Clutch, adj.: to be successful in a crucial situation.

This was it. The bottom of the ninth. The game on the line. The score 2-0. We were losing, and I was up to bat. Two outs, bases loaded. This was the game that would either propel us farther into the postseason, or it would eliminate us and let the Legends advance to the next round. This was clutch time. I am Mr. Clutch.

It was the Lightning against the Legends. This was the championship game of the Fort Bend ISD Baseball Postseason. The Legends had beaten the Rangers 11-3 to get to this point. We had beaten the Ripken Orioles in extra innings 9-7. Winner would advance to the USA 5A National Tournament. Loser goes home.
It started off well for us, the Lightning, with us getting bases loaded in the bottom of the first. I was on second, and my friends, Nicholas and Jesse on first and third. But it all fell apart when the Legend’s pitcher came back to strike out the next two batters, and then getting the third out on a deep fly ball to the warning track.
The Legends would get their opportunity in the third inning. The first batter, #27, walked then stole second base, putting him into scoring position. The second batter flew out to deep right, but #27 tagged up and advanced to third. One out. Then after falling behind 3-0 in the count to the third batter, our pitcher - Jackson Bailey, came back to even up the count at 3 balls and 2 strikes. But the Legend’s batter was stubborn. He fouled off Bailey’s next 4 pitches – 2 fastballs, 1 curveball, and 1 slider – pitches that would usually get Bailey the strikeout. But finally Bailey pulled the string on him. Bailey threw a changeup and the Legend’s batter was left flailing for it. Two outs. Almost out of the jam. The next batter hit a shot down the third base line, but Ryan Fuller, our third baseman, was right there and made the diving catch. Three outs. The problem put away.

Our next chance came in the fifth. With a runner on second with one out, Nicholas grounded out to the shortstop and I flew out to center field. Three runners left in scoring position in the game so far. Three runs that could have been scored but weren't. We needed to find a way to score some runs. But as long as we kept it a 0-0 game, we were good for the time being. But that changed in the eighth.

In the top of the eighth we had two outs but then Bailey walked a batter on a 3-2 count. A pitch, which I thought, was a strike but I wasn't the umpire. Bailey was then taken out following the walk. Replacing Bailey was our closer, Jason Thomas. But on the first pitch to the first batter he faced, he gave up a two-run home run. We would finally get the last out. But the damage had been done we were losing.

This was it. Clutch time. Bases loaded, two outs, and the score was 2-0. I saw the pitch come. I swung and felt the bat hit the ball hard and the ball soared into the air.