Stealing Second: Sam's Story: Book 4 in the Clarksonville Series

by Clanton, Barbara L.

  “Love you, Samantha Rose.”

  “Wuv you, Samtha Wo,” Bridget echoed.

  “Thank you, Sweetpea. I love you, too.” She gave Bridget a hug.

  “Wish us luck,” Lisa said to her tribe.

  “Bye everybody.” Sam waved to Lisa’s entire family and then reached for Lisa’s hand. Remembering where she was, she pulled back at the last second.

  They bounded down the bleacher steps and ran toward the dugout in time to hear that the starting lineup would be the same for the championship game.

  The umpire asked the Nor’Easters to take the field, and Sam sprinted out to her second base position. Luckily Marlee was still pitching well and struck out the first three Elmhurst batters she faced. Unfortunately the Elmhurst pitcher also struck out everyone she faced that first inning, including Sam. Lisa came close to getting on base in the bottom of the second inning, but the Elmhurst left fielder made an amazing over the shoulder catch. By the top of the fourth, neither team had scored.

  “C’mon, guys,” Lisa encouraged as she squatted behind the plate to start the fourth inning.

  “Yeah, c’mon, Nor’Easters,” Sam shouted from her second base position. “Throw it in there, Marlee.”

  The lead-off hitter for Elmhurst swatted Marlee’s first pitch through the five-six gap between third and short. Marlee pounded her glove against her thigh obviously agitated that the batter had gotten a hit. It was, after all, the first hit of the game for either team.

  “Let’s get two,” Abby called to the infielders.

  Sam nodded and crouched low. She had to guard against the bunt, a steal, a grounder, a pop, or a line drive. She was ready to bolt in any direction.

  The batter squared around to bunt before Marlee released the ball.

  “Watch the slap, Samantha Rose.” Mae crept closer to the plate leaving first base unguarded.

  Sam took a cheat step toward first. The batter put down a bunt which died in the middle of the infield. Sam sprinted to cover first base as both Mae and Keisha ran in from the corners to field the ball. Keisha got to it first.

  “One, one, one,” Sam called to Keisha. There was no way they’d get the runner out at second.

  Keisha threw sidearm from her crouched position. Sam felt for the bag with her right foot, planted it, and stretched for Keisha’s bullet.

  “Out at first,” the umpire yelled.

  Sam yanked the ball out of her glove and ran toward the runner on second who had rounded the base with a big lead. She wasn’t going anywhere, though. Susie had snuck in from left field to cover third.

  “Time,” the umpire called.

  Sam tossed the ball back to Marlee. “We’ve got this, Marlee. Just let ‘em hit it.”

  Marlee worked the next batter to a full count, but lost the battle and walked her to put runners on first and second with one out.

  “Watch for the double steal,” Lisa called to Keisha on third base. Keisha took a step closer to her base.

  Unfortunately, Keisha moving closer to her base had put her out of reach for the grounder smashed to her left.

  Sam groaned. Elmhurst had the bases loaded with only one out. All they needed was a long fly ball and they could sacrifice in the first run of the game.

  “Play’s at home,” Lisa called.

  Sam tried to hide her smile. Lisa was an Amazon warrior at almost five eleven. With all her catcher’s gear on, she looked formidable behind the plate. Sam loved the way Lisa caught Marlee’s pitches in that huge catcher’s mitt, the way she threw the ball back, the way she splayed her big hand across her chest protector and adjusted it. She did it all with smoothness, grace, and what seemed like very little effort.

  Sam pounded her glove trying to get herself to focus on the game instead of Lisa’s long curves and strong hands.

  The Elmhurst batter quickly got behind in the count with two strikes. She swung late on the next pitch and fouled it off the first base side of the field. Sam took a step closer to first hoping she wouldn’t get burned the way Keisha had gotten burned at third.

  Lisa flashed the sign for a fastball. Marlee put her hands together for the 0-2 pitch. She reached both hands up and then shot the pitch toward home. The batter barely got a piece of it and sent a slow roller in between Sam and Mae.

  “I got it,” Sam yelled to Mae and headed for the ball, but Mae either didn’t hear or didn’t think Sam could get it, because she kept running for it, too. Sam scooped up the ball with both hands, leaped around her first baseman, and threw a line drive to Lisa at the plate. Somehow Sam landed on her feet.

