“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 front shoulder 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 bat in 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 up to the plate. Inspired by the previous inning’s rally, Mitch recovered his control. He gave up one hit to their leadoff batter but held the next one in check with a strikeout. Then the third Hawk pounded Mitch for a single. Players at first and second, and only one out.
The Hawks’ cleanup batter, their left fielder, was their leading hitter. He had a reputation for hitting the short ball just over the second baseman’s head.
“Let’s play in, guys!” Sandy called to the left and right fielders. They all jogged in another ten feet for good measure.
But Sandy kept himself flexible — just in case. His instincts proved to be on target.
The Hawks’ batter took a mighty swing and turned out a high fly ball toward center. At first, it didn’t seem like it would go the distance. But it did. Instead of dropping into the sweet spot behind second, it continued arcing upward, heading straight for the fence.
Sandy dashed back, following it with his eyes. The ball descended like a rocket just inside the fence. Sandy lunged into the air, stretched out his glove —and caught it!
But even as he was squeezing the ball into the webbing, he knew that the runners on first and second weren’t standing still. They were going to try to make it for home. If one of them did, the game would be tied at 3–3. If both did, well, the Raptors might just kiss this victory good-bye, unless they could score two runs at the bottom of the sixth. But if he could help stop both runners…
The moment his feet touched the ground, Sandy spun around, locked one foot in a pivot, and pegged the ball to Tony at third.
Smack! The ball was trapped in the cup of Tony’s outstretched glove. He reached out and tagged the runner. Out!
The cheers rang out from the stands and the Raptors bench. As Sandy ran in from the outfield, he was mobbed first by the left and right fielders, then the infield. The last guy to reach him was Ben Eaton.
Ben slapped him on the back, grinning ear to ear.
“What a play!” he cried. “Is this really the same guy who walked around at the start of the season with a chip on his shoulder the size of Rhode Island?”
“That’s what we wondered,” a familiar voice said.
Sandy looked through the crowd of Raptors and spied Mr. Richards and his brother. He tried to break free from his teammates and go speak to them, but the Raptors had other ideas. They hoisted their center fielder to their shoulders and started to parade him around the bases.
As Sandy was jostled about, he looked over his shoulder back at the two brothers. They were smiling widely. Coach Richards gave him a thumbs-up, then they both waved, turned, and headed for the parking lot.
Sandy watched them for a moment, then started laughing.
“Hey, you guys, put me down! How do you expect me to celebrate with you from up here?”
Matt Christopher®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali Mario Lemieux
Lance Armstrong Mark McGwire
Kobe Bryant Yao Ming
Jennifer Capriati Shaquille O’Neal
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Jackie Robinson
Jeff Gordon Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey Jr. Babe Ruth
Mia Hamm Curt Schilling
Tony Hawk Sammy Sosa
Ichiro Venus and Serena Williams
Derek Jeter
Randy Johnson Tiger Woods
Michael Jordan
The #1 Sports Series For Kids
MATT CHRISTOPHER®
Read them all!
Baseball Flyhawk Dirt Bike Runaway
Baseball Pals Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts Face-Off
Body Check Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass! Football Fugitive
Catcher with a Glass Arm Football Nightmare
Catching Waves The Fox Steals Home
Center Court Sting Goalkeeper in Charge
Centerfield Ballhawk The Great Quarterback Switch
Challenge at Second Base Halfback Attack *
The Comeback Challenge The Hockey Machine
Comeback of the Home Run Kid Ice Magic
Cool as Ice Inline Skater
The Diamond Champs Johnny Long Legs
Dirt Bike Racer The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
Lacrosse Face-Off Slam Dunk
Line Drive to Short ** Snowboard Champ
Long-Arm Quarterback Snowboard Maverick
Long Shot for Paul Snowboard Showdown
Look Who’s playing First Base Soccer Duel
Miracle at the Plate Soccer Halfback
Mountain Bike Mania Soccer Scoop
Nothin’ But Net Stealing Home
Penalty Shot The Submarine Pitch
Prime-Time Pitcher The Team That Couldn’t Lose
Red-Hot Hightops Tennis Ace
The Reluctant Pitcher Tight End
Return of the Home Run Kid Top Wing
Roller Hockey Radicals Touchdown for Tommy
Run For It Tough to Tackle
Shoot for the Hoop Wingman on Ice
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Shortstop from Tokyo The Year Mom Won the Pennant
Skateboard Renegade
Skateboard Tough
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BASEBALL TURNAROUND
Can Sandy move beyond his troubled past?
Sandy Comstock once made a mistake — a bad one —but he’s paid the price and now he just wants to get on with his life. Only one person stands in his way: Perry Warden, the boy who tempted Sandy to break the law in the first place. Convinced that Perry is spreading rumors about him to his new baseball teammates, Sandy faces a tough decision. Should he run from the rumors, or come out with the truth about his past?
Matt Christopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. For a list of all his titles, see the last pages of this book.
* Previously published as Crackerjack Helfback
** Previously published as Pressure Play
Baseball Turnaround Page 7
