The Hitting Zone

As Noah rambled, I watched Brett pitch another inning. He completely shut out John and Daniel, striking them both out with ease.

"We could have done better." Noah stopped it with the stats in time to throw shade at our replacements. I raised an eyebrow at him and he caught my look. "Okay, so you would have done better, I might have also struggled...but I've adjusted my swing! So we can't know for sure."

I held back a chuckle. I guess we really can't know for sure. Plus, if it was us versus them, I could hold us up at the plate. John and Daniel were a combined 0-4 so far today.

Their strikeouts brought Julian up, who wasn't having a good day at the plate either. This time around, he worked the count to a favorable 3-1, and was able to smack a ball right over the first baseman to right field. He safely made it to first, but was unable to try for second.

Garret was up next. He got set in the lefty's box, and Julian started to take his lead.

"Miller showed the sign to steal." Noah mumbled.

Sure enough, Julian looked to be taking a big lead of the bag. He was inching further and further, keeping an eye on the pitcher's back to see if he would possibly do a check-throw. Suddenly Brett took a small step back, off the rubber, turned towards first, and threw a bullet at his teammate. The first baseman caught the throw and made the tag before Julian could get fully back. Out number three. End of the fifth inning, still 3-0.

"Damn." Noah slouched. "That was a crazy check throw. So flawless. I definitely would have been caught too."

I nodded. "Same." There's no way I would have beaten that out. Julian is a senior and has the experience, yet he was stunned.

The teams switched and we started the sixth inning. Garret was still going at it, full throttle. He got them to pop out to third. Groundout to third. And then a strikeout looking to end the top of the sixth.

"Seven strikeouts already." Dave applauded Garret as he walked into the dugout. "You think you can shut them out?"

Garret slapped Dave's back. "Of course! Too easy! There's a reason I'm the ace."

"But you gave up two hits to the leadoff hitter..." Kyle smirked. "Just reminding you who has the perfect game on this team."

Garret lunged for him and tried to put him in a fake headlock. "So annoying. Just wait. One of these games, I'll get it too!"

"Ridiculous." Kyle laughed out. "If you couldn't do it against Katella, then you're not going to be able to do it against our other opponents."

Garret shoved him away. "Bro, we won't know until the season ends." He waved and went to go up to bat.

"Highly unlikely." Noah stated from the side. "Actually, extremely unlikely. There has never been two different pitchers on the same team, that pitched perfect games in the same season. Never ever. At least, not in the states. If there was, I would have heard of it."

Dave squeezed in between me and Noah and put him in the headlock. I scooted over to give them space. "What was that punk? You trying to curse me too?"

Noah just let out a laugh/wheeze, struggling to catch his breath. Soon, most of the dugout was looking at laughing.

"Quit fooling around down there." Zeke's stern command came as he left the dugout to go stand in the on deck circle. Apparently Garret got walked, and now Mahki was up to bat.

The team returned their attention to the game and started to holler out some cheers and chants for our guy. The pitcher, Brett, looked to be getting tired as he threw a couple of pitches wide.

"That kid has some skill." Dave commented, while still having his arm around Noah.

"Yea, he got two hits off Garret." Noah rubbed in.

Dave squeezed him a little tighter. "Not just at the plate. But on the mound as well." He caught me looking and pulled me into a similar position as Noah. "Looks like he's getting tired right? Throwing a bunch of balls?" I nodded. "That's him just staying loose. He's preparing to take on Zeke again. With the same conditions. That kid has guts."

"That's dumb." Noah stared. "I wouldn't be so pigheaded to think I can construct the game the way I like it. If he was really good, he would have just came after them from the beginning."

"Maybe he wants to prove that he can get Zeke out? Who knows. I just know that he's not putting in full effort right now."

We watched as Brett walked Mahki, moving Garret to second, and bringing Zeke up to bat. Two on, no outs. Just like last time. Unlike the two previous at-bats, Brett found his control and came at Zeke with speed similar to the start of the game. He was able to get Zeke to a 2-2 count, however, Zeke is just too good. He sent a hard grounder right up the middle between short and second.

Garret sprinted around third and slid into home. Mahki was held at second and Zeke at first. 4-0. All runs driven in by Zeke. A pause came to the game as the Katella coach came out and signaled for a pitcher change, sending Brett back to the dugout.

After the change and subsequent warmup, the new guy faced off Jordan and walked him, still trying to find rhythm. With the bases loaded, Chris struck out.

"Justice." Noah leaned forward to whisper to me even though Dave was still separating us. He tightened his grip and we looked back to the game.

Tony was able to send a long, high fly to center field for our number two, but Mahki tagged up at third and made it to home safely. 5-0. John popped out to third to end the sixth.

"Keep it clean and get the complete game shutout!" Kyle cheered as our teammates took the field again.

Dave sighed to himself. "Another game where the other pitchers won't get to see any live action. Poor guys."

"Why don't you give up your innings then?" Noah smirked.

Dave let go of me to attack Noah. "Absurd. Why me? I need it more so I can take over as the new ace." Noah laughed as he was tickled.

Garret, the current ace, finished out the game. Getting two popouts to second base, and then striking out the final batter to end the game. 5-0, win.

We all jogged out of the dugout and went to high five the starting members on the field, and then the bullpen players joined. They gave Garret a hard time for stealing all the spotlight and not saving them any of the action. Nonetheless, everyone was happy for him and his shutout. It's a real feat in high school baseball in the age of aluminum bats. Right behind a no hitter and a perfect game.