“Janai grab your glove! You’re going in.” My coach yelled as I was consuming my Gatorade. I rushed to the other side of the dugout and when I picked up my glove that’s when it hit me, I was going to pitch in a real game. Of course, I had pitched at practices and lessons, but never in a real game. “Time!” The umpire called, and next thing I knew I was on the mound. Although I had been preparing for this for the last several months, I was terrified. 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. All of my warm up pitches gone. “Were they even strikes?” I asked myself. “Batter up!” There was a deafening silence between the batter and I that was impossible to miss. I could feel nothing but sweat on the back of my forehead. I started my windup and before I could blink, the ball was in the catchers glove.

“Strike One!” The umpire yelled. “Okay, good start” I thought to myself.
“Ball One!” He yelled again. “It’s okay, just forget about that pitch.” I told myself. 
“Ball Two!” I knew my next pitch had to be a strike.
“Strike Two!” Yes, I did it! Just one more.

“Ball Three! Full Count.” He called out. I had put myself in a pitchters worst nightmare, a full count. I had to pitch a strike. It would be my fault if she got to go to first base. I couldn’t let it happen. I started my wind up and released the ball.

“Strike Three! Batter Out!” The umpire called. I did it! I struck her out, and it was the best feeling in the world. All of my teammates ran to the mound and congratulated me. As they ran back to their postions, I realized there was one more batter to go.