  “Out!” the home plate umpire yelled.

  “Yes!” Sam pumped a fist.

  “Sorry, Samantha Rose,” Mae said. “I heard you call for it, but I thought I could get to it first. My bad.”

  “It’s cool.” Sam bumped gloves with Mae. “Let’s just get out of this inning.”

  “You said it.”

  Of course, a bumbling play like that wouldn’t be complete without Coach Gellar weighing in. “Do you two need hearing aids? Talk to each other out there or somebody’s coming out of this game.”

  Both Sam and Mae nodded that they understood. One could not ignore Coach Gellar when she spoke. Ever.

  With the bases loaded, Elmhurst’s cleanup hitter, their shortstop, stepped into the batter’s box. Luckily there were two outs and a force at every base. Marlee pitched two quick strikes, but then missed with three rise balls in a row to fill up the count.

  “Payoff pitch,” Sam muttered under her breath. “C’mon, Marlee, ring her up!” She knew they were in trouble when Marlee hung a fat pitch down the middle of the plate.

  The Elmhurst batter swung and sent a mighty blast into the left-center field gap. All four Elmhurst runners were set in motion, rounding the bases.

  “There goes the freakin’ merry-go-round,” Sam muttered. She could only watch helplessly as Susie sprinted after the ball and grabbed it at the fence. She fired it to Abby who relayed it to third. The batter slid, but the tag from Keisha wasn’t even close. The batter was safe with a base-clearing triple. On one pitch, the Nor’Easters were losing by a score of 3-0.

  “Way to get it back in, Sus,” Sam called out to left field. Susie was muttering, probably in Spanish, and probably with words that were illegal in most states.

  On the next play, the runner on third must have been feeling cocky because she tried to steal home on a rare wild pitch from Marlee. Lisa got a lucky bounce off the backstop and shovel passed the ball to Marlee covering the plate.

  “Out!” the umpire yelled.

  Sam leaped off the ground and then sprinted to the dugout. “Nice play, you guys.”

  Marlee rolled her eyes. “Sometimes that stupid rise ball gets away from me.”

  “It’s all right.” Lisa unbuckled her chest protector. “We got the out.”

  “Sam,” Susie flew into the dugout from left field, “let’s get those runs back. We lead off.”

  “Don’t remind me.” Sam grabbed her helmet and batting gloves from the cubby with her name on it and then threw her glove inside. She pulled her bat off the rack, and headed to the on-deck circle with Susie. Sam backed up a few steps and took her practice swings.

  “Hey,” Susie said, “guess who called me?”

  “The president of Science Geeks Anonymous?”

  “No, but that was funny.”

  Sam knew Susie was trying to distract her from the game. Susie’s ploy wasn’t working, though because Sam knew she was still in the center of Coach Gellar’s radar. “Okay, who called?”

  “Ronnie.”

  “Ronnie Alesi?”

  Susie nodded. “He wants me to convince you to do the play.”

  “Sounds like something Ronnie would do.” The umpire called for Sam’s presence in the batter’s box. On the way to the plate she looked over her shoulder and bugged her eyes out at Susie. She had no idea if she was going to try out for the play or not. She wasn’t naïve enough to think the part of the fiddle
r would be handed to her, so naturally, she would have to audition. She wanted to earn the part anyway.

  “Hmm,” Sam said out loud as she dug her cleats into the batter’s box. Maybe I do want to audition for the part. “Hmm,” she said again. Maybe I can be distracted.

  Sam pulled her bat back and got ready for the first pitch of her second atbat of the game. The pitch was on the way. Fastball. Inside. Way inside. Sam turned to dodge it, but couldn’t get out of the way in time. It hit her square in the back. She reached behind with her left hand and rubbed the spot.

  “Take your base.” The home plate umpire pointed toward first base.

  “Gladly,” Sam muttered and headed up the line.

  “You okay?” Susie asked on her way to the plate.

  “Yeah. It just stings a little.” Sam threw her bat toward the dugout and jogged the rest of the way to first.

  Sam stretched her back and checked Coach Gellar for the signs. A hit-away sign for Susie, but nothing for her. She hoped Susie would get on base. They desperately needed to score. Losing the championship game would suck because Coach Gellar would hold a grudge and take it out on them in the spring season. No, something had to happen. Right away.

