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Searsport had a not-very-good softball team, but they were a Class C school, which made them worth more Heal points. Emily had taken Hailey’s math as gospel and trusted her that a pair of wins today would get them into the playoffs.
Just the idea of playoffs made her head spin. Playoffs? She’d never even thought it possible. And she was well aware that it hadn’t been possible before Juniper showed up. But now Juniper was in street clothes, and Hailey was fixedly watching the Searsport team take batting practice, her jaw clenched. Emily felt a pang of anger toward Juniper, for putting Hailey in this situation. But then Juniper asked Emily if she could please stand with the team, and the anger dissipated.
The Piercehaven fans showed up in force at Searsport. The ferry had been packed. Many of them seemed to know what was at stake. Perhaps Hailey wasn’t the only islander who understood Heal point math.
When the Searsport pitcher stepped onto the mound, the crowd began screaming in support of MacKenzie, and someone began ringing a cowbell, a sound that both embarrassed Emily mightily and increased her heart rate in a pleasant way. MacKenzie bunted left-handed and then took off, her little legs moving so fast they looked blurry. But she was the only runner to get on base that inning.
Hailey walked the first batter, which made Emily’s heart crack for her, but Hailey looked at Emily and gave her a small smile that said, “I’m OK.”
And she was OK. The second batter worked her, but Hailey stuck with it, and forced her to swing. Ava deftly made the play to first, and Hannah caught the ball, a fact that, if Emily was honest, surprised her. Searsport’s only runner advanced to second.
Their third batter sent the ball into left field, toward a terrified Lucy. As Lucy stared at the sky, a cry of “I got it!” surprised Emily and she looked over to see Sara coming from center. She dove, both arms outstretched, and caught the ball just before it hit the ground.
“Back!” the Searsport coach shouted. The runner turned and headed back toward second. Sara leapt to her feet and gunned it toward Chloe, who miraculously caught it. Sara and Chloe for the double play.
As the girls trotted back to the dugout, Emily overheard Lucy ask Sara, “How do you do that?”
Sara shrugged. “I can tell where the ball is going as soon as someone hits it. Then I just start running.”
Sara led off the second inning, and struck out, but she either didn’t care or hid her emotions marvelously. Chloe was up next and grounded out to first. Then Victoria struck out. Emily resisted the urge to hang her head.
In the third inning, Piercehaven made a few errors and Searsport rallied to three runs, but then Hailey called a timeout. Emily didn’t know what she said, but the infield settled down after that and got their third out.
In the top of the fourth, Hannah sent one into right field, sending Hailey home and Ava to third base. Finally, Emily thought. Then Sara grounded out, but in doing so, sent Ava home. The Panthers’ tying run was on second, and Chloe was up to bat.
She struck out.
Tying run still on second. Two outs.
Emily thought about putting in a pinch runner for Hannah but didn’t want to insult her—she’d likely remember such a slight for the rest of her life. Plus—Hannah may be slow, but at least she knows the rules of base running, sort of. That’s more than I can say for the girls on my bench.
Victoria stepped up to bat and hit the ball directly to the first baseman. Thank God I didn’t do that to Hannah for nothing.
So Piercehaven took the field for the bottom of the fourth still down by one run. They stayed down until the top of the seventh, when, miracle of miracles, Sydney Hopkins got on base. Lucy was up next and hit a fielder’s choice. The fielder chose first, and Sydney advanced to second. Then a wild pitch brought her to third. DeAnna’s count was 2 and 0. Emily was hoping she’d walk, and it appeared DeAnna was hoping for the same, as she stood there until the count was full.
“Time to swing the bat, kiddo,” Emily said.
DeAnna swung the bat. She cracked a line drive right at the pitcher, who didn’t catch it, but did knock it down. The pitcher scooped the ball up and turned to throw it to first. Emily sent Sydney. But then the pitcher turned and threw it to the catcher, who was straddling home plate, waiting for the ball. Sydney made a clumsy slide attempt, and the catcher easily tagged her out.
“Why did you send her?” PeeWee Hopkins screamed from the crowd. Emily’s whole back broke out in gooseflesh, and she forced herself to breathe. She felt every eye on the island boring holes into her back. “That was terrible! Absolutely terrible!” PeeWee screamed. Breathe. Just breathe. The truth was, no one was as angry with her as she was with herself. She thought she’d probably just blown their chance at playoffs. She’d been faked out by a high school pitcher. And she couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid.
But she still had DeAnna on first. DeAnna, who was either a slow runner or a lazy one. DeAnna, who didn’t know the rules of base running. “Two outs,” Emily called out to her. “You’re running on anything!” DeAnna nodded as if she understood. Emily didn’t know if she did. She really wished Jake Jasper was coaching first, not seventh grader Kylie. “Juniper!” Emily snapped. “Go coach first!” In a flash, Juniper had a batting helmet on and was standing beside first. Emily thanked God she hadn’t chosen to wear jeans.
MacKenzie stepped up to bat and looked at Emily, who shook her head, which both of them understood to mean, “You can’t bunt.” MacKenzie nodded, and then worked the pitcher for the walk, but it wasn’t happening. MacKenzie struck out with a sloppy swing—a swing so sloppy it confused the catcher, who missed the ball entirely. MacKenzie took off. “Run!” Juniper screamed at DeAnna, who ran. Faster than she’d run all season. The rattled catcher recovered the ball and fired it to first, but her throw was off, and MacKenzie turned toward second. Now both she and Juniper were screaming at DeAnna to run. DeAnna ran. All the way to third base, where she arrived—winded and smiling.
The crowd was ballistic behind Emily. Maybe they’ll forgive me. Then she looked at her next batter: Hailey was white as a sheet. Emily called a timeout. “Look at me,” she said.
Hailey looked at her. “Coach, I am a terrible hitter. You know—”
“Listen to me. And hear what I say. This does not matter. This is a game. You are going to go on to have a full life and what happens here does not matter. It does not matter if you hit a homerun or strike out. You will still be amazing. You will still be loved. So just relax and do your best.”
Hailey didn’t look entirely convinced, but she did look a little more relaxed. She looked at the first strike, but then she swung at the second—and shot it right up the middle. DeAnna lazily crossed home plate, and Hailey stood on first base with both arms in the air. Then, Piercehaven’s first base coach wrapped her arms around Hailey’s waist, picked her up off the ground, gave her a good shake, and set her back down. Emily wasn’t sure if that was legal, but the umps didn’t protest.
Ava was up to bat. She seemingly effortlessly singled to left field, advancing the go-ahead runner to third. Emily reminded them that there were two outs, but they could barely hear her over the roar of the crowd. Piercehaven fans outnumbered Searsport fans three to one.
Hannah stepped up to bat and turned the first pitch into a stand-up triple, and Emily’s coaching mistake was buried beneath the joy of taking one step closer to playoffs. The giddy Panthers held their opponent in the bottom of the seventh. They had beaten Searsport. One more game to go.
––––––––
The second game required far less nail-biting. It seemed as though Searsport had grown tired of softball and was just going through the motions. Though Hailey was obviously growing fatigued, and though her walks became more and more frequent, even walking in two runs in the sixth inning, Piercehaven still finished victorious with a score of 7 to 4. Emily was certain she had never been so tired.
She didn’t even let Hailey get off the field before she wrapped her arms around her. “I am so proud of you, kiddo,” she said into her ear. “You just took us to the playoffs.”
