Disclaimers always apply. Be safe. Please, donate what you can to the Nifty archive.
The Mustangs are young and hungry. The sophomores and freshman are loaded with talent, but short on experience. Are they good enough to play in the postseason? And if they are good enough, how far can they go?
CHAPTER 37 POSTSEASON BASEBALL
The bus ride home from Clark Pass would take close to an hour, so the boys had a lot of time to talk about their end of the season surge as well as their playoff game the next day. The girls' varsity softball team rode in the front of the bus while the boys rode in the back, almost the same setup as in middle school.
Marty and Rich sat behind Connor and Vince. Rodney was in the seat across the aisle from Connor and Vince. "Damn, I can't believe how we came together at the end," Marty said. Nobody wanted to say out loud on the bus what they thought the cause of that surge was.
"Well, whatever the reason, we have to win tomorrow," Rodney said. "It sucks that we have to play on their crappy field." Mayfield had one of the best high school fields in the county, while Chinook was one of the worst; it was rough and uneven with bare spots in the infield grass. The teams had split their two league games, which was the first determiner of home field advantage. Chinook had outscored Mayfield 8-6 in the two games, and run differential was the tie breaker.
"It was weird that Coach didn't announce the starting pitcher," Vince said. "He always announces the starter the day before a game."
"Maybe he just fucking doesn't know," Connor said. "I mean he didn't know we were going to be playing until today."
"He's a pretty smart coach," Rich said. "He knew there was a chance of a game tomorrow, so I'm sure he has a plan."
"Well, it can't be me," Rodney said. "I went five innings against Lakeshore."
"It can't be Trey, he pitched today," Marty said. Trey was a senior and the son of the Chief of Police. He was a decent pitcher. He and Tyler were the two upperclassmen who had truly showed senior leadership.
"That leaves only two pitchers," Rich said, "Tyler and Robin."
"Can't be Robin," Connor said, "because the dweeb sucks the hind one. So any fool can see it's gotta be Tyler."
"Unless he brings somebody up from the JV," Rodney said, "like Eric who's kicked ass for them."
"Do you want a fucking freshman pitching ahead of a good senior in a game we gotta win?" Connor asked. "I don't care how fucking good he is, he's still a frosh which makes him a weenie. And don't forget about Rich."
"Rich always pitches in relief," Rodney said. "We'd be lost without him at the end of a game."
"So if we know who has to pitch tomorrow, why doesn't Coach just come out and say so?" Vince asked. "And don't even begin to think about me. I am the emergency pitcher."
"And this isn't a fucking emergency?" Connor asked.
"Somebody will have to pitch this weekend," Marty pointed out. "If we win it's a loser out play-in game on Friday. Maybe that's what he's thinking about."
Everybody agreed that Coach Sanders had some serious thinking to do and would probably have a sleepless night thinking about it.
Coach Sanders did do some tossing and turning that night, but for the most part he slept soundly. He had called Coach Hart, his JV coach after getting home. He also discussed the issue with Phil Miller, his partner and summer team coach. They both agreed with how he wanted to set up his pitching for the playoff game. They felt he had covered all of the possibilities that could happen in the league tournament.
Eric stayed at Noah's house that night, and baseball was their big topic of discussion as well. Kraig and Hunter had pitched against Clark Pass as the JV won at home 8-2 to finish their season with a 11-3 league record and 12-3 overall. The team was comprised of almost all freshmen and they all felt good about how their season had gone.
"It's so great how the varsity finished," Noah said.
"They play a game to go to the league tournament tomorrow. Which is right where we all want to be next year—the league tournament," Eric said. There were no postseason games at the JV level.
"Who's going to pitch tomorrow?"
"Probably Tyler," Eric said. "But it is weird Coach Sanders never told anybody." The texts, tweets, and Facebook posts between the sophomores and freshmen had been going back and forth ever since the varsity had boarded the bus at Clark Pass.
"Maybe he'll pick you," Noah said laughing. "You didn't pitch this week, so you have all of your innings."
"No way that a freshman with no varsity experience pitches in the postseason, just no way at all. Besides, he would have told me by now." Of course, after Noah said that, Eric had visions of being the big freshman hero, even though he knew that wouldn't happen.
"I know that, I'm just stroking your ego," Noah said. "Not that it needs that much stroking."
"Keep going like that and I could cut you off tonight."