  Sam made a decision standing on first base, one that could completely backfire, but she didn’t care. She was in the Coach Gellar doghouse anyway, so why not chance it? She had good speed. She could make it.

  The Elmhurst pitcher put her hands together for the pitch. Sam rocked back. The pitcher circled her arm, and Sam shifted her weight forward. As the pitcher released the ball toward home plate, Sam exploded off the base. She had one goal—second base. Her teammates were yelling. The Elmhurst players were yelling. She had no idea where the ball was, but it didn’t matter. She was on her way. The Elmhurst shortstop straddled the base, glove extended. Sam threw her arms back and slid. The shortstop tagged her on the thigh.

  “Safe!” the umpire in the field yelled throwing both arms out to the side.

  “Yes!” Sam smacked the ground and bounded up to her feet. She turned to face center field secretly smiling at the cheers she heard. She brushed the dirt off her sliders before turning around to sneak a peek at Coach Gellar.

  Coach Gellar stood in the third base coach’s box with both hands on her hips. The non-smile on her face told Sam all she needed to know. She was still in the doghouse, but she didn’t care. She’d taken a chance and it had paid off. She was in scoring position.

  Susie stepped into the batter’s box for her next pitch and smacked a single up the middle. Sam sprinted to third base, but was stopped by Coach Gellar.

  “No outs, Samantha Rose,” Coach Gellar said with a detached and businesslike tone. “No heroics. Let the batters get you in.” Coach Gellar never did like players doing things she hadn’t authorized.

  Sam nodded. With no outs, it was better strategy to see if Lisa or Marlee or possibly Abby could hit her in to score, than to do something foolish like trying to steal home.

  Lisa stepped into the batter’s box with runners on first and third. Coach Gellar flashed the steal sign to Susie. Susie took off on the first pitch. The catcher caught the ball and leaped to her feet. She faked the throw to second, and then rifled the ball to third, obviously hoping to catch Sam leaning. Sam got back to the base easily.

  “Way to go, Sus,” Sam called to Susie on second base.

  “You, too, gringa.”

  Lisa stepped back into the batter’s box. She trailed one foot outside and read the signs from Coach Gellar. Once Coach Gellar looked away, Lisa shifted her gaze to Sam on third base. The smile in her eyes almost melted Sam to her toes. Sam smiled back. Big. She couldn’t help it. Sensing Coach Gellar watching her, Sam coughed into her fist and focused on the Elmhurst pitcher.

  Lisa could put a hurt on anybody with her bat, and that atbat was no exception. She smacked a single into the left-center field gap, and Sam scored the first Nor’Easter run of the game. Coach Gellar held Susie up at third, much to the dismay of the people in the stands, most of who were related to Lisa. Sam high-fived Marlee who was heading to the plate for her turn at bat. As the fans continued to boo, Sam tried not to laugh. They didn’t realize that booing would do no good. Disapproval never fazed Coach Gellar. If anything it made her dig her heels in more.

  “Nice job, Samantha Rose.” Abby high-fived her from the on-deck circle.

  “Thanks, Abby. Get a hit.”

  “I plan to.”

  Sam chuckled. Abby was another one. She was confident in everything she did, but she was different than Coach. If Abby messed up, she admitted it. Coach never did. Of course Coach probably thought she never messed up.

  Sam laughed out loud at the thought. She put her helmet and batting gloves back in her cubby and watched Marlee walk on four pitches to load the bases. Abby stepped up to the plate with no outs.

  “Ducks, Abby!” Keisha yelled from the on-deck circle. “Ducks on the pond.”

  Abby worked the pitcher to a 3-1 count.

  “A walk’s a run, Abby,” Sam yelled.

  A big fat meatball of a pitch headed for Abby’s bat. She sent it down the right field line.

  “Go, Abby, go! We’ve got our own merry-go-round now.” Sam watched her friends run around the bases.

  Susie scored easily. Lisa turned on the speed rounding third and scored to tie the game up 3-3. Coach Gellar held Marlee up at third to the accompaniment of more boos from the fans. Abby motored in to second base with a two-run stand-up double.

  Sam and her teammates mobbed Susie and Lisa when they got back into the dugout.

