So funny story, this story is actually based on one of the games that me and my company played just a few weeks ago. They annihilated us. Basically everything that I wrote in this story is what happened to us in our softball game... *awkward silence*

I know that baseball games aren't exactly super fun to read, but I hope that you can make it through? :D

Anyway...I hope it works out!

Characters aren't mine.

"Okay guys, we got this!" Jack said enthusiastically to his team around him. Mac, Riley, and Bozer looked quasi-excited for Jack's sake, though they knew how bad their team was. Being good spies did not equal being good at sports. The ump called out for the game to start, and the Phoenix team took the field. They were home, meaning outfield first, batting last.

"'Kay guys, play's on first!" Jack called out from the pitcher's mound as the first batter for the NSA Listening Post Number 27 stepped up to bat. Jack waited for the batter to compose himself, and when the ump pointed at Jack, the older agent tossed the ball underhanded, putting it perfectly over home plate. The batter swung and connected, and the ball sailed up and into the outfield.

Mac looked up, grateful the sun was behind him so that he didn't have the light shining in his eyes, but he knew even as he ran back towards where the ball was headed, it wouldn't have mattered where the sun was, because that ball sailed over the fence, landing on the other side and bouncing a few times before coming to a rest. Mac finally slowed to a stop as he reached the fence, putting his fingers through the links and staring at the ball, leaning his head against the fence as well. The blond turned back towards the infield, watching with dead eyes as the batter jogged around second, heading to third and rounding the base before heading home.

Well this game is starting off well.

0-0-0

"Catch it Mac, catch it!" Jack yelled as Mac booked it in the outfield. The blond ran for the ball, watching it get closer and closer to the ground, and he worried for a minute that he wasn't going to get to it in time. He did however, and he had a solid feeling of satisfaction course through his body as he stuck his mitt out, letting the ball fall into it before snapping his mitt closed, trapping the ball inside. Mac didn't have time to relish the satisfaction of the catch though, because he had to throw the ball to first, where Thornton was waiting for her runner to tag up.

Mac wound his arm and pointed his mitt in the direction he wanted to throw, pulled his right arm back and threw the ball, watching it race the runner towards first. Thornton had to lunge to the side to catch the ball, and the runner got back to first safely.

"Safe!" the ump called out as Thornton threw the ball back to Jack. As the next batter was getting up to bat, Mac looked at the field. There were players on every single base, and the NSA Listening Post Number 27 had gone through their lineup already; they were still only in the top of the first inning. A quick look at the scoreboard showed Mac what he already knew, though was hoping had changed for Phoenix's favor since the last time he looked.

The score was 15-0, and the ball Mac had just caught was Phoenix's first out.

"Way to stop it, guys!" Jack called out, still trying to sound as enthusiastic as he could. "We got this! One down, play's on any base!"

As the next batter walked up, Mac took in his build; the guy was pretty lean and built. MacGyver knew that he was going to be a heavy hitter, so he began jogging backwards, getting as close to the back gate as he could.

Jack pitched the ball, but it was a little to the outside. "Ball," the ump called.

"You got this, Jack!" Mac called from the outfield, trying to encourage his friend. The next ball sailed over home plate and the batter swung, but it was a little too late, and he missed the ball entirely.

"Strike!"

"Nice pitch, Jack!" Mac called out. As Jack tossed the ball again, Mac quickly calculated the height the ball would cross home plate at, and he watched the batter swing, almost in slow motion. The bat came around and connected with the ball, and Mac was already moving, running towards left field as the ball bounced on the grass. After the second bounce, Mac held out his mitt and stopped the ball, but as he looked