It was a nice day up in Lansing Michigan, a great day for baseball. We were playing a team from Evansville for the chance to go to the Pony League World Series where we would play teams not only from all of the United States, but all over the world. The team felt really confident. We played Evansville earlier in the tournament where we won by one run. I can still remember the butterflies that were floating around in my stomach. I think I was the most nervous because I was the one pitching, and was the only real pitcher we had left.

We had already played this team earlier in the Round Robin Tournament. We beat them 9-8. We made a come from behind comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. During that game there were a few homeruns hit, including one hit by their clean up hitter. I don’t think I have ever seen a ball hit so hard. The field was about 300 feet in center field, and about 20 more feet back was some pretty tall pine trees. This kid hit the ball well over those pine trees. The kid look very intimidating, even to me. Keep in mind he was 14. However, the kid had a full goatee with side burns and was about 6’ 2”.

Before the game started we all went to Bonanzas to eat. Everyone was excited for the game and was really hyper, except me. I was sitting with my dad not saying a word because I was trying to get prepared for the big game. This kind of game is the game you tell your grand kids about when you grow old. I was so nervous I barely ate anything. I couldn’t tell if the feeling in my stomach was hunger or nerves building up.

The time had come. We left Bonanzas and went back to the ball park for the second time today. There were a bunch of people there, probably 200 plus. I remember a lady there taking pictures before the game which made me feel like a star. I was so nervous I felt like just leaving and going home.

I began to warm up as the other players were taking the field. Every ground ball their coach hit was fielded cleaning and thrown like the ball had a rocket strapped to it. Every pitch was right where I wanted it to go. I felt unbelievably surprising. I had good movement on my curveball and some pop on my fast ball. I was honestly feeling the best I have ever felt before in my life. As I was warming up I watched their ace pitcher throwing in their bullpen. He was very fundamentally sound. Every pitch was every accurate and had good speed. It looked to me like it was going to be a pitcher show down. Little did I know what the real outcome would be.

It was time for the game to start. We were the guest team so we hit first. It was a beautiful first inning. We scored two runs off the bat but then their pitcher began lock in and struck out three straight batters.

It was my time to shine now. I got eight warm up pitches before I actually threw against the real batter. Those eight pitches were perfect, couldn’t ask for anything better than that. After those eight pitches their lead off hitter stepped up to the plate. I wiped my forehead and starting my wind up. I threw the first pitch fastball and drilled the outside corner for strike one. Austin Montgumery, my cather, called the same pitch. I wiped my forehead, threw the pitch, strike two. That pitch was also perfectly placed as well. I was feeling it. The next pitch was a curveball that broke off in the dirt but the batter chased it. Strike three was called. I struck out the next batter and it was time for their clean up hitter. This kid is the one that hit the ball of the pine trees in center field. To be honest just seeing him made me a little nervous. I remember telling myself to keep the ball low. I threw the first pitch for a strike, lower outside corner. The second was up and in curveball. It was called for strike two.

As the ball was coming back to me I was thinking about how this kid is going to be waiting for a curveball. I was feeling so confident that I wanted to threw it just to prove to myself that I was feeling it. I started my wind up and through the curve. He hammers a frozen rope up the middle that struck me right in my elbow. I honestly don’t remember seeing the ball coming at me. After the ball hit me it landed somewhere in left field. I was thinking to myself that hanging a curveball to a good hitter is not good.
I left the game and went and got x-rays where I found out that I fractured my elbow. The doctor said it was literally a few millimeters away from cracking my growth plate and if that would of happened my arm wouldn’t grow anymore.
While I was at the doctors, all drugged up, I remember calling one of the parents at the game like every ten minutes to find out what the score was. Every time I called, the score seemed to get worse and worse. After it was all said and done we ended up getting beat 12-2.