“No wonder this team made it so far,” Lisa muttered under her breath. She had no idea how she could swing fast enough to hit the supersonic pitches. Lisa wondered if maybe Coach Spears would make them all start bunting or something, so they wouldn’t strike out.
As if to prove Lisa’s point, Johnna struck out swinging to end the inning, so Lisa hustled back to the dugout to put on her gear.
Marlee kneeled down to help Lisa strap on her right shin guard. “Let’s try the screwball today.”
Lisa tightened her chest protector. “Okay.”
“Yea.” Marlee pumped both fists in the air like a kid who had just gotten permission to stay up late. She ran out toward the pitcher’s circle.
“But not in the first inning,” Lisa called after her.
The bottom half of the first inning didn’t go well for the Cougars. The first batter for Whickett High School smashed one of Marlee’s fastballs into the left-center field gap for a double. The next batter reached first base safely when Kym couldn’t handle a hot grounder at third.
With runners on first and second and no outs, Marlee got two quick strikes on the third batter. Lisa flashed the sign for fastball. Marlee shook it off. Lisa flashed the sign for change-up. Marlee shook that off, too. No screwballs in the first inning. Lisa flashed the sign for rise ball, and Marlee must have liked that selection because she put her hands together to get ready for the pitch.
The rise ball flew over Lisa’s head, but despite her best efforts she couldn’t reach it. She ran for the ball near the backstop. Marlee covered the plate, but there was no play because the runners only moved up one base. Thank goodness because it seemed to take forever to get to the ball. The backstop seemed so much farther away than the one at their home field.
“Time,” the umpire yelled and put her hands up in the air.
Lisa tossed the ball back to Marlee. “That’s all right, Marlee. We’ll get the next one.”
But they didn’t get the next batter because she smacked a two-run single into right field scoring two runs. The fourth Whickett batter singled to center to put runners on first and third with no outs.
Lisa stood up and called for a timeout. Coach Spears had given her the scouting report before the game, but it didn’t seem to be helping. Lisa had to come up with something else, so she walked out to Marlee in the pitcher’s circle, and waved for the infielders to join them.
“Okay, you guys,” Lisa said. “Let’s shake off that long bus ride and get in this game.” She gestured toward the runner on first. “I think she’s going to steal second. So Johnna, get ready to cut off my throw and fire it back home if the runner on third tries for home. Okay?”
Johnna nodded.
They put their hands together, and Marlee said, “Cougars on three. One, two, three.”
“Cougars!” They hustled back to their positions.
Lisa ran back toward the plate and noticed the college scout sitting on the visitors’ side of the bleachers. He had on the same cool black leather jacket he’d worn at the Overton Corners game. He’s not going to recruit Marlee now if we don’t get our act in gear. I wonder if Coach Spears knows he’s here.
Lisa squatted behind the plate. Marlee fired her pitch, and the runner on first took off for second. Lisa leaped up to grab the pitch, but the batter bunted the ball onto the infield. Marlee fielded the bunt cleanly, checked the runner on third, and threw the batter out at first base. Julie then ran toward the pitcher’s circle with the ball held high as if daring the runner on third to try for home.
Marlee finally found her groove and struck out the sixth and seventh batters to end the disastrous first inning. The Cougars ran back to their dugout down by two runs.
Lisa led off the top of the second inning. She adjusted her helmet and stepped into the batter’s box. She decided to let the first pitch go by just to see how fast it actually was. The pitch whizzed by her and smacked into the catcher’s mitt for strike one.
Holy Jesus! Lisa thought. This ain’t gonna be easy.
She readied herself for the next pitch and swung late for strike two. She stepped out of the box and took a deep breath to hide her embarrassment. Coach Spears had been right. This chick was fast. Lisa took a deep breath and stepped back in. The next pitch came right down the center of the plate. She swung and missed the ball by a mile. The Whickett pitcher had fooled her with a very sneaky change-up.
“Son of a…” Lisa grunted and did the slow walk of shame back to the dugout after striking out.