Noah planted a big kiss on Eric's lips. "You wouldn't dare," he said, after coming up for air.
"You're totally right about that," Eric said. Noah gave Eric all he wanted before the two turned in for the night.
<Thursday, May 13, at Chinook>
The team boarded the bus for Chinook mid-way through fifth period. Chinook did not have a lighted field, so they had to play an afternoon game. The mood on the bus was restrained as the players focused on the upcoming contest.
That morning, Coach Sanders had gone to the high school for some serious talks. The middle school assistant principal covered his home room and first period class. Coach Sanders met with Tyler and told him that he would be the starting pitcher that afternoon. Tyler wasn't surprised. He'd prepared himself the night before like he would be the starter.
He talked to Steve, next. That talk was what was known as a difficult conversation.
"You haven't progressed at all, son," Coach Sanders said as they sat in a side office off the foyer of the main office.
"Why should I?" he asked. "You'd never play me anyway, so why should I progress?" he asked again, putting a snide emphasis on the word progress. "Besides, it takes good coaching to help players get better."
Coach Sanders ignored his last statement. "You might try finding out what hustling in practice would do for you. It worked for your friend, Crawford."
"Crawford tries too hard to be an ass kisser. Besides, he doesn't hate you like I do."
"So why did you even bother to stick out the season?"
"Even though my dad hates you too, he says he doesn't raise quitters."
"Well, I'm bringing up a couple of JV players. I already have one available roster spot, but I need another. I've picked you to sit out today's game. And you know your attitude has everything to do with that decision."
"You can go fuck yourself, too, coach. No offense." Steve stood up and walked out of the office, never bothering to wait to find out if he was going to sit out any more games if the Mustangs won. He had just done what Coach Sanders expected, which was quit. It made his job of cutting out the cancer on the roster easier.
Coach Sanders then talked individually to Kevin and Eric. He told Kevin he would be starting at catcher that afternoon. Tyler was the usual starting catcher, with Vince catching when Tyler pitched. But Vince wasn't the polished catcher that Kevin was, which Vince was aware of.
Vince was not surprised when Coach Sanders told him about his catching decision. But he wasn't angry either. He had been learning, as part of the Go to State dream, what being a member of a team was about.
"I'll try to get you into the game," Coach Sanders said, "but no guarantees."
"Do what you need to do to win, coach. It says Mayfield, not Vince, on the front of my uniform."
Coach Sanders then met with Eric. He told him that he would be suiting up varsity and allowed him to call his parents so they would know. "I doubt you will play today, if at all," Coach Sanders said. He knew that statement wasn't entirely true. He had plans for Eric if the Mustangs won; he just didn't want to get the young boy to start feeling any pressure when he didn't need to. "But I feel you deserve to sit with us and get a feel of what playing on the varsity is all about."
Eric thanked the coach. It was obvious he was almost jumping out of his shoes with excitement. When he finally caught up with Kevin, after third period, the two exchanged fist bumps, high fives, and finally the forbidden hug in the hall. They made sure the hug was a quick one. Kevin told Eric he was glad he didn't find out he was starting until that morning.
"I would never have slept last night. I mean I had no clue this was going to happen."
"Me either," Eric said, thinking of what Noah had said the night before.
Needless to say, Noah was as excited as Eric, even if Eric never played an inning. "Nobody on the JV deserves it more than you," Noah said.
As the bus pulled into the Chinook High School parking lot, all of the boys' minds were focused on the game. Well, almost all, since Robin kept wishing he was someplace else. He was trying to figure out why he hadn't quit two weeks ago. He'd only appeared in three games since his talk with Coach Sanders, twice as a relief pitcher and three innings at first base. Steve had the right idea, he thought, and I should have followed him and quit. This trip is a total waste of my time.
The team went through its normal warm-up routines. As Tyler warmed his arm with Bryce, he thought about what had transpired the night before. After the game, he had called Mr. Robinson after getting off the team bus. "I need you," was all he said.
Tyler rarely spent a school night at his teacher's house, but this was one of those rare nights. He told Mr. Robinson he was sure he was going to be the starting pitcher the next day, but the coach hadn't made the announcement.
"Shouldn't you maybe go through your normal pregame night; what you go through when you're the starting pitcher?" Mr. Robinson asked. He and Tyler were sitting next to each other on the couch, the teacher's arm draped around the senior's shoulder, the boy's head resting on the man's chest.
