Free Baseball Turnaround by Matt Christopher Page B

game arrived. It was a bright August afternoon, and the Raptors were preparing to defend
     their first-place position against the number-two team, the Hawks.
    The Hawks had first ups.
    Pitching for the Raptors was Mitch Lessem. He kept the action in the infield and gave up only one hit before retiring the
     side.
    The Raptors didn’t do that well when their turn came. Mark struck out, Frank hit one straight into the waiting glove of the
     Hawks’ shortstop, and Tony bobbled one down to first but couldn’t outrun the peg.
    Mitch held the Hawks hitless at the top of the second, giving up his first walk of the game but fanningtwo batters in a row. Still, the outfield hadn’t seen much action.
    Sandy led off for the Raptors at the bottom of the second inning. As he walked toward the plate, he paid a lot more attention
     to the sounds that followed him from the dugout. Those were his teammates shouting encouragement.
    “Go, you Raptor!”
    “Come on, Sandy, you can do it!”
    “Eye on the ball, champ!”
    Over toward third base, he saw a familiar face in the stands: Perry Warden. But instead of letting that spook him, Sandy just
     smiled. He cared more about his team. He knew he had to do his best for them. He could do that only by concentrating on everything
     he had learned from every coach who had helped him with his batting.
    First he waited for the release before really focusing on the ball. He made sure he was balanced, with his feet spread wide
     apart. He relaxed his muscles, particularly his grip on the bat, not trying to squeeze it to death. Then, as the ball came
     his way, he shifted his weight to his back leg and turned his frontshoulder inward. When he decided to go for it, he moved his weight forward, with his front leg slightly bent. At the moment
     of contact, he locked his front leg and let his back leg and hip explode toward the ball. His front arm was fully extended,
     his back arm and hand remained behind the bat.
    Craaaack!
    The ball went soaring into the sky, curving slightly toward left field. It reached the top of its arc somewhere in midfield
     before it began to drop — behind the fence.
    Home run!
    Sandy had come through to launch the Raptors on their way. He rounded the bases, head down and arms churning. As he crossed
     home plate, he was instantly surrounded by teammates slapping high fives on him and hugging him as hard as they could.
    But the game was far from over. In the next two innings, Mitch loosened his iron grip. The top of the Hawks’ batting order
     torched the Raptors pitcher for two runs that put the Hawks ahead 2–1.
    In his second time at bat, Sandy had waited out the pitcher and walked after a full count. But no one had been able to send
     him home. As he came to batin the fifth inning, he was anxious to fire things up for the Raptors. Frank had managed to hit one deep into right field
     and outrace the peg to second for a double. He was a fast runner and might score if Sandy could give him something to travel
     on. Sandy decided he would try to give him his ticket.
    After waiting out two low and outside pitches, he picked a high ball that started to drop as it neared the plate. He swung
     with all his might and smoked a liner that popped in and out of the Hawks’ second baseman’s glove. Frank took off like a speeding
     bullet and beat the throw home. Sandy had chalked up a game-tying single.
    The score was now tied at 2–2. The rally had begun, and Philip Wood kept things going with a two-bagger that sent Sandy to
     third base. There was only one out on the scoreboard when Jimmy Dobson stepped up to the plate. He went for a sacrifice. It
     worked. Sandy beat the peg to home, while Philip crossed to second and slid into third. Once again, Sandy was swarmed by his
     teammates.
    Dewey Williams was fanned for the third and final out, and the Raptors took to the field with a one-run lead at the top of
     the sixth and final inning.
    The top of the Hawks’ batting order came