The Next Pitch

I hadn’t thrown a baseball in months.
It had been even longer since I had swung a bat.
Now I was trying out for the team.
 
I took my first swing since my last season.
Bank! I heard the ball hit my bat.
I had tipped it backward, foul ball.
 
I heard my coach yell, “Keep your eye on the ball.”
Next pitch I made sure to watch it all the way through.
 
I saw my coach get ready to throw me the ball.
I lifted my front leg and got ready to swing.
 
My coach lofted the ball toward me.
My leg came down and my arms pulled the bat in front of the plate.
 
Clank! This time the ball rocketed off my bat.
I felt the vibrate of the bat on my hands as the ball soared toward the back of the batting cage.
A smile crossed my face.
 
First hit of the baseball year,
but just as I pulled the bat back over my shoulder,
 
I had to get ready for the next pitch.