Chapter 21 — The Last Three Outs
The Dodgers jogged onto the field with a one-run lead.
Parents stood.
Coaches paced.
The sun dipped low, turning the field gold.
This was it.
The final inning.
Three outs away from their first win.
Zach walked toward the mound, glove tucked under his arm.
His heart thumped steadily—
not from fear, but from responsibility.
Tyler crouched behind home plate, his chest puffed out like an overconfident pigeon.
"Okay, Zach. Deep breath. We end this. We end it RIGHT NOW."
Zach nodded.
Behind them, the rest of the team spread across the field—tense, ready, believing for the first time.
The system chimed softly.
Ping.
"Team Link Active."
Confidence Levels:
Tyler: ⚡ High
Blake: ⚡⚡ Very High
Bryan: Low but rising
Emma: Steady
Noah: Scatterbrained excitement
Outfield: Mixed but determined
"Objective: Get 3 Outs. Win the Game."
Zach whispered,
"Let's finish this."
Batter #1 — The Speedster
The first Foxes player stepped in.
Small.
Fast.
The kind that bunt or slap hit.
Tyler signaled low-and-outside.
Zach wound up—
Pitch 1:
BUNT.
The ball rolled softly toward the third-base line.
Noah sprinted from third—
scooped—
fired to first—
OUT!
The ump shouted loudly,
"ONE!"
The crowd erupted.
Emma clapped her glove.
Tyler fist-pumped so aggressively he almost fell over.
Zach exhaled slowly.
"One out," he whispered.
Batter #2 — The Power Swinger
The next batter was bigger.
Stronger.
The type who could tie the game with one good swing.
Tyler crouched, grimacing.
"Mixed pitches. Keep him off balance."
Zach inhaled.
Pitch 1:
Fastball.
Strike.
Pitch 2:
Curveball.
Foul.
Two strikes.
The crowd grew loud—
cheering, screaming, stomping.
Tyler called,
"High and outside! MAKE HIM CHASE!"
Zach nodded.
He wound up.
Released—
The batter swung wildly—
STRIKE THREE!
The parents LEAPED to their feet.
"THAT'S TWO!!" a dad yelled.
Tyler threw his hands up, shouting,
"MY PITCH CALLS ARE GENUIS AGAIN!"
Zach smiled.
Two outs.
Only one left.
The Dodgers inched closer to the dugout—
to victory—
to something big.
The system chimed:
Ping.
"Final Batter Approaching."
Threat Level: HIGH."
Zach's breath caught.
He knew who was coming.
Batter #3 — The Cleanup Monster
The Foxes' cleanup hitter stepped up.
The biggest kid.
The same one who almost hit a home run earlier.
Tyler whispered,
"Oh no… him."
The boy slammed his bat on the plate.
He looked like he could eat fastballs for breakfast.
Zach steadied himself on the mound.
Tyler crouched, mask low.
"Listen… don't try to overpower him. He LOVES fastballs. Mix speeds. Hit corners. And, uh… please don't let him destroy my face."
Zach nodded calmly.
The entire field seemed to hold its breath.
Pitch 1
Zach wound up—
Released—
POP.
Strike on the inside corner.
The crowd cheered wildly.
The batter didn't react.
He only adjusted his grip.
Pitch 2
A curveball.
The batter didn't swing.
"BALL."
Tyler muttered,
"He's waiting. He's smart. Ugh."
Pitch 3
Fastball high.
The batter CRUSHED it—
CRACK!
A towering shot into deep left field.
Jaden sprinted back.
Bryan ran from center.
The crowd gasped—
The ball soared—
fell—
dropped—
and landed just foul by three feet.
Tyler fell backward in relief.
"I SAW MY LIFE END."
Zach's heart pounded.
The batter smirked.
He knew he almost tied the game.
Pitch 4
Tyler put down the fingers.
A risk.
A BIG risk.
A low changeup.
Zach swallowed.
Then nodded.
He wound up.
Released—
The ball slowed—
dropping late—
a perfect offspeed pitch—
The batter swung too early.
CRACK.
A slow roller toward shortstop.
Zach spun.
Emma charged in like a lightning bolt—
SCOOP.
THROW.
The ball sailed clean to first base.
OUT!
The ump shouted,
"THREE!!!"
The crowd ERUPTED.
The Dodgers screamed.
Parents screamed.
Tyler ripped off his mask, sprinting toward Zach.
Zach blinked once—
processing—
then Tyler tackled him to the dirt.
"WE WON! WE WON! WE ACTUALLY WON!"
Emma threw her glove in the air.
Bryan did a tiny victory hop.
Noah threw himself onto the dogpile.
Micah tripped and fell onto the dogpile.
Eli screamed without breathing.
Blake sprinted over, laughing, and pulled Zach up.
"You did it," Blake said, breathless.
Zach shook his head.
"We did it."
System Notification
As the cheers echoed everywhere,
the system chimed louder than ever.
PING! PING! PING!
"Objective Complete: WIN THE GAME."
Reward: Pitching Upgrade."
New Skill: Pressure Control (Basic).
Team Link: Level Up."
Morale Boost: Major."
Zach's heart raced.
They did it.
They actually did it.
Blake's Dad Approaches
As the celebration calmed, the Foxes' team walked away.
The Dodgers gathered near the dugout.
Blake knelt by his gear—quiet again.
His father approached from behind the fence.
Tall.
Serious.
Tensed jaw.
Blake stiffened immediately, hands trembling.
Zach stepped closer, ready to defend him if needed.
But Blake's dad spoke softly.
"…Good hit."
Blake blinked. "What?"
"You hit well today," his father repeated, still stiff and uncomfortable.
"And your pitching… we'll practice."
Blake stared at him, eyes wide.
Not harsh.
Not yelling.
Just… talking.
Zach watched as Blake's emotional bubble shifted:
"…Confused • Hopeful • Hesitant"
Blake whispered,
"…Thanks, Dad."
His father nodded once and walked off.
Blake stood frozen.
Zach placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You did great today."
Blake smiled—small, tired, but real.
"Yeah," he whispered.
"We did."
Coach Gathers the Team
Coach Ramirez blew his whistle.
"DODGERS! Circle up!"
They formed a tight ring.
Coach looked around—
at the smiling faces,
the exhausted players,
the proud eyes.
"You didn't just win a game," he said softly.
"You became a team."
Tyler sniffled dramatically.
"Oh no I'm gonna cry—"
Everyone laughed.
Zach felt warm inside.
Not from the sun.
Not from the system.
From them.
His team.
His friends.