Scrimmage (4)

Linus clenched his jaw as he threw the ball back to Filip. The frustration bubbled up inside him, his mind replaying the moment he couldn't make the play. He knew it wasn't entirely his fault—he hadn't been playing baseball for that long—but that didn't make it any easier to accept. He wanted to be treated the same as his teammates, not given a pass because he was new. He didn't need excuses.

"Nice pitch," Linus called out to Filip, loud enough to make sure his voice was heard. "That hit was on me."

Filip glanced back, nodding but staying focused on the mound. There were two outs now, so they could still get out of this inning without letting another run score. Linus had to keep that in mind—baseball was about bouncing back from mistakes.

Filip wasted no time facing the next batter, his expression calm and controlled. The first pitch zipped toward the plate, a fastball that clipped the inside corner. The batter swung and missed, catching only air. 

On the very next pitch, Filip induced a weak ground ball toward third base. The third baseman was quick on his feet. He fielded the ball cleanly and didn't hesitate. He jogged the few steps to third base, tagging it to close out the inning.

"Nice work!" Linus called out, grateful that his earlier misstep hadn't cost them. As they jogged back to the dugout, he felt a small sense of relief wash over him. His mistake hadn't hurt the team after all, but he knew he couldn't rely on luck every time.

But now Linus had other things to think about since he was first up to bat this time. Linus quickly stowed his glove, grabbed his bat, and pulled his helmet over his head, ready for his turn at the plate.

The opposing pitcher, Lukas, was on the mound, warming up with a few casual throws. Linus watched him closely, his eyes tracing the path of each pitch. Even during warm-ups, Lukas's pitches seemed fast. It made sense—Lukas had the fastest velocity on the team.

Linus took a couple of practice swings, loosening his shoulders and trying to imagine what the at-bat would be like. He knew he had to react quicker, that much was clear. His hands gripped the bat tighter as he watched Lukas throw a final warm-up pitch.

The umpire signaled for the game to resume, and Linus stepped into the batter's box, his heart thudding in his chest. He set his feet, bending his knees slightly as he stared down Lukas.

The first pitch came fast, just as Linus had expected. He started his swing, but he was a beat too slow, the ball smacking into the catcher's mitt with a loud thwack before he even fully rotated his hips.

"Strike one!" the umpire bellowed.

Linus adjusted his stance, shaking his head slightly. He had to start his swing earlier. His mind raced as Lukas began his wind-up for the second pitch. This time, Linus was ready. Though as the pitch came closer it looked to be quite low, so Linus refrained from swinging.

The umpire called out, "Ball!" Now the count was even at 1-1.

Linus gripped the bat tighter, predicting that another fastball was coming next. The pitch flew in fast, and though he started his swing earlier this time, it jammed him inside. He made weak contact, sending a slow grounder toward second base.

Linus sprinted toward first, but Elias, playing second, fielded the ball cleanly and made a quick throw to first base. "Out!" the umpire called as Linus reached the bag, just a moment too late.

Jogging back to the dugout, Linus let out a frustrated breath. He'd been too late again. As he stowed his bat, one of his teammates gave him a quick pat on the back. "You're getting there, don't worry about it."

Linus jogged back to the dugout, frustration still gnawing at him. He stowed his bat and sat down, replaying the at-bat over and over in his head. Just as he was getting lost in thought, one of his teammates gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"You're getting there, don't worry about it," the teammate said with a nod.

Linus forced a small smile, but his mind was still focused on what he needed to adjust for next time.

A few moments later, Filip came into the dugout after his own at-bat as the 9th batter. He sat down beside Linus, shaking his head slightly. "Man, couldn't catch a break out there either," he muttered.

Linus glanced at Filip, who was still a little frustrated from earlier. "Tough luck," Linus said, empathizing.

Filip nodded slightly, his eyes focused on the field. "Yeah. Especially with Holm, their left fielder."

Linus glanced at him. "What about him?", recognizing the left fielder as the other team's number 2 batter, who had gotten 2 hits off Filip today.

Filip hesitated before speaking, keeping his voice low. "He's the only lefty in their lineup, but... he's been hitting me pretty easily. My cutter's not fooling him like it should."

Linus nodded, sensing Filip's frustration. "He's that good?"

"Maybe," Filip muttered, looking down. "Or maybe I'm not mixing it up enough. I'll figure it out."

Linus didn't push further, just nodded. "You will."

Filip gave a small nod in return, the conversation settling as they both watched their team take the field, lost in their own thoughts.

***

Lukas quickly ended the bottom of the third inning, striking out their first batter with another fastball that seemed even more difficult to handle. Linus's team jogged back out to the field for the top of the fourth inning, and Filip took the mound again. This time, he seemed to have found his rhythm. Filip pitched with focus, keeping the opposing hitters off balance. His fastball had good life, and he mixed it well with his cutter, which worked better against the righties in the lineup.

Linus stood ready at shortstop, feeling more alert and settled after his earlier frustration. He followed each play closely as Filip induced a couple of ground balls and a lazy flyout to the outfield. The defense was sharp, and the inning ended quickly without any runs scoring. Filip walked off the mound with a quiet sense of satisfaction, his confidence restored after a tough earlier inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, Linus's team found a spark at the plate. Their third and fourth batters both stepped up with solid hits, getting runners on base. The dugout buzzed with energy, and Linus could feel the momentum shifting in their favor. When the fifth batter came up, he capitalized, hitting a deep fly ball to center field. The runner on third tagged up and dashed home, scoring the team's first run of the game.

The dugout erupted with cheers as the score finally shifted in their favor. However, the excitement was short-lived as the sixth batter hit a ground ball straight to the shortstop, ending the inning with just the one run scored.

The game moved into the top of the fifth, Filip's final inning on the mound. Despite his earlier success, the opposing team began to time his pitches better. Samuel Holm, the lefty who had been Filip's nemesis all game, once again delivered a key hit, driving in another run to tie the score. Filip managed to escape the inning without further damage, but he left the field with a quiet frustration visible in his posture.

Now, in the bottom of the fifth, Linus stood up, ready for his second at-bat against Lukas. His heart raced as he tightened his grip on the bat, determined to get his first hit in a game.