Their talk didn't take very long . Garret jogged to the mound and Jordan to home plate . The coach waved us over as Zeke headed to his teammates in the outfield .
"What's up Coach?" Noah asked as we got close . Garret started to practice some pitches with Jordan so we were still having a face off; we just didn't know what the change was .
Coach jerked a thumb at the team in the outfield . "Zeke is getting some players to fill in . Make it more game-like . Sure, Jake can hit some pretty sweet pitches, but I want to know if he can hit them to the open spots in the field . I don't want just a player hitting right to the field players . "
Noah looked at me . I shrugged . I've never tried avoiding players or hitting to open space . In the cages, I can't really tell where the ball would go so I like hitting it right back to the pitching machine . Noah gave me a pat on the back and whispered . "I won't be fielding against you so just hit up the middle . Just don't hit Garret . He IS the ace . "
AdvertisementI nodded . Sounds fair . I wouldn't want to hit anybody . Especially the best pitcher on Noah's team .
"Looks like the whole team is going to watch . Kind of makes it feel like a scrimmage or something . " Noah commented as Zeke came back with the whole group .
Some players went to positions right away, probably wherever Zeke assigned them . The assistant coach and leftover players went to the dugout to watch .
"Oh? This is getting serious . " Mr . Miller came out of nowhere, making me jump .
Noah patted my shoulder . "You need to stop being so tense . People coming from behind don't usually attack . You always react like you're doing something you're not supposed to . " I gave a weak smile . Technically I was doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing . He gave me a push to the batters box . "Go . Remember the plan . Kick butt and we win extra desserts . "
I nodded and left him with the coach and Mr . Miller . Unlike before, I took a few practice swings as a left handed batter .
Jordan threw the ball to Garret, then glanced down at me . "You want to try batting lefty against a lefty?"
I nodded .
"Aren't you afraid of the curve? It'd be more beneficial to hit right handed just in case . "
I shook my head . Noah said to watch out for the cut fastball, which would come inside for a righty . Noah knows him better than I do so I should just stick with the plan .
Jordan raised his eyebrows and shrugged . "Well, if you can do it, then do it . " He squatted behind the plate .
I stepped in the lefty's box and got set . Facing down Garret wasn't as scary as the twins . He was calm and there was no specific expression on his face . I looked past him and took note where all the field players were . Dropping a hit just past the infield and right before the outfield would be best, but the outfield looked like they were playing in . If I hit the ball like I normally do, it would be a line out for sure .
Garret started his motion and I gripped my bat a little tighter than normal . Noah said to hit it just over his head, right between the shortstop and second baseman . His pitch wasn't the cutter, it was an average fastball, not much different from the twins . I hit it perfectly up the middle .
As the ball was fielded by the center fielder, only Noah was clapping and cheering for me . Everyone else just seemed focus on the next pitch .
Garret started to work, throwing pitches around the strike zone and at various speeds . I easily sent them to the same spot over and over .
"Can you hit it anywhere else?" The coach approached me at the batters box after the tenth hit .
I looked at Noah . He was the one that told me to hit it there . Was there somewhere else I should hit to?
Noah jogged over . "Sorry Coach, that's where I told him to hit it to . "
"Are you saying he can hit anywhere he wants?"
"Within reason I suppose . " Noah answered . "I've seen Jake bat in The Cages . He likes to hit in the same spot over and over . Just like how he can do continuous fouls . He's like a machine, right?"
Chapter end
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