The Wager (youngsters:other, 1733 words)
Author: TJC	Added: Jul 29 2002	Views/Reads: 6728/3609	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A high school pitcher and the girl of his dreams bet on the outcome of his ball game, with a date to the carnival as the prize.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

leave it." 

Glancing at Sue, her face like an angel, her mind that of a devil, Randy
decided this might be his last chance. 

"I'll take it." 

She tossed her head back and laughed a sexy,  infectious chuckle.  "I'll
be watching."  With that she strolled confidently over to the bleachers 
where her friends were. 

Was she ever something, thought Randy.  Now, though, it was time for
business. 

The sweltering sun beat down.  In the first inning Randy was already
working up a sweat, but his pitching was masterful.  With his fastball 
flaming and his curve dipping, he struck out the side to start the 
game.  He could feel Sue's eyes on him as he walked off the mound.  He 
tossed a glance her way and gave a thumbs up.  She looked back with a 
confident gleam in her blue eyes. 

"Hey, Ace," the coach called.  "I hope you don't have too much of your
mind on Miss Barnes." 

"My head's right, coach."  Coach Perkins never missed a thing. 

Through the first three innings Randy was in complete control.  He
hadn't allowed a Bergen hitter to reach first base, and he'd struck out 
six of the nine men he'd faced. 

Washington got a chance to break the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of
the third, when with two out a couple of singles put men on the 
corners.  It was Randy's turn at bat.  He wasn't as comfortable hitting 
as he was pitching, but he was still a good hitter.  He decided to 
swing at the first offering near the strike zone.  On the first pitch, 
he connected and sent a hard ground ball to the deep hole at shortstop. 
 With as much speed as he could muster he took off down the line, but 
the throw beat him and the threat was ended.   Slamming down his 
helmet, he returned to the dugout for his glove. 

While he fired his warm-ups before the fourth, Randy sensed Sue's eyes
fastened on him.  Her cocky little grin made him all the more 
determined. 

Before the first batter stepped up, Tim Felske came out from behind the
plate. "You okay, Randy?" 

Randy nodded.  "These guys are going to need paddles to hit me." 

In the fourth and fifth innings, Randy's domination of Bergen continued.
Through five innings he'd not allowed a single hit and had whiffed ten 
batters.  Striding off the mound he winked confidently at the still 
grinning Sue.  However, inside his stomach was in knots.   He was only 
six outs away from a perfect game and the conference championship, but 
only if he and his fellow Mustangs could get a run. 

Washington managed to get a man on first base, but with two out it
looked like another frustrating inning.  Randy buried his head in a wet 
towel.  The icy,  water soaked towel felt refreshing on his hot, sweaty 
crown. 

Ping!  The sound of the metal bat on the ball brought Randy out of his
doldrums. He looked up to see the ball flying over the fence in left 
field.  His catcher, Tim, had put them ahead two-zip.  It felt like the 
ground was actually moving due to the thunderous screams of the fans in 
the bleachers. 

"Nice rip, man," said Randy as he met Tim's fist with his own. 

"You just hold up the lead, big man." 

When they took the field for the top of the sixth. The cheers from the
crowd were deafening.  Even Sue was on her feet screaming her lungs 
out.  He was not about to let them down, Washington had not won a 
conference title in baseball in nearly ten years. Six outs to hold a 
two-run lead.  Piece of cake.  He breezed through the inning, retiring 
the side in order, eighteen straight batters now, and notched his 
eleventh and twelfth strikeouts of the contest.  The Bergen bat girls 
in their little green t-shirts and white shorts were beginning to look 
depressed.  Randy smiled at them. 

Sue was waiting by the side of the dugout.  "Three outs to go hot shot."


Randy was never more confident than he was at this moment.  "You get
ready for the carnival." 

Sue tossed the suggestion of a kiss his way and returned to the
bleachers. 

The Mustangs failed to score in their half of the sixth, so on it went
to the all important seventh inning. 

Two quick strikes on the first batter, and Randy was ready to add
strikeout number thirteen to his total for the day.  That thought 
disappeared when the batter whacked his fastball into centerfield for a 
clean single.  The crowd suddenly hushed, except for a small group of 
Bergen fans who were making their first noise of the day. The perfect 
game was gone. 

Coach Perkins and Tim both came out to the mound, the usual move when a
pitcher loses a perfect game or no-hitter late in the game. 

"Don't worry, coach," assured Randy.  "I have it under control." 

"I know you do, Ace."  Perkins placed his hand on Randy's shoulder. 
"Just stay with it and everything will be fine.  Go get them." 

Tim slapped Randy on the chest and they were once again ready to go. 

With cool precision, Randy retired the next man on strikes.  Two more to
go.  He stood on the mound rubbing the ball as he waited for the next 
victim. 

The next batter lifted a fly ball to left that was easily caught.  Two
out. Adrenaline pumped through his body like an elixir.  The sweet 
smell of victory was in the air. He was no longer thinking about Sue 
Barnes, the championship was all that mattered. 

However, Bergen was a good team and they didn't give up.  The next
batter slammed a line drive into leftfield     for a single.  The tying 
runs were now on first and second base.   Randy walked off the mound to 
get his composure.  There was no way this was going to get away from 
him.  No way in the world.  Concentration was all he needed. 

Randy worked the next hitter to a count of two balls and two strikes. 
He hurled his fastball on the inside corner to the left-handed hitter.  
It was slammed high and deep down the rightfield line.  Randy's heart 
sank.  Goodbye championship. 

The ball curved foul. 

Taking a deep breath, Randy decided to fire another fastball, this one
slightly inside, maybe with two strikes the batter would have to try 
and swing.  With as much power as he could come up with he flung his 
heater in toward the plate.  The batter swung and missed.   Strike 
three.  Game over. 

Bedlam broke out on the field.  Randy's teammates were mobbing him and
it was a pile of human bodies near the mound.  He fought his way 
through the madness to search for Sue. 

Suddenly, Sue broke from the crowd, throwing her arms around his neck. 

"Looks like you have a date for the carnival now, huh?"  Randy held her
tight. 

"I would have gone with you anyway," she yelled.  "You were just
terrific." 

Randy and Sue kissed each other for the first time right there on the
baseball field amidst the cheering, partying Mustang faithful. 

TC 


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