Julie patted her on the helmet. “You’ll get ‘em next time.”
Lisa blew out a sigh. “I don’t know.” She put her helmet in the rack. “She’s freakin’ fast.” She looked up just as Marlee swung and missed the first pitch. “C’mon number three. Smack it out there.”
Marlee missed the next pitch for strike two. Lisa studied the pitcher carefully, but couldn’t detect a difference in her delivery when she threw the change-up to Marlee on the third pitch. Unfortunately, Marlee missed it and struck out for the second out of the inning. Kym got up to bat, but went down just as quickly with the same fastball, fastball, change-up combination to end the top half of the second inning. The Cougars were still losing by a score of 0-2.
Luckily, the first two Whickett batters in the bottom of the second inning struck out, but the top of their order was due up next. Marlee quickly worked the batter to a one ball, two strike count. Marlee shook off Lisa’s signs for change-up, fastball, and rise ball. Marlee grinned. Okay, fine. She flashed the sign for screwball.
Marlee threw a perfectly delivered screwball right into the batter’s hip.
“Dead,” the umpire yelled and pointed toward first.
Lisa shook her head and pointed at Marlee. “No more screwballs,” she mouthed.
“Okay, okay.” Marlee put her hands up in defense and walked back to the circle.
With one runner on first base and two outs, Marlee threw a beautiful rise ball that the batter popped up into foul territory. Lisa threw off her mask and looked up. She ran toward the backstop and lunged for the ball. She caught it in her mitt for the last out, but her bruised hand smashed against the chain link fence. She whimpered, but refused to let the pain show.
“Out,” the umpire called.
Lisa flipped the ball from her mitt to the umpire’s outstretched hand. She kept her back turned away from the dugout, took a deep breath, and squeezed her throbbing hand tight.
The college scout in the stands looked concerned. “Are you okay, Lisa?”
“What?” She hadn’t realized she was standing right in front of him. She waved her bad hand. “Oh, it’s nothing.” She smiled back and headed for the dugout.
Sarah handed her a bag of ice.
“How did you know?”
Sarah shrugged. “You usually sprint right back in the dugout on the third out.”
“Oh.” She put the ice on her hand. “Does Coach know?”
Sarah shook her head. “Nope.”
“Let’s keep it that way, okay?”
“Should I get my catcher’s gear ready?”
Lisa shook her head. “Nope, I’m fine.”
“Okay.” Sarah nodded in obvious relief and moved in front of Lisa so the ice pack would remain hidden from their coach.
Marlee nudged Lisa on the shoulder. “You okay?”
Lisa shrugged. “I guess.”
Marlee sighed. “Just tell Coach if it gets too bad, okay?”
“Okay.” Lisa knew there was no way she’d ever let herself get taken out of the game over a stupid little bruise. No way.
Alicia, the Cougars left fielder, stepped up to bat and promptly swung and missed the first fastball.
Lisa looked down at her hand and wondered how she hadn’t judged the distance to the backstop properly. She frowned. She thought the backstop was farther away than it was. She looked at the fence where she’d smacked her hand and gauged the distance to the Whickett catcher. It was farther than the field at home, but not as far a
s the East Valley field they’d played on two days before. The Whickett catcher flashed a sign to her pitcher, and the change-up was on the way.
“Hey Marlee, did you see that?” She pointed toward the catcher.
“What?”
“The catcher. She relaxed when she called for the change-up. She sat up taller and kept her right hand on her thigh instead of behind her back. Geez, the catcher totally gives away the change-up.” Lisa grabbed Marlee’s sleeve. “Oh, my God, Marlee. She only has two pitches. The supersonic fastball and the change-up.”
“Oh, man, I think you’re right. Hey Jeri, c’mere.” Marlee waved her over.
“What’s up?” Jeri plunked her batting helmet on her head since she was up soon.
“Lisa figured something out. It’s too late for Corrie because she’s already up to bat, but we can tell Paula. Hey, Paula,” Marlee called to her in the on-deck circle.
Paula ran over. “You want to administer last rights or something before I get up?”
