that that he swung and missed by a mile, being way ahead. He thought, “Yikes! I need to step up my game a couple notches.” The next pitch was outside, maybe to try and throw him off. The count was now 1 and 2. Billy was determined to make the big hit happen. The next pitch was a slow pitch right up the middle, and he knew it was now or never.

I licked my lips, baked from the dry air, in an attempt to calm myself. After four long seconds, the umpire gave the signal and the ball set was in motion. As the baseball was released from the pitchers finger tips, I forced myself to get into ready position, lifting my leg up and extending my arms back for a big swing. I immediately recognized it was an inside curveball but hesitation took over me resulting in a late swing. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for the umpire to make the call.

So the Cubs were up to bat with Ben Zobrist batting. He eventually struck out with 9 pitches. After him, they had Addison Russell up with one out. On the second pitch, he swung the bat and the ball went sailing high into deep left center. It looked like it was going to be gone, but it had dropped just short of the wall. So Addison Russell had gotten a double. With Russell on second, Wilson Contreras up to bat and Jason

A professional baseball player walks up to home plate with a bat in tow. He raises the bat and his uniform grips his body leaving no slack. The pitcher readies himself and hurls the first pitch towards home plate. The batter starts his swing and as the bat prepares to make contact with the ball it drops, and forces the umpire to shout, “Strike!” The batter gives a glances towards the umpire then the pitcher. The pitcher decides to test his throwing speed. He releases the ball and it zips towards home plate. The batter winds up and smashes the ball towards the outfield as the bat releases a thunderous crack. The center fielder's legs turn as sprints full speed towards the wall wondering when the ball will fall towards the Earth. The fielder

I was getting very nervous, because all three of us were hitless today. Okay, we need base runners, and we need them now. Don’t try to do too much, just get a hit. I thought. The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle of the plate, a perfect pitch to hit. My eyes got big, and my mind said swing, but before I could react, the ball was past me.