Bottom of the fifth, Dave was still in control of the mound, but he no longer looked as happy as he did in the beginning. He looked tired, physically and mentally. Being a pitcher had added pressure, especially in a close game like this. Still 2-1 with us in the lead. Dave had to start with the top of the lineup once more.
The first batter struck out looking, and I thought it was a good sign. But, Dave started to lose control, walking the second batter. Just as he tried to get back on track with throwing strikes, the third batter ripped a hard grounder to right field.
The runner took off from first as I moved towards the grass. Mahki chased after the ball, picked it and threw to me. I turned around, thinking I just had to throw to Noah at second, but to my surprise, the runner from first was almost at third base.
I was about to throw it when I heard Noah yell out, "Hold it!"
So I held it. Both runners were safe at third and first and I was holding the baseball with nowhere to throw it to.
"Jake." Dave showed me his open, empty glove, asking for the ball. I threw it back to him.
Dave walked back to the top of the mound, but was joined by Alex and a pitching coach from our dugout.
I was about to jog in, yet no other infielder was, so I paused. I looked over at Noah and caught him just squatting, brushing his glove against the dirt like he was contemplating. My lips twitched to fight off a smile. It probably isn't appropriate to laugh when we have runners at the corners and only one out.
I looked to my left to see what Julian was doing. He was actually talking to the runner on first...
I didn't know what to do so I just stayed in my position and waited it out.
The umpire only gave them a few seconds before he walked up to the mound himself. He glanced at his watch before saying something. The pitching coach went back to our dugout and Alex walked back to home plate with the umpire.
Dave bounced back after the mini-meeting. He struck out the cleanup hitter for the third time this game and then got the following batter to groundout to short. Noah fielded it cleanly, only looking like he was in a little pain after he finished the throw.
We jogged back to the dugout to start the sixth inning.
"I think I should take some aspirin or something like a painkiller." Noah mumbled as he sat down next to me.
"Why not?" I asked.
"I don't want to give Coach, Drew, or Zeke a reason to pull me." Noah gave me a small smile. "It's not too bad. Just the whole throwing motion has some pain."
"It'll be gone in no time." I reassured him. "Ice it when we get home."
Noah nodded. "I'll have to. We have to be ready for Thursday's game versus Servite. The league winner is definitely going to come down to the last second."
"We have to win this game first you dope." Dave slapped his glove on top of Noah's head before taking a seat beside him.
"Hey!" Noah rubbed his head. "Not cool. Shouldn't you not be fooling around? Focus on your pitching! You slacked off a bit this last inning."
My eyes widened. How could he say that while he's in the game.
Dave sighed and leaned back. "You guessed it. I'm out. They'll put in Bryce next inning to close it out." He let out another sigh. "I'm being replaced by a sophomore."
That's what they were talking about on the mound?
"You dummy." Noah lightly punched him in the arm. "You replaced juniors last year too. And never mind the fact that the seniors get less innings than you, Kyle and Garret. You're a bunch of mound hogs."
Mound hogs? Like a ball hog?
Dave laughed. He then looked over his throwing hand, checking out his nails. "Well, as long as he don't blow it."
Noah just rolled his eyes.
Top of the sixth inning started with a single from Zeke, but the excitement of having a runner didn't even last but a few minutes. Mahki grounded into a double play. Then Julian ended the inning with a pop out to the second baseman.
"Looks like the upperclassmen can't be trusted." Noah left Dave with a snide remark before jogging out onto the field.
"Bryce reminds me of Garret." I told Dave before leaving as well. That was the only way I could express how good I thought Bryce was. I believed in him.
Bryce came from the bullpen, met with Alex on the mound before starting his warmup pitches. Bryce would get to start with the bottom half of the lineup, which isn't necessarily good since that's how they got their one run before.
Bryce earned a swinging strikeout. Then gave up a double to left field. He wasn't bothered at all. Bryce merely glanced at the runner on second a few times between pitches to the next batters. The following batter flew out to Garret in left field, and the runner didn't dare advance on a tag. The ninth batter struck out swinging to end the sixth.
"He did no worse than you." Noah smirked at Dave as soon as we got back to the dugout.
Dave harrumphed. "He won't have as many strikeouts as me though. I had nine in five innings." He flexed his pitching arm. "What can I say? I'm a beast!"
Noah rolled his eyes before taking a seat. "Dummy. You pitched more than half the game. Bryce won't get as many innings as you."
Dave shrugged. "Not my fault that he isn't good enough to start."
"There's no use talking to you when your head is blown up this big." Noah shook his head.
Jason started this inning out and earned a walk on four straight balls. Seeing this, Noah started to put on his helmet and batting gloves. A chance for a fourth at-bat. My leg started to bounce up and down, feeling excited. It was the last inning, my last chance for today.
The pitcher calmed down down after a short chat with his catcher and started to throw strikes. Alex popped out to the second baseman. That's the second time with this pitcher.
Noah left for the on deck circle as Bryce stepped up to bat.
"Hey, you don't really think Bryce is better than me, do you?" Dave whispered as we watch on.
Feeling his anxiety, I tried to find the words that wouldn't upset him. "Not necessarily better. I just said he reminds me of Garret. Fast. And," I glanced to the field as Bryce made contact. "He can hit."
Bryce smacked a single to center field, moving Jason to second base. I stood up and switched my hat for a helmet. As long as Noah and Garret don't hit into double plays, I can get another chance.
"I can hit the ball too." I heard Dave grumble as I headed for the dugout entrance.
I tried not to laugh at his competitiveness. Baseball and being the best at it was very important to the Atkins brothers.
Noah popped a ball foul. The first baseman came in and caught it for the second out. He came back, I moved to the circle and Garret stepped up to bat. He was 1-3 today with a pair of strikeouts.
Garret last longer than Noah, and even put the ball into play. Unfortunately it wasn't a fast skipper so the third baseman picked it up with ease and beat Jason to third base for the third out. I was left stranded in the circle...again. Why do I feel that this happens more often than not?
I sighed and went back for my hat and glove.
I wasnt much use at the plate today, nor was I worked out during defense. No grounders came my way, and no pop ups were near me to catch.
Bryce closed out the game with a fly out to Mahki in right field. Then a grounder to Julian, but Bryce himself covered first so I wasn't much use there either. The last out was a fly out to Garret in left field. We won!
Garret came sprinting in and attacked Bryce right away, in excitement. The rest of the team congratulated him in a more docile manner in consideration that this wasn't our home field.