Lisa laughed. “No. That pitcher only has two pitches. Fastball and change-up. We think we can tell when the change is coming. We’ll yell, uh—” she turned to Marlee. “What should we yell?”
“Delta?”
Lisa looked at Marlee with one eyebrow raised.
Marlee laughed. “Delta means change in math, like in slope.”
“Oh, yeah,” Lisa said sheepishly. “How could I forget?”
“Guys,” Paula said, “hurry up and decide. I gotta get back.”
“Okay,” Lisa said, “we’ll yell, ‘delta’ when the change is coming.” Paula scurried back to the on-deck circle. Lisa turned to Marlee. “I am so gonna fail my Geometry Regents.”
“You are not. I’ll help you.” Marlee nudged her in the shoulder.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, I’m up to a B in Calculus now.”
“Brainiac.”
Marlee laughed. “Your Regents’ exam’s on Tuesday, right?”
“Yeah.” Lisa nodded. “Thanks for helping me. I may be a lost cause, though.”
“Stop. You’ll be fine.” Marlee pointed to the Whickett catcher. “Look, you were right. She relaxed.” A change-up floated over the plate for strike three.
“Girl, you are good,” Jeri said to Lisa. “I think we might be able to do something with this team, now.” She headed toward the on-deck circle.
Paula stepped up to bat with two outs in the top of the third inning. She swung and missed on the first two pitches. The catcher relaxed, and Lisa and Marlee cried at the same time, “Delta!” Paula adjusted and smacked a single to right field.
Lisa and Marlee taught the rest of the team how to read the catcher’s body language for the change-up. “And, you know what?” Lisa said. “Every single one of us can hit her fastball.”
Julie looked back from the on-deck circle and rolled her eyes. “What are you smokin’, Brown Girl?”
Lisa laughed. “No, really. We can hit her. She doesn’t throw a rise, a curve, a drop, or anything else that I’ve seen. All you have to do is swing when you see the ball come off her hip. And, don’t swing hard, either. She’s providing all the power.”
Jeri smacked a single down the right field line as if to prove Lisa’s point. Julie hit a single which scored Paula from second base. The Cougars were down by one run when Johnna stepped into the batter’s box. She swung at the first pitch and sent a hard grounder toward the second baseman. The second baseman looked surprised that anything was coming toward her and didn’t field the ball cleanly. All runners were safe.
Lisa stepped into the box and got ready for the pitch.
“The bases are full of Cougars, Lisa!” Marlee shouted from the on-deck circle. “Just a little single gets in two.”
Lisa got ready for the first pitch.
“Delta!” Marlee and her teammates yelled.
Lisa waited the right amount of time and swung. The ball sailed into the right-center field gap. Lisa headed toward first base, and Kerry waved her toward second. Lisa cheered when she saw Julie score right after Jeri.
“Slide,” Coach Spears yelled out to Lisa as she was approaching second base.
Lisa slid. She was safe at second base, and the Cougars were up by a score of 3-2.
Once the Cougars unlocked the secrets of the rocket-launching pitcher, they were able to score runs on a regular basis and beat the Whickett High School Wolves by a final score of 10-2.
After the high-five line, Jeri called the team together, and they put their hands on top of hers. “Delta on three, Cougars. One, two, three!” “Delta!” the team yelled and then laughed. Lisa nudged Marlee in the ribs. “There he is.” She pointed to the dark-haired man with the leather jacket.
“Who?”
“That college scout I told you about. The tall guy talking into his cell phone.”
“Man, he’s tall. What college is he from?”
Lisa shrugged. “I don’t know. I asked Coach, but she didn’t know who he was either.”
“Should we ask him?” Marlee whispered.
“Nah, I’m sure he’ll contact you or something. I mean, geez, he came all the way to Warrensburg, so he must be interested in recruiting you.”
Marlee shrugged. “I guess. C’mon, let’s get going. I want to get on the bus so I can call Susie and then my mom.”
“Oh, me too. I can finally call Sam from my own cell phone instead of borrowing yours all the time.”
