𝐂 𝐎 𝐋 𝐋 𝐈 𝐃 𝐄

𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐒

yankees vs red sox. 9/27/21. fenway park.

soph swallowed.

"we can't lose these." she croaked, as the events in front of her unfolded within a matter of seconds. yankees had been leading 2-1 in the seventh, but they were now approaching the eighth with a fired up home crowd and red sox lead.

the boys were under pressure. joey dropped the ball last inning which resulted in their leading run. everyone's heart rate was at a million beats per minute. the playoffs were slipping. very, very slowly... and they were just watching it go.

top of the eighth. urshela works a walk.

soph didn't even look at boone for the nod of approval as she quickly turned to find tyler wade.

"wade, i need you now." she declared urgently, as he looked at her wide-eyed.
"get out there and run." sophia instructed, guiding him up the dugout steps as aaron boone watched confused.

they asked for time and gio came out. wade now at first base, pinch running.

"sophia, what the hell?" boone asked, as she stepped back down into the dugout and watched tyler intently.

"we need speed." she replied, "wade is—" she was cut off by booney's firm unhappy voice.

"i already told velazquez he was pinch running. he had the plan and everything!" boone argued with soph.

"but tyler—" she started.

"tyler's got caught stealing every time on arroyo. velazquez has a clean record!" he boomed, both their eyes shifting as tyler took off from first and ran straight into a pick off.

booney's eyes blazed with distaste into soph's regretful ones, "i like the independency, but i'm the boss around here sophia."

"i'm sorry." she mumbled, dropping her head as wade made his way back to the dugout, causing the yankees the first out of an inning they desperately needed.

sophia sat back on one of the benches. she f*cked up.

"she's her father's daughter, alright..." boone lowly spat towards their hitting coach, who didn't say anything but nod and give a look of disapproval towards tyler wade. the father comment was really unnecessary to her.

sophia swallowed as andrew velazquez walked past her and shook his head, replacing her as he stood in her usual place next to aaron boone on the stairs.

tyler stuck his helmet back into his cubby and ran his fingers through his hair. giancarlo walked past him and gave him a pat on the back, telling him it was fine before heading on deck.

the girl frowned as tyler sat down next to her and accidently threw his head back too far into the wall. still no one moved though. the emotions were high and everyone was on the edge of their seat to be distracted by tyler or sophia's silent whining.

"sorry." she whispered to tyler, who nodded his head in acceptance of her apology.

"it's me." he admitted. he took off at the wrong time. he got too ahead of himself.

their heads shot up due to the sound of a bat striking a no-doubter. the girl stood up, watching intently as the ball left the stadium.

giancarlo jogged lightly around the bases. the yankees took the lead. her eyes gleamed, grateful for the fact he just saved their a**es.

from where soph was standing now, she was right back next to aaron boone, who exhaled heavily before letting his head down in relief.

"i didn't quite understand why you were making him bat cleanup with the tear he'd been on." booney admitted, referring to a conversation they had about giancarlo earlier as to where he was being put in the batting order. boone wanted him second, but soph insisted on fourth or fifth.