The bottom of the seventh inning: bases loaded, two outs, full count. Carson Nitschke is up to bat, he is living the dream of almost every kid at Red Arrow Camp. The pitch comes...
It was Sunday afternoon and Highlands had come to Red Arrow Camp to play a midget's softball game.
This game is always a fun game to watch because we have some really skilled players on the midgets team. It's always a joy to see how the game plays out.
Highlands was equally skilled with also very good hitters and players so we were in for quite a game.
First hitter was Hans, on top of the order. It's a nice easy pitch, he slams it out to left field past all outfielders and gets three bases.
Next was Hudson up to bat and he got to first base but Hans hesitated, all of a sudden it was zero outs, man on first and third. Wyatt Bhuler gets a really nice hit straight through shortstop and third, right to the outfield, really good hit, that got him an RBI (Hans scored on that one).
Along with many errors on Highlands we ended the first inning happy about our one run with adrenaline pumping throughout Red Arrow. Highlands was then up to bat and we shut them down one, two three outs with Steven O'Connor pitching and we where on very high spirits.
The next two innings come around and we did not score any runs, however, neither did Highlands.
Fourth inning though, things started to change... they had a few hard hitters and with a few mistakes on our part they end up getting a total of four runs and after that point we where a little down because the score was currently four to one and a lot was at play here.
We scored one run to make the score four to two, which meant we needed two runs to at least tie the game. After that run our momentum slowed and with not full hitting on our part, we got no more runs that inning.
No one scored on the fifth and sixth inning, bringing us to the top of seventh.
Really good defense in the seventh inning, no runs thanks to a great double play from the defense and a lightning quick reaction by Hans who caught a line drive that was heading straight out to dangerous territory.
When offense came around Dawson went out to bat and hit a hard grounder but good defense on Highland's part got him out at first.
With one out Hans is up to bat and hits a double, getting to him second base. Hudson gets on base and Morgan followed with a high ball down centre field, but a good catch from the left centre player from Highlands brought us to the second out. With Nate on base, Tyler walked to first so we had a tied game with bases loaded.
Carson Nitschke goes up to bat, there had been two balls and one strike, full count. So Carson was up with a tied game and the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Full count, bases loaded, two outs.
The next pitch he lines up and hits a beautiful bunt down the thirds base line. The pitcher fumbles with it, we had scored one run!
It was ecstatic and Red Arrow was jumping up and down congratulating Carson and Hudson, who had gotten home to score the winning run.
However, the refs come out and there was a dispute...
At the beginning of the game there was no rules prohibiting bunts so Carson saw fit to use a bunt which was a very, very strategic play but the umpires decided that it was not allowed so they call a re-pitch.
Now reset back to the original full count, two outs, bases loaded. Carson again, after a lot of adrenaline and the excitement of the crowd. Carson goes back to the plate and does almost the exact same play, by using a very strategic softball move: he just swings very soft, not quite a bunt but just enough to get it dribbling along third base line. The pitcher got a piece of the ball with his non-gloved hand and tries to throw it but it slips out and Hudson Bailey yet again came down third base line scoring the winning run.
Crowd goes wild and with that we won one of the most intense and exciting softball games Red Arrow has ever seen.
Photography and edition by: Pablo Fregoso
Credits:
Pablo Fregoso