The Hit of a Lifetime

There’s a time in everyone’s life that defines them, a time where there is a choice to seize the moment and make it yours or let the moment pass you by. My defining moment was an unsuspected two-day challenge of mental, emotional, and physical stamina in my athletic life. It’s the moment that I will never forget and one of which most athletes can only dream. My defining moment is a once in a lifetime happening in a lifetime event. A moment in which I never dreamed would become a reality.
My sophomore year of baseball was going great. I was starting varsity at second base and contributing to my team in any way. I was doing what I needed to do. Our team was a force to be reckoned with in this state, and we knew it. Our first test was the MSAC championship game, a home game. The cards were laid out great for us. We were hosting Princeton High, who later became the 2012 state champions. The day came, but we only played a few innings before the skies unleashed on us with rain and lightning. The players, coaches, umpires, and a few dedicated fans tried to wait out the storm. We waited until around 11:30 p.m., when the umpires decided to postpone the game until the next day.
The agony of waiting can play mind games with you. All night and all the next day, you wait and anticipate that championship game. The time finally came, and Mother Nature was finally a baseball fan. The skies were a beautiful blue, the sun shining perfectly, and even a few birds chirping. You could smell baseball in the air. The game started and went back and forth many times. At this point, we were taking anything we could get, scraping and clawing for any type of spark.
As the game went on, our endurance was tested, and the score was tied at the end of the 7th inning. Our first extra inning we fought on to keep the score tied. We were up to bat last, since we were the home team. I got the chance of a lifetime, a moment that could define my rather short life up until then. I came up to bat with