On the bus, Lisa talked with Sam for over a half hour, and when they hung up, she hugged the phone as if hugging Sam. Sam and Susie were going to drive down to Binghamton on Saturday to watch them play in the semi-final game. She stood up and leaned over her seat to look at Marlee. Marlee was still on the phone with Susie.
Lisa pointed to Marlee’s phone. “They’re coming down Saturday.”
Marlee grinned. “I know.”
Lisa smiled and slid back into her seat. She re-opened her cell phone to call home.
Her mother answered the phone. “Lisa Bear. How’d it go? Hey, everybody, it’s Lisa.”
She heard a chorus of “Hi, Lisa” from her family.
She laughed and said, “We won.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, honey. How did you play?”
“Okay, I guess. Their pitcher was fast, but we figured out how to hit her. I hit a triple and two doubles. I think I had, like, six RBI’s.”
“That’s wonderful. Okay, okay. Hang on a second. Bridget’s tugging at my sleeve.”
Lisa smiled when she heard her mother try to convince her little sister to be patient because Lisa would be home in a few hours. Apparently Bridget would have none of it, because she grabbed the phone. “Weesa?”
“Hi, Sweetpea.”
“Are you coming home?”
“As fast as I can. You’ll be asleep when I get there, though, but I’ll see you in the morning.”
“No, I’m staying up.”
Oh, no. Sorry, Mom.
Her mother got back on the phone, and they talked about the game for a few more minutes. Lisa remembered the dark-haired man. “Oh, that college recruiter was at the game scouting Marlee again.”
“Recruiter?”
“Yeah, he was at the Overton Corners game, too.”
“Has he talked to Marlee yet?”
“No, that’s the weird thing. He just watches the game and then leaves. Oh, you know what though? He talks to me sometimes.”
“He talks to you?”
“Yeah, and he knows my name. Oh, geez, maybe he’s recruiting me.” Lisa stomach knotted.
“What does he look like?” her mother asked.
“Oh, he’s really tall and has dark hair with a dark mustache. He wears this cool black leather jacket, too.”
“Uh, huh,” her mother said as if she remembered him.
“Did you see him at the Overton Corners game or something, Mom?”
“Yes, something like that.”
Lisa heard an odd tone in her mother’s voice. “Mom, what’s wron
g?” The cell phone crackled.
Her mother sighed.
“Mom, are you still there?”
“I’m here.” She sighed again. “Your, uh, your father wants to meet you.”
“Papa?” Lisa shook her head confused. “Papa wants to meet me where?” She waited, but her mother didn’t answer. “Mom?”
She pulled the phone away and looked at the tiny screen. Signal lost.
Chapter Thirteen
Honesty
AFTER THE QUARTERFINAL win against Whickett High School that Wednesday, the Clarksonville school bus made its way through the mountains, and Lisa’s cell phone finally re-established a semi-decent signal in Tupper Lake. She called her mother back immediately.
When the Clarksonville school bus pulled into the high school parking lot at 11:30 that night, Lisa was still dazed by the bombshell her mother had dropped on her. After saying goodbye to her teammates, Lisa hopped into the passenger seat of the minivan.
“Hi, Mom.” Lisa shut the car door and hugged her mother.
“I’m so glad you won, honey.” Her mother pulled back from the hug and smiled a sad sort of smile.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Why now?”
Her mother sighed. “I wasn’t counting on this day coming for a few years yet.” She started the engine and backed out of the parking spot. “Apparently he’s getting married and wants to be open and honest with his fiancée. That includes meeting you, I guess.”
“Oh.” Lisa sat with her hands folded in her lap.
“Lisa, you don’t have to meet your father if you don’t—”
“Mom?” Lisa interrupted.
“Hmm?”
“Can we not call my bio dad my father?”
Her mother looked at her with sympathetic eyes. “Okay. You’re right. Let’s call him William then, okay?”
Barbara L. Clanton - 2 - Tools of Ignorance - Lisa's Story Page 12