"That usually consists of finishing my homework, jerking off, and going to bed and tossing and turning," Tyler said. Mr. Robinson laughed, giving Tyler's shoulder an extra squeeze.
"If I pitch tomorrow it will be the biggest game of my life. I've never pitched in a big game before. I mean this game is huge and I'm scared. I just wish I knew if I had something to be scared about. And with so many juniors and seniors not giving much of a shit, I don't want to be the senior who fucked things up." Tyler had no problem cussing in front of his teacher. After all, the man was fucking him pretty regularly.
"Just go out and do your best. If you do that, things will fall into place."
"Make love to me, Dave. I need you in me. I need you making me feel safe. I need to cuddle with you and...and...," he took a deep breath, then whispered, "...I need your love."
That was how Tyler ended up sleeping naked with his English teacher on a school night, after having the man make wonderful sweet love to him. That was how the often lonely teen felt wanted and cherished as Mr. Robinson dropped him off at his mother's apartment before dawn. And that was how he felt ready for the biggest game of his life.
"I can't believe I'm going to be pitching to a freshman," he told Kevin the next morning, but not in a derogatory way. It was his way of saying that Kevin must be pretty damned good to be making his varsity debut in a loser out playoff game.
It turned out Kevin was pretty damned good. The sophomores, who comprised most of the starting lineup that day, all knew and respected Kevin. Tyler learned quickly to have that same respect. He saw Kevin's ability behind the plate and his leadership ability first hand.
Tyler pitched the game of his high school career as he shut out the Chinook Totems 4-0. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out six. He felt totally in control and totally comfortable with Kevin as his catcher. Being a catcher himself, he appreciated what Kevin did throughout the game. Having his mother and Mr. Robinson in the stands rooting for him was always an incentive in itself.
The win over Chinook put the Mustangs into the league tournament. The good news was the tournament was being held in Mayfield. The Mayfield ballpark was one of the few in the league that had lights and enough seating capacity to hold the tournament. Their first game was the next day, Friday. Their opponent was fourth place Meadow Park in another loser out game. The winner would play first place Lakeshore on Saturday afternoon.
After the win over Chinook, Coach Sanders talked to Robin in the dugout.
"I want you to start tomorrow, if you can assure me you'll give your teammates your best effort," he told Robin.
"Oh, so you're running out of pitchers and suddenly you need my help." Robin had been waiting for this moment, the moment to let his pent up anger at the coach come to the surface. It was anger against the coach who took the jobs away from Coach Collins and Coach Gardner; anger against the coach who benched him because he had a couple of bad games, the coach who forced his friend and teammate Steve to quit the team. Now was the moment when he would avenge all of them.
He glared at Coach Sanders with the hatred and venom that only an adolescent could muster. The eighteen year old took two steps out of the dugout, turned around, and said with quiet anger, "You can take tomorrow's starting pitching assignment and shove it up your ass, coach. I'll be riding home with my uncle, not on the stupid team bus. Have a good life, since you seem to love fucking up everybody else's life."
As Coach Sanders watched the eighteen year old stomp away, he was happy he had a plan B. The team was waiting on the bus. They noted that Coach Sanders got on the bus, but Robin didn't.
Eric sat next to Kevin on the ride home. The two friends were the only two freshmen on the bus. "Damn, it was so great seeing you being the starting catcher," Eric said. "You were so cool and calm like you'd been the varsity catcher all year. How do you stay so cool?"
"Fuck, Eric, I was so scared my knees were shaking before the first pitch. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to squat. My shin guards were banging together. I thought I was gonna collapse right down in my knees and not get up."
"You didn't look that way to me."
"Plus, I was catching a big ass senior who was also the starting catcher when he wasn't pitching. Talk about friggen pressure."
"Yeah, but that pitcher was Tyler, and he was Bobby's brother. He might be a senior, but he is practically one of us." Eric was referring to the Go to State Team.
"You got that right. Once I figured out he was ready to work with me, even if I was just a frosh, I got more confident."
"Well, you looked like your usual self out there."
"Thanks, Eric. I hope you get a chance to play, tomorrow." Eric had not gotten into the game that afternoon.
"So do I." It would not be long before Eric got a lesson in the adage his father liked to use: "Be careful what you wish for, you might end up getting it."
