“Gracie, how many times do I have to tell you? Keep your elbow up and your head down!” my grandpa exclaimed as he came up to the fence to pump me up before I was up to bat. My grandpa has been coming to my games for 9 years now so I tend to hear this a lot!

“I will grandpa you just watch. This will be one of the best hits I have ever hit! I can feel it!” I said confidently.

“Ya, ya, you say that all the time and have you ever hit a really good one?” he said with an attitude.

Hmmmmmmm…. I thought.

“No! I didn’t think so,” he said all cocky, “Go out there and take the tips I said and I guarantee you will have an amazing hit.”

“Okay! I will.” I said excitedly.

He headed back to his seat. All this intimidating encouragement was getting me a little off track from the hot and sunny game in Caledonia, Michigan. Come on don’t worry about him. Just do what you can do! one voice was telling me inside my head. Another voice was telling me do what he says, he knows a lot about softball and he is a lot more experienced than you.

Katelyn was up to bat. She hit a nice ground ball down the center. It got past the pitcher and into center field, causing her to get a double. I grabbed my shiny red helmet, which meant the world to me because my cousin had given it to me after she hit her very first home run and she grew out of it. I also grabbed my white and yellow Wilson bat. I was up, my heart was thumping, I was concentrating so much on what my grandpa had told me to do to be able to hit the homerun I have wanted my whole life. I come to think I do better with pressure but on the other hand sometimes I don’t.

I sluggishly and firmly marched up to the plate. I looked at my coach for any particular sign that I was required to know what I was doing at bat. He tapped his nose, immediately after he swiped his hands down his legs. I really did not want it to be a bunt. What do you know…. a BUNT! Seriously! Just what I wanted to bunt. Not! I mean I like to bunt and I’m good at it, but it’s just not my favorite thing to do. I gazed at him weird and he waved his hand for me to step in the batters box.

I stepped in put my hand up politely asking for a minute while I kicked the dirt around so my feet were in a good position to “squish the bug” as my coach would say. This meant to turn my hips, turn my back foot and square up to hit or bunt. The pitcher looked at the catcher for a number which indicated what kind of pitch was needed to be thrown. The pitcher was playing around with the ball in her glove to get her hand situated on the ball to throw the kind of pitch she was signaled to do. She stood up straight on the pitchers mound.

I put my hand down from the minute I took to kick the dirt and I elevated my bat off my shoulder. I put my elbow up and bent my knees. The pitcher rocked back like someone in a rocking chair. That is when I knew to show the bunt. I put my bat out in front of me, bent my knees and squared up to center of the field. She did her wind up, rotated her arm around once and here came the ball. It was high. Super high and slow! I think a turtle could have beat it to home plate. I pulled my bat back and stood up in the batter's box while I watched the ball go over the catcher's head. I stepped out of the box and looked at my coach to see that Katelyn had stole the base with her firebolting speed. Coach touched his nose and put his hands in a fist and clapped them together. That meant hit away. I went up to the batters box. The pitcher waiting for a signal. She rocked back rolled her arm around and here came the ball.

“ Ball” the umpire said.

I looked at coach he put his two pointer fingers out and and twirled them in a circle telling me its the same sign. Once again I stepped in the batters box. I could tell the pitcher was frustrated she couldn't get any good pitches to the catcher. Yet another ball went by.
My coach gave me the take sign. I was ready for this. I rose my elbow and watched the ball. It was a perfect strike! I got to hit this I thought to myself. I took a baby step with my left foot and put my big hazel, almost brown eyes directly on the ball and swung, as hard as I could. I hit it! I hit it! I could just feel the ball ricochet off the bat and into the air. It was up and it looked like it was flying away. It was in between centerfield and leftfield. Crap! I totally forgot! I hit the ball! I’ve got to run!

“ RUN! RUN!” the crowd was screaming and standing in their chairs anxious to see where the ball was going to land.

I dropped my bat and ran as hard as I could to first base. I turned like a banana and hit the inside of the base. I was running to second base when I saw all three outfielders running for the ball in the outfield that almost looked like green pastures. I laughed to myself. The leftfielder looked just like Honey Boo Boo. Honey Boo Boo fell! I turned and looked at coach he was yelling, “ Gracie, come on get over here! RUN!!!!”

I turned second and ran to third. He looked undecided….

“ Go home! Go Home! Gotta run fast though!”

I rounded third and ran home! The crowd was silent. Their faces filled with awe. I slipped my left leg under my right leg. I slid into the ground to land on top of home plate.
“ SAFE!” the umpire screamed with amazement.

I stood up and here came my whole team shouting and screaming! I did it! I really did it. I hit a homerun! I couldn’t believe it. I have been wanting one for ever, and I finally hit one.
My grandpa came up to the fence, “ What did I tell you? You did everything I asked and you hit the homerun you and I both wanted you to hit.”

“ I know. I did it! Thank you grandpa!”

The team gathered around me and said, “Good Job Gracie! That was an amazing hit!”
I thanked them with a big big smile on my face!

All that attitude and intimidating encouragement my grandpa gave me really did pay off. I kept my elbow back and kept my eyes on the ball, causing me to get a great hit! My heart was filled with joy! I thanked my grandpa over and over. With my grandpa on my side I know that everything is possible and I know that he will encourage me and tell me what I'm doing wrong to fix my mistakes. My very first home run was a success and I know I will have many more to come!