  Keisha got up to bat and sent a pop fly to the right fielder, sacrificing herself so Marlee could score the go-ahead run. Two more quick outs followed and at the end of the fourth inning, the Nor’Easters were ahead by a score of 4-3. During the fifth and sixth innings, the scoring drought was back, and neither team scored any runs. Heading into the top of the seventh inning, all the Nor’Easters had to do was keep Elmhurst from scoring and the championship would be theirs.

  The Elmhurst shortstop apparently had other plans and led off the inning with a double to left-center field. With one swing, Elmhurst had the tying run in scoring position.

  Sam’s stomach clenched. Close games always made her nervous.

  The next batter put down a bunt. Mae ran in and fielded the ball cleanly. She threw it to Sam covering first base.

  “Out at first,” the umpire yelled.

  The runner who had been on second advanced to third on the play. With only one out, she was dangerously close to scoring.

  Sam tossed the ball back to Marlee. “C’mon, Marlee, let’s get the next one.”

  With one out and the tying run on third base, the next batter dug in at the plate. She swung at the first pitch and sent a high pop toward shallow right field over Sam’s head.

  “Shit,” Sam muttered. She turned and ran after the ball like a Buffalo Bills wide receiver. It was just out of her reach, and the right fielder was nowhere to be seen. The damn runner on third was going to score and tie the game. Sam knew what she had to do. If she missed, it didn’t matter because the ball would fall in for a hit anyway. She leaped. The resounding thwack of the ball hitting her glove made her rejoice. For a split-second. She hit the ground hard, hip first then shoulder. She used her momentum and rolled, miraculously hanging on to the ball.

  “Third, third, third,” Mae yelled. “She didn’t tag up.”

  Sam leaped to her feet. The runner that had been on third was scrambling back to the base. Sam rifled the ball to Keisha who caught it on one hop. Sam held her breath for the umpire’s call.

  “Out!” The umpire yelled. “Ball game!” He threw both hands in the air.

  Sam looked to the sky and then covered her face with both hands. She couldn’t help the tears streaming down her cheeks as relief poured out of her. Her teammates were on her in a flash. They had just won the summer league championship game.

  “Magnifica, Sam.” Susie wrapped her in a bear hug and
twirled her around.

  The rest of Sam’s teammates chanted the Sports Center “da-dadat” theme after congratulating her.

  “Way to go, Samantha Rose,” Abby patted her on the back. “That was freakin’ awesome.” She headed to the high-five line.

  “Thanks, Abby,” Sam called after her.

  “Oh, man, Two.” Marlee gave Sam a relieved hug. “That was an amazing catch. I owe you an ice cream sundae with sprinkles, a cherry, and everything!”

  “Awesome, P,” Sam said. “You pitched two great games yourself.”

  “Thanks. I think I’m ready to relax in somebody’s pool now.” Marlee winked at Sam, and then she and Susie headed for the high-five line.

  “Oh, my God,” Lisa gushed. “I want to go make babies with you right now.”

  “What?” Sam screeched in laughter and whipped her head around to make sure no one heard.

  “Ronnie was right.” Lisa raised a suggestive eyebrow. “You are butch.”

  “Shuddup.” Sam nudged Lisa with her shoulder. They made their way to high-five the other team and then headed to the dugout.

  Sam held the dugout door open and let Lisa enter first. Coach Gellar was just inside putting her scorebook away. Coach Gellar, not one for hugs, patted Sam on one shoulder. “Way to hang in there, kid. You’re made of tougher stuff than I thought.”

  Chapter Eleven

  She Didn't Care

  THE FRONT DOOR to the mansion opened before Sam’s key touched the lock.

  “Welcome, girls.” Sam’s mother opened the door wide. “Please come in.” Her sweeping gesture invited them into the overlarge foyer.

  Sam let Lisa, Susie, and Marlee enter first. Each carried a bag with a bathing suit and a change of clothes inside. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floor. Sam closed the door behind them.

  Her mother leaned toward Sam for a quick hug. Sam played along, even though they never hugged. She made sure her battered cheek was turned away. Her mother wore casual salmon-colored slacks and a thin floral cardigan over a white tank top. As always, she looked pristine.

  “Mother, you know Susie.”