Welcome to High School Fall Softball

Thursday was our first game of the season! It was a JV double header, but since our team is slightly smaller than last year, the coaches decided to let everyone but the seniors come. We had 17 girls and we split into two teams, one for each game. Our opponent was Platteview High School, and this is the first year that they have had a High School Fall Softball team. They didn't want to bite off more than they could chew, so they only wanted to play our JV team. They made a big deal about this game. They had a pep band which never happens at a softball game, the mayor of Springfield gave a speech, the school board president gave a speech, they had an announcer announce all of our names (they actually pronounced my name right!), and they had two people throw the honorary first pitches on the new field. Those poor people had no idea what was in store for them.

The first game went on forever. I did not start the first game, I was assigned to the second game. During the second inning alone, we scored about 15 points, which is A LOT for an inning. In the third inning, my coach was coaching third base (the opposite side of the field from our dug out), and he yelled across the field, "OG! Go get warmed up!" I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my glove and visor. My coach likes to creates nicknames, and mine is OG. This started this summer during conditioning. I turned most of my Ogallala t-shirts into cut offs, and I wore them this summer at conditioning, so he started calling me Ogallala. After a few days he decided that Ogallala was too long, so he started calling me OG. He put me in left field, and it was a three-up three-down inning, and the game was over. We won 19-3.

I started the next game in center field. We I was up to bat, I hit a ball in the gap between second base and center field. They tired to throw me out at one, but it was an over throw, so as I rounded first, coach was yelling, "OG! JimmyJohn! JimmyJohn! Get down on three!" This was not the call I was expecting. JimmyJohn means running first to third with out stopping at all or looking at the ball. We usually use this play with our super fast runners who can slide well, not throwers who just plop on the base without sliding properly. But I did it anyway, and surprisingly, I beat the throw to third, so technically, I hit a triple. The next girl up hit a single, and I was able to score. The next time I was up, I was walked to first, and then stole my way around to third. The next girl up was a freshman, and she had a beautiful hit down the third base line, the only problem was, it drilled me in the ankle. I instantly brought my knee up to my chest and clutched my leg. Through tears I looked down and saw that I was in fair territory. Crap. I was called out, and the freshman was given first base. I was scared to let my foot touch the ground; I seriously was about to hop back to the dug out. I slowly dropped my leg and let it touch the ground. The second that I put weight on it, I fell. The first thing that popped into my head after I fell was "Crap, I'm not going to be able to perform at Fall Kickoff with the Dance Team". I got up, and gimped back to the dug out, and after walking on it for the rest of the inning, I was able to go back into the game. I was so angry at myself because the coaches have told us so many times that when we are on third, we need to do our lead off in foul territory. I did, but I wasn't watching the ball when I started running, I just listened for the CRACK sound of contact, so when I started running towards home, I drifted into fair territory, and then when I realized that it was coming straight for me, I tried to jump, but it was too late. Had I been in foul territory, I would not have been called out, and I would have scored. When I got back to the dug out, my coach said, "Stofer, I have a new nickname for you, OG just isn't working for me." I laughed, "Alright was bizarre name could you possibly have come up with this time?" I was a little surprised at his answer, "Big O!" So now, when ever I do something well, he yells, "Atta Girl, Big O! Big O!" (He holds on to the "Ohhhhh" forever. It is annoying.)

We ended up winning that game 16-3. I feel bad for Platteview, they had no idea what was coming. Fall softball so different than Spring ball and traveling teams, and that is what those girls were used to. Welcome to High School Fall Softball, Platteview High School. Enjoy the ride!

P.S. I will be able to perform at Fall Kick-Off, and I have a an awesome bruise! All of us girls on the softball team compare our bruises, and currently mine is the best! :)