Chapter 20 — The Final Inning
The Dodgers charged into the dugout like they'd just won the World Series.
Bryan—quiet, soft-spoken Bryan—stood frozen in place while the entire team swarmed him, chanting his name.
"BRY-AN! BRY-AN! BRY-AN!"
Bryan's face turned bright red.
He pushed his glasses up and whispered,
"…It just… fell into my glove…"
Tyler hugged him so hard Bryan nearly dropped the glove.
Zach smiled warmly.
"That catch saved us."
Bryan squeaked, "Thank you…"
Coach Ramirez raised his hands, calming everyone down.
"LISTEN UP! We're going into the LAST inning. Down by one. This is it. Every run counts. Every at-bat matters. Let's win this."
The Dodgers went silent.
A nervous, electric silence.
Tyler clapped his hands loudly.
"GUYS. WE CAN ACTUALLY DO THIS!"
Blake stood near the water cooler, staring at the field.
Quiet.
Determined.
When Zach approached, Blake didn't look away.
Instead, he asked:
"…Do you think I can bat again this inning?"
Zach nodded.
"Yes."
Blake swallowed.
"Then I'm not striking out. I'm done being scared."
Zach smiled.
"Good."
Top of the Last Inning — Dodgers Bat
The batting order started with Eli.
Strikeout.
Micah.
Groundout.
Two outs.
The Dodgers' parents groaned.
Tyler covered his face.
"Oh no. Oh no. Oh NO. We can't go down like THIS."
Next up:
Emma.
She stepped into the box calmly.
Pitch one: ball.
Pitch two: strike.
Pitch three—
PING!
A single.
The Dodgers bench ROARED.
Tyler screamed at the sky,
"WE'RE NOT DEAD!"
Next up…
Zach.
The crowd grew louder.
Zach's At-Bat — Pressure Rising
Zach held his bat tight, looking at the pitcher.
The Foxes had switched to their closer:
Big kid.
Hard thrower.
Intense stare.
Zach's system chimed.
Ping.
"Pressure Level: High."
Reminder: Trust your training."
Zach breathed deeply.
Pitch one:
FAST.
High.
"BALL ONE!"
Pitch two:
Fast again.
Inside.
"BALL TWO!"
Zach didn't even flinch.
Tyler screamed from the dugout,
"YES! INTIMIDATE HIM WITH YOUR CALMNESS!"
Blake added quietly,
"You've got this."
Pitch three:
A strike—
A perfect fastball down the middle.
Pitch four:
Curveball.
Zach read it instantly.
He swung.
PING!
A line drive into left field.
Emma sprinted to second.
Zach reached first easily.
Coach shouted:
"GOOD EYE! GOOD SWING!"
The tying run was now in scoring position.
Tyler Steps Up — The Moment He Didn't Want
"TYLER! YOU'RE UP!"
Tyler froze mid-sip of his water.
"ME?!"
Zach nodded from first.
"You earned this. You belong here."
Tyler wobbled toward home plate like a man walking to a job interview he forgot to prepare for.
He tapped the bat on the plate.
"Okay… okay Tyler… don't die don't die don't die—"
Pitch one:
FAST.
Tyler jumped backward, falling onto his butt.
"STRIKE!"
The crowd gasped.
Tyler stood up slowly, brushing dirt off his pants.
"I meant to do that," he whispered to himself.
Pitch two:
Another fastball.
Tyler didn't swing.
"BALL ONE!"
Tyler blinked.
"Wait… that was a ball? I lived?!"
Pitch three:
Fastball.
Middle.
Tyler swung.
PING!
A soft, slow roller toward shortstop.
The shortstop charged—
Emma sprinted toward third.
Zach sprinted toward second.
Tyler sprinted toward first, screaming the entire time.
The throw to first—
SAFE!
Tyler collapsed onto the base, hugging it.
"THANK YOU, BASE. I LOVE YOU."
Zach high-fived him from second.
"That was great."
Tyler grinned.
"…I'm a contributing member of society."
Blake's Turn — Redemption Time
"BLAKE! YOU'RE UP!"
The crowd went silent.
The Foxes' parents muttered.
The pitcher grinned coldly.
Blake stepped into the batter's box.
His father stood behind the fence—
arms crossed, gaze sharp.
Blake inhaled shakily.
His emotional bubble flickered:
"Fear • Determination • Wanting to prove himself • Trying to be brave"
Zach called softly from second:
"You can do it. You're not alone."
Tyler added:
"AND IF YOU MISS, I'LL PRETEND I DID IT!"
Blake's lips twitched upward.
Pitch one:
FAST.
Inside.
Blake didn't swing.
"BALL ONE!"
Pitch two:
Fastball again.
Blake swung too early.
"STRIKE ONE!"
The Foxes' pitcher smirked.
Pitch three:
Curveball.
Dipping low.
Blake ignored it.
"BALL TWO."
Pitch four:
Fastball.
Blake swung.
He missed.
"STRIKE TWO!"
Two balls.
Two strikes.
Bases loaded.
Everyone held their breath.
Blake's dad leaned forward, expression tightening.
Blake's bubble flashed:
"Panic… panic… panic…"
Zach shouted firmly:
"BLAKE. LOOK AT ME."
Blake turned his head slightly.
Zach nodded.
"You're strong. And you're not him. You're you."
Blake's eyes widened.
His breathing steadied.
Tyler yelled,
"AND IF YOU STRIKE OUT WE STILL LOVE YOU!"
Blake choked a laugh.
He stepped back in.
Pitch five.
Fastball.
Middle.
Perfect.
Blake swung—
THWACK!
A deep drive into center field.
Emma scores.
Zach scores.
Tyler sprints toward third like his life depends on it.
The Dodgers dugout ERUPTS.
The scoreboard updates:
DODGERS — 4
FOXES — 3
Blake stood on second base, stunned.
Zach ran to him and hugged him hard.
"You did it!"
Blake whispered, voice cracking:
"…I really did."
Tyler arrived at third and screamed at the sky,
"I AM A GOD!"
System Update — Mid-Game Evolution
As the Dodgers took the field to defend their lead,
Zach felt a new sensation.
A pulse.
A warm glow in his chest.
Then the chime:
PING!
"System Upgrade Triggered."
New Function Unlocked: Team Link (Basic).
You can now sense your teammates' confidence levels in real time."
Zach inhaled sharply.
He could see the whole team's emotional "light":
Tyler — bright and chaotic.
Emma — steady and calm.
Bryan — nervous but proud.
Noah — pumped with energy.
Blake — glowing like a rising sun.
Zach whispered:
"We can win."
Tyler slapped his shoulder.
"I KNOW! LET'S END THIS!"