When they arrived at Mayfield, Coach Sanders held a quick meeting on the bus. "Vince, you will be the starting pitcher tomorrow. I'll be throwing you, Bryce, Jerome, and Rich. None of you will go more than three innings so I can use you again. It's pitching by committee. We've done it before, we'll do it again. All of you get a good night's sleep. The game starts at seven, so be at the ballpark by six."
<Friday, May 14, Mayfield High School>
"So, in two days, two assholes quit the varsity," Noah said at the baseball lunch table.
"Noah, I don't think I've ever heard you call anybody an asshole," Kevin said laughing. "You usually have some fancy ass term to throw out at us."
"It is what it is; I can't think of any word that fits better."
"The thing that really pisses me off about them is that they waited so long to quit," Marty said. "They were pissing me off sitting in the dugout scowling at all of us nobodies."
"Well, you know Steve never liked you anyway," Rodney said.
"Nope, not since back in middle school. But I can't figure out what Robin's hang-up was."
"From what I heard," Connor said, "the fucker liked Collins and Gardner and was pissed Sanders was the coach. I figure Gardner was probably diddling him when he couldn't find any sophomore pussy."
"Connor, you possess such a pornographic mind," Noah said.
"Like yours is pure and clean."
"What about Crawford?" Rodney asked. "Is he quitting, too. I mean he and Steve are practically husband and wife, and those two are straight as hell."
"Crawford is hanging in," Marty said. "He actually is an okay dude when he isn't holding on to Steve's cock. He'll be fine with Steve gone."
Vince and Jerome came over to the table. They had been sitting with their girlfriends during the first part of lunch.
"Well, here comes the emergency pitcher," Marty said to Vince. "I guess today constitutes an emergency."
"Yeah, with Robin deciding to bail on us," Vince said.
"We're better off with all of you guys pitching instead of that fucking loser," Connor said.
"Coach should be starting Eric," Kevin told them.
"I don't think we need a freshman pitcher in a big game," Eric said, blushing some.
"He called you up for a reason," Kevin said.
"And it sure as hell wasn't for his good looks," Connor put in, which broke up the table. The bell rang, ending the conversation.
Eric ran into Scott on the way to class. "You guys kick some serious ass, tonight," Scott said. "I am so proud of you, getting called up to varsity."
"It should have been you or Carl," Eric told him. "You guys were the heavy artillery all season."
"And you were our best pitcher and our team captain. You and Kevin were the best choices. Kevin can catch, like he did yesterday, and you can pitch. Me and Carl can't do anything any other guy on the varsity can't do."
"Well, I doubt I will get to play at all."
"That's cool. You're there," Scott said. "Hey, guess what?"
"What?"
"Tama said it will happen soon."
"Tama's said that since you first kissed her in seventh grade. She's got you right by the balls and you know it."
"Maybe, but we're making progress."
Eric laughed as he turned into his classroom. He knew Tama, the bitch, was what led Scott to break up with him, although it would have happened eventually. But he had no bad feelings toward either of them, because the two of them paved the way for him and Noah to become boyfriends.
The team was supposed to be at the ballpark no later than six, but everybody was there by five. With Robin and Steve gone, it was like a cloud had lifted from the team, and their attitude only got better. They had split with Meadow Park in league play, losing 9-3 at home, but winning 6-4 at Meadow Park as part of their late season surge.
Vince started the game, with Tyler catching. The pitcher by committee plan worked well. Vince pitched the first three innings. By going only three innings he would be eligible to pitch again that weekend. Once a pitcher threw a pitch in his fourth inning, he couldn't come back to pitch again in the tournament.
After Vince's three innings, thanks to a two-run double by Tyler in the second, the Mustangs led 3-2. Bryce then pitched two innings, allowing no runs while the Mustangs scored two, stretching their lead to 5-2. Rich pitched the next two, giving up a run in the sixth, but the Mustangs ended up with a 5-3 win, guaranteeing they would be playing the next morning.
Saturday would start the two-day double elimination tournament. The four teams consisted of the top three teams in the Seamount League, plus the winner of the fourth versus fifth place game, which was the Mustangs. Two of the four teams would go to the District Tournament along with two teams from the Columbia Valley League. The first game on Saturday was scheduled for ten a.m., pitting second place Harborview against third place Kentburg. The second game was at one and was first place Lakeshore against the Mustangs.
