Around Life's Bases - The Top Of The First

"C'mon guys, do you want to get out of here or not?" Claudia watched the boys in awe. No matter how tired they were, or how late it was, they were always able to pick a fight.

"If you had been in the right spot, Jester...."

"What are you talking about? She changed our spots last..."

"Jesse, Chris, will you just SHUTUP!!!" Greg pulled the two apart. They glared at him, steaming like bulls, but started to cool down.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but there's only fifteen minutes of rehersal left, and I want to get out of here. Pull it together, or you know she's going to keep us late."

"Geezus," Matt whispred as they got back in postition to start Feel the Rain. "Jester looked like he was going to throw one at Chris."

Jesse whipped around. "WHAT did you just call me?"

"Nothing man, nothing."

Greg just shook his head and tried to make those last fifteen minutes fly by as quicly as possible....

Bottom of the ninth, the score: White Sox 11, Phillies 10. Two outs left, the count 2,1 with a runner on second. It was a sweltering 94 degrees out on that muggy June afternoon. Beads of sweat glistened on Callie's dirty face. She adjusted her visor and waited for the pitch. "C'mon Kay, 2 more strikes baby." Kaylin stepped back, nodded her head, wound up, and released a blinding fastball over the plate. The wobbly swing of the bat upped the count to 2,2. "1 more," she prayed silently. "1 more, c'mon." A crack of the bat sent a grounder to the pitcher. Kaylin threw to Heather at third, who made the tag and pummeled the ball to first, in an attempt to make a great double play and end the game.

"Oh crap, that's too high!" Callie's mind was racing as she stretched her front leg towards the ball as far is it could go without letting her take her dusty cleats off the bag.

"Alright Callie, you know you've got it!" She heard a familiar voice coaching her on from the bleachers. A huge smile spread across her face, and her calves responded by releasing their last bit elasticity. The dirt-stained softball landed perfectly in her always reliable glove, just as the runner tagged the base. Eternity passed twice as she waited for the call......

"YER OUT!"

Callie threw off her hat and ran to Heatherat thrid, as cheers erupted from the crowd.

"WE WON!" Callie screamed, ecstatically embracing her friend. "Holy Shit, we won!"

The girls ran to the pitcher's mound to join the rest of the Westchester White Sox. Lifted onto coach's shouldersd they held up the golden trophy for all to see, the bottom plate inscribed with "Girl's Softball State Champions".