This is it. One shot. One big hit. One home run.
All I needed was to hit it, and hit it hard.
The pitcher rubbed the ball and swapped it between her hands. She then gracefully swung her right arm up, gathering momentum and released the ball.
All the sounds from the stands disappeared, I could no longer hear my team mates yelling for me to hit the ball. No longer hear my Coach's barking voice shouting for me to hit hard and run like hell. It was just me, the ball and the field.
Sweat perspirated on my brow, I tightened my hold on the bat,
Three,
Two,
One,
I swung.
I heard the bat connect with the ball in one solid 'thwack' noise. The power richocheted through the bat and down my arms to my shoulder. I didn't look, I felt the power of my hit. I dropped the bat and just ran.
I powered to first base barely touching the dusty white base itself. Everything came rushing back, all the sounds, the smells and the blurry sights around me of screaming spectators.
I rocketed past second and heard the fielder on it take a sharp intake of breath. The Westleigh team were strong in their fielding but my team had it all, confident and competitive fielding and incredible batting to rival any teams playing the the National Baseball League.
"Focus Marissa. Focus" I muttered to myself as I felt my speed decreasing as I rounded third base.
"RUN RISSA RUN!" My best friend and fellow team mate Casey yelled.
I saw the ball flying towards me and a fielder positioning herself into place just in between third base and fourth base.
"Oh no you don't," I muttered under my breath.
Somehow I found a spurt of speed and sped forward. It was that classic movie slow motion moment. Everything seemed to slow down; space, time and adrenaline took over.
I could hear the pounding of my heart, see the fielder bending down, hands cupped to receive the ball. She was right in my running line, we were going to collide.
I bent my knees and launched myself into the air. I brought my knee's up and executed a perfect forward somersault. I felt that sixth sense feeling of everyone watching me as I completed two perfect rotations over the fielder.
I landed on my feet, evenly balanced and ran for home. The fielder who i had jumped over, received the ball and threw it to the catcher at the home plate. I was just a few metres away and was already panicking.
It was gonna be a close call.
I ran harder, my legs pounding and heart racing. I dived forward and launched myself at the dusty white square. The ball flew over my head and I looked up. I was still sliding forward but friction was slowing me down.
My outstretched hand touched the plate, the ball, mere centimetres from the catcher's outstretched hands. But the umpire shouted. "IN!"
I retracted my arm with relief and relaxed into the red dust of the diamond. I twisted on to my back and took a huge breath with a huge smile on my face.
Suddenly, my team mates were around me. Screaming my name and yelling with joy. We were the Area State Champions!!!
"Oh my freaking gosh!!!! We blimmin' won! We did it!!!!" Fellow team mate Rihanna Wells screamed in my ear.
I was pulled to my feet and we linked arms and jumped up and down, chanting. "Hampton Harriers!!! Hampton Harriers!!! We are the champions!!!"
Spectators and fellow classmates tumbled down from the stands and charged on to the field surrounding us. We were soon being hugged, shouted and clapped by the throngs of students of Hampton High High School. We were lifted on to the broad football team's shoulders and paraded through the field.
"WHOOOO!!!!" Casey yelled, and grabbed on to my arm, we locked hands and lifted them high into the air for everyone to see.
We were carried to the edge of the field and Troy and Brad, whose shoulders I was sitting on, carefully lifted me down.
"Thanks guys!" I beamed at the two of them.
"You chic's were totally awesome geez, your fantastic hitwas almost out of the field!" Troy yelled, struggling to be heard over the cheers of the entire student body.
"Yeah, congrats girl. You sure can move babe" Brad gave me a saucy wink, as one of the biggest players in the school, it was expected. But I was too busy celebrating in my team's triumph to care.
"Thanks, guys!!!" I said again, and gave them a hug each.
I quickly pushed through crowds, smiling at everyone who was yelling my name or congratulating me.
I finally tracked down Casey, who was snogging the face off Harry. I beamed at the couple, they had been flirting for ages. I was so happy that something had finally happened!
They broke away from each other and Casey enveloped me in a humongous hug.
"So you and Harry, huh," I winked and waggled my eyebrows at her.
She flushed red and returned a cocky smirk. "Hell yeah babe."
I laughed, Harry wrapped a hand around her waist and yelled. "PARTAAYYY! My place at seven!"