The Mustangs sat in the bleachers on the first base side after the win over Meadow Park. A number of the JV players sat with them, with Lars sitting next to Kevin and Noah sitting next to Eric. The varsity boys were pleased with their win. It not only put them in the final four of the tournament, but it gave them two more guaranteed games. Eight of the fifteen players on the Mustangs' tournament roster were sophomores and freshmen; no other team had more than three.
Coach Sanders stood in front of his team and addressed them. "Great game, guys. You played like a veteran team out there." That was high praise indeed. "Here is our schedule for tomorrow. If we win we play at eight against the winner of Game One." That brought a few nervous chuckles as Lakeshore had won both league games against them by an aggregate score of 9-1.
"If we lose we play at five against the Game One loser." That sounded more realistic since they had run out of pitching. Rodney could pitch on Saturday, but tournament rules limited him to three innings because he had already pitched seven innings that week. The players guessed that Coach Sanders would probably go with his committee of three again, as there simply wasn't anybody else. At this point, nobody dared talk about the diminutive fourteen year old freshman who had put up a 5-0 record and 2.25 ERA for the JV team.
"This time I can even do things the way I like to do them and name the starting pitcher for our first game." The team wondered which of the three "committee" pitchers will get the start this time. "Many of you wondered why I brought Eric up to the varsity." On hearing his name, Eric's heart rate immediately doubled. "Well, it was just for this situation. Tomorrow's starter will be Eric." Eric felt like he was going to faint, and only Noah squeezing his hand kept him from doing that.
"One more thing. The first Falcons turnout is ten tomorrow at the middle school field. All the freshmen not suiting up for tomorrow's game are expected to be there. Coach Miller invited four eighth graders and a couple of seventh graders. Remember, nobody is guaranteed a spot on the roster, but I suspect all of you playing tomorrow don't have much to worry about in that regard."
His teammates got over their initial shock of Eric being named the starting pitcher. They cheered him and high fived him. "This is totally awesome, just totally awesome," Kevin said. "We got the best frosh pitcher in the league ready to kick some ass tomorrow." Eric's nerves had tightened so quickly he wasn't even thinking of kicking any ass. He was questioning whether he'd be able to stand on the pitchers mound without collapsing. Eric had hoped to get into at least one game, maybe by pinch-hitting or playing an inning or two at second. He was not at all prepared for his varsity debut to be as a starting pitcher in the league tournament.
As the meeting broke up, Coach Sanders called Eric over. He put his arm around the young teen's shoulder and gave him a warm smile. "Nervous?" he asked.
"Totally."
"Good, that means you're human. Look, do your usual pregame routine tonight. I know there was talk of you starting a game, even if you didn't believe it. I didn't want to start you in a loser out game. Yeah, you get to pitch against the league champs, but the game is not a loser out game. Besides, there is one other factor."
"What's that coach?"
"You are one hell of a good pitcher. Coach Hart has kept me totally apprised of your progress. You'll do just fine. I have every bit of confidence in you or I wouldn't have decided to start you."
Eric smiled, feeling a wee bit more relaxed. He didn't know if he had that same confidence, but he was determined not to let his coach, his teammates, or himself down. Looking back at this game two years later after he suffered a crisis of confidence at his first State Tournament game, he wished he'd remembered the things he thought and felt that evening before his first ever varsity game.
Eric's normal routine the night before he was slated to pitch was to sleep with Noah, and that was what he did that night. Noah wanted badly to gush all over his boyfriend, but he knew that was not the way to handle Eric. What he did do was lead Eric in the ten minutes of meditation they did on pregame nights, then cuddle up naked with him in Eric's warm bed. Sex was never an option the night before Eric pitched.
The next morning, Eric and Noah were up, showered, and full of breakfast by eight. "I was thinking while I was in the shower," Eric said.
The two fourteen year olds sat on the couch in the living room, clad in only a t-shirt and briefs, and holding hands. Eric's dad was seated on his favorite overstuffed chair.
"Thinking is always dangerous," Noah said, "especially the day of a game."
Eric ignored him and went on. "I've never pitched to Tyler. I've almost always pitched to Kevin and sometimes to Carl. I mean Tyler's a senior. What if he thinks I can't do this?"
"Didn't Kevin, the freshman, catch Tyler, the senior, on Thursday?" Eric's father asked.
"Yeah, but what of it?"
