Even though we lost one of our games, we still hadn’t faced the toughest teams in the league. Five games in, I tried to prepare my teammates for a seriously tough match.

Marshall said, “I looked back at last year. We lost against this team 15-1.”

“Ouch!” blurted out Antonio.

I said, “We’re an entirely different team this year. We can win this. They barely escaped in their last game winning by only one run. We can do this, guys! They are power hitters, so everybody will need to drift back further than normal, but focus and we can do it.”

When the game rolled around, everybody showed up to play. In the first inning alone, Antonio made two great plays snagging fast ground balls to his left and right throwing the batter out at first. For the third out, Marshall made a solid catch in the outfield just in front of the fence.

Unfortunately, their team was just as hyped as we were. I chatted briefly with their pitcher, a hulking, bearish guy named Leo, before the game, and he said they were keeping an eye on us as spoilers in the season. I asked, “Spoilers? You don’t think we can win it all?”

Then he clapped a big paw across my shoulders and tilted his head to the right saying, “Nothing at all personal, but I think our experience can trump your enthusiasm. You’re on the rise for sure, but this can’t be your year.”

I repeated his words to the team in the dugout before the game. Antonio just asked, “Overconfident much?”

I watched Blake, and he was methodically slapping his fist into his glove. We were all ready, and we had a fighting chance.

In the bottom half of the first inning, we went three up three down just like our opponents, but the second inning was better. They stranded two guys on base and failed to score, but Billy stepped up to the plate as our first batter and corked the ball over the fence. The dugout erupted in pandemonium. Reggie immediately reminded us that we were making history. The Soft Serves were never ahead of these opponents at any time in the past.

Unfortunately, they stormed right back and scored a run with a two out single and the runner from third sliding just under Blake’s throw home to Reggie. I felt like my entire body groaned. It was going to be a tough game.

Two innings later when we returned to the dugout in a 3-3 tie, I saw Blake and Billy pull themselves away from the rest of the team and huddle in a corner. Then I cheered with everyone else when Blake poked a single between first and second. As Billy stepped up to the plate, Blake leaned so far toward second base that he convinced the other team he was going to attempt a steal. It caused their fielders to drift in toward home plate just enough that Billy landed a perfect hit over the head of the first baseman rolling toward the corner of the outfield. Blake scored, and Billy ended up with a stand-up triple.

As Blake jogged back to the dugout to receive a rousing round of slaps on the back from his teammates, I saw him look down the third-base line. I followed his gaze and saw two athletic-looking guys about our age hanging just outside the fence along the right-field foul line. They were dressed in jeans and T-Shirts, and I watched as one of them nodded toward Blake and then gestured for him to head in their direction.

Blake enjoyed three more hugs from the team, and then he excused himself from the dugout to trot partway down the outside of the fence and meet the two men. I felt a twinge inside, and I didn’t know exactly what it was. I guessed that it was mostly curiosity and frustration that anyone was distracting Blake from the game.

The inning turned into a big one, and I came up to the plate as our seventh batter in the inning. Two guys were on base, and I had the opportunity to pad our lead. A big lollipop of a pitch sailed in my direction, and I promptly sent it sailing into right center.

It was enough of a line drive that it dropped to the ground in front of the center fielder, and a slight bobble left the ball rolling to the fence. Two more runs scored, and I was standing on third base with an easy triple just like Billy earlier in the inning.

When I looked toward the dugout, I noticed that Blake was back with the team, and the strangers were nowhere to be seen. He was rattling the fence in front of the dugout just like half of the rest of the team. I smiled and gave my teammates the thumbs up just before turning my attention to the pitcher’s mound and seeing the scowl on our opponent’s face.

After the half inning finally came to a close with our third out, I gathered the team around before we took the field. I said, “We’ve got the solid lead. Now is NOT the time to let up. We’ve got this, guys. Stay focused! Let’s go bring this one home!”

While my teammates started to file out of the dugout, I looked at Blake, and I wanted to kiss him so badly. For the first time, I felt an ache in my gut at the fact that I couldn’t let anyone on the team but Reggie know.

Then I tried to push it out of my mind, and I followed the rest of the team to the field. Reggie tossed me the ball, and I started my warm-ups. I needed to follow the advice I was giving my teammates. It was not time to let up. We had a game to win. I indulged in reflective thoughts just briefly to realize how much difference just one short year and one major change in players made for our team. We were winners.

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We weathered a few more threats to the lead in the rest of the game, but in the end it was a relatively easy 8-5 victory. We celebrated with hugs, back slaps, and finally a pile of writhing bodies on the ground over the pitcher’s mound. I laughed out loud when Reggie gave me a teasing grope.

After we all brushed ourselves off and headed off the field, I asked Blake who the guys were that hung out at the edge of the field looking to speak with him. He said, “Oh, nobody in particular. They were just guys. They congratulated me on how I was playing. They said I looked like a pro.”

“And that’s all they wanted?” I asked.

He gave me a shrug but didn’t respond with words. It was obvious that I wasn’t supposed to continue with my line of questioning. Instead, I threw an arm around his shoulders and made sure our teammates heard that I was talking about the game. I knew that we could do our own private celebration once we got home.

When I pulled away from the softball field into traffic, I asked Blake, “Are they guys that you met at the bar? We don’t seem to get many people who just stop in to see games. They are usually friends or relatives.”

Blake sighed heavily, and I noticed that he still had his glove on his left hand. He pounded his right fist into the glove and waited a full thirty seconds before he answered. He said, “No, I never met them before, but they were making nice compliments. It was sort of like when I played in the minors. There were people who noticed, and when someone compliments me like that, I listen and then I’m happy to talk with them for a little while. I’m sorry if you were worried that I was distracted from the game.” I turned toward him and asked, “Do you really need to know exactly what they said?”

I could feel the tension growing in the car, and I backed off. I said, “No, that’s okay. I was just curious. That’s all. Reggie said the team is getting together at the Toolbox later. I forgot whether you have to work tonight or not.”

Blake said, “I’m off. We could head down there if you would like. That might be relaxing. Sally would appreciate the business.”

I could hear Blake start to relax again. I didn’t like the feeling of tension between us. It was something new, and in a few short minutes, it was unpleasant. The bar was going to be a nice way to unwind. I said, “Okay, and I’ll call Reggie. If he rides with us, then he can drink to his heart’s content. You know, Blake, you were a big reason why we won today.”

He said, “Billy really put on a big show.”

I added, “You’ve been a huge catalyst for him. He was good last year, but with you on the team, he’s even better. I don’t know if it’s a competitive spirit or it’s working together, but it really is great to see.”