"You're a bright boy. I think you've answered your own question about how Tyler will treat you; just like he treated his freshman catcher." Eric found himself relaxing just a bit more as he thought about what his father had to say.
Eric's dad drove Eric and Noah to field, arriving just after eleven. They sat in the stands and watched a back-and-forth game between Harborview and Kentburg. The game was fast paced and they were able to watch it to the end before they had to head for the secondary baseball field next door to warm-up. Harborview scored a run in the top of the seventh and then held off the Royals to pick up a 6-5 win.
Before the team hit the main field for warm-ups, Coach Sanders gave them the starting lineup. While he liked to announce his starting pitcher the day before the game, he always waited until sometime before warm-ups to name the rest of the starters. Eric was surprised when he heard the coach list Tyler as the designated hitter and batting fifth. He and Kevin exchanged looks, both knowing what that meant. They were sure Vince wasn't going to be the starting catcher, which left one other choice. They both moved in close to each other and exchanged fist bumps. Eric would be pitching to the catcher he knew best, the catcher who was one of his very best friends.
When the pregame introductions were made, there was some murmuring in the stands. "What the fucking hell is that man thinking?" Paul Richardson asked, as he went into a long rant. "He's starting a freshman pitcher with no varsity experience and a freshman catcher with one game under his belt in the league tournament against the team that won the fucking league. He's got to be absolutely nuts. He has no fucking clue what he is doing. Sending him back to coach JV middle school would be too good for him. Maybe T-ball fits his coaching abilities better. This is one more reason to get that petition going for his removal."
His cadre of friends, which included Coach Collins, agreed. Coach Collins made sure everybody knew that if he were still the coach, Steve and Robin would be on the roster, and that Robin, an experienced senior pitcher would have been available to pitch.
But Coach Sanders was not a crazy man who had no clue as to what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing. Yes, he was starting a freshman pitcher and a freshman catcher, but what he was also doing was planting seeds that he hoped to harvest in two years.
Coach Sanders ended up getting in the last word, although his critics would never admit it. All they did was call him the luckiest bastard to ever coach a high school baseball team. The Lakeshore team had never seen Eric pitch before and found that their patient style of hitting was getting them into the hole as Eric worked the strike zone with his usual precision. Having Kevin as his catcher had helped Eric shake off the last of his nervousness. He was as focused as a fourteen year old boy could be.
The Mustangs had won the coin flip and were the home team. They scored twice in the bottom of the third, but the Sentinels came back to score a run in the top of the fourth on a home run by their cleanup hitter. Bryce, playing second, rushed a throw in the top of the fifth and threw the ball over Vince's head at first. The runner ended up at second and came around to score, tying the game at two apiece.
But the Mustangs found some home run power of their own when Tyler hit one out in the bottom of the fifth. Marty was on second after a single followed by a throwing error by the Sentinels third baseman. That gave the Mustangs a surprising 4-2 lead. Eric gave up a pair of singles and a walk in the top of the sixth, but Lakeshore could only score one run, making the score 4-3. However, Eric's job was finished. Coach Sanders moved Rich from shortstop to pitcher. Trey replaced Eric in the lineup and went to short.
"It looks like the bastards might win this thing," one of Paul Richardson's buddies said as he saw Rich take the hill. Rich had been pitching very well over the past three weeks.
"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, I guess. But the game ain't over yet," Paul said.
Rich threw a 1-2-3 inning and the Mustangs had pulled off an upset of the first place team. Lucky or not, they would be playing Harborview at eight that night.
Eric had gone from being the freshman on the bench to the hero of the team as he picked up his first varsity win. He wasn't sure how he'd stopped the high powered Sentinel offense, but he knew a big factor was the help of his catcher and the glovework of his teammates. Noah was the first to greet him after the game, and he gave him a big kiss on the lips without shame for either of them.
Coach Collins saw the gesture, however, and muttered to his friends that this was one more reason it was time to change coaches and bring him back next season. "We just can't have this queer bullshit going on at this high school," he said.
Coach Sanders told the team he wanted them all to go home, relax, eat, and be back at the ballpark by six. Coach Sanders said he was going with his committee of pitchers and that Bryce would be the starter this time. Eric was sure he wouldn't be playing, but he ate and relaxed on his bed as if he would be out on the field for the evening game.
The Mustangs were all at the field by five thirty and sat in the bleachers, watching Lakeshore bounce back from its upset loss to beat Kentwood 8-5 and knock the Royals out of the tournament. It turned out Eric was wrong about not playing. He was surprised for the second time that weekend when he found out he was the starting second baseman, although he wouldn't be batting. Vince was the designated hitter and would be hitting for Eric.
The pitching by committee wasn't quite as effective this time. The Harborview Tugs jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and went on to an 8-3 win over the Mustangs. The Mustangs would be playing again at one the next day in a rematch against Lakeshore, with the winner going to Districts. Harborview had won a trip to Districts with the win.
Marty spent the night at Rich's. Mikey joined them in the family room as they chatted with Rich's mom and dad about the two games.
"It is just amazing that a freshman, fresh up from the JV, beats the first place team in the league," Rich's dad said.
"I get it dad, a freshman, fresh up. That was pretty good."
"There was no pun intended."
"And he had a freshman catcher," Marty said. "Don't forget Kevin, who caught two of our playoff games so far."
"Over half your team consists of underclassmen; the future looks bright for you guys."
"We've learned not to future trip." Marty said. "You do that and it comes back to bite you in the ass. After our undefeated middle school year we started thinking our shit didn't stink, and you saw what we ended up going through. I'd just like to see us beat Lakeshore again, because then we clinch a trip to districts. Who knows what will happen after that."
"Rodney is going tomorrow, right?"
"Yep, and that gives us a good chance," Rich said. "If we win, we go to Districts; lose, and we're done."
"It would be a lot of fun to see the first place team get knocked out by a freshman and then a sophomore pitcher."
And that was exactly what happened. Rodney went all seven innings, holding the Lakeshore offense to six hits. Three singles and two stolen bases by Jerome and two run scoring doubles by Tyler paced the Mustang offense as they knocked the Sentinels out of the postseason with a 3-2 win.
Harborview and Mayfield were the last two teams left in the tournament. Since both teams would be going to District, the league saw no need for the two teams to play each other. That way they would both be able to save their pitching for the District Tournament. By winning both of their games, Harborview was named the tournament winner, and the Mustangs were second.
With Districts not starting until Friday, Coach Sanders gave the team a much needed day off on Monday. The Falcons had a Monday practice scheduled along with a Wednesday practice game. Coach Miller had decided to bring up Toby, Justin, Chandler, and Korey from the middle school to play with the freshmen. Of course, Eric and Kevin were excused now that they were playing with the varsity.
After Districts came the State Regional tournament with the four Regional Winners going to the State Tournament in Pasco. While the Mustangs tried not to future trip, they couldn't help but think how great it would be to get to State two years ahead of schedule, at least for the sophomores and the two freshmen.
The District Tournament was held in Vancouver, Washington, that year. For the Mustangs, it was an hour-and-a-half school bus ride away. Districts ended up being a disappointment for the Mayfield players. Coach Sanders called it a learning experience, but the Mustangs weren't interested in learning, they were interested in winning. They played the Bonneville High School Ospreys on Saturday morning. Rodney started and pitched okay, but the team didn't have the focus or the motivation they'd had up through the league tournament. Their youth had caught up to them and the all- senior team they faced was much more prepared for the next level of play. The Mustangs lost 6-2 and would have to face a loser out game at five.
Their opponent was the Beachwood Geoducks. Tyler would be starting for the Mustangs. He fared a little better than Rodney had, but the Mustangs couldn't muster any offense, losing 4-1.
The Mayfield High School season was over. They ended up 13-12 with the first trip to Districts by a Mayfield High baseball team in six years. For the players, their comeback from a 4-8 record to going deep into the postseason was something special.
For many of the detractors of Coach Sanders, a 13-12 record was unacceptable after watching his team go 11-11 the year before. The fact that the Mustangs had gone as far as they had with a very young team made no impression on them. What they saw was a Coach who had run off two perfectly good upperclassmen the week of the league tournament; two players whom they thought could have made a difference at the next level of play. They derided the fact that he used two inexperienced freshmen in place of the departed upperclassmen.
However, those who looked at the baseball program rationally liked what they saw. What they saw were a couple of bad apples leave the team at the right time. What they saw was an almost all-freshman JV team win eighty percent of its games. And what they saw was a varsity team loaded with sophomores, with a couple of freshmen thrown in, learning what it took to win in postseason play at the high school baseball level.
Next: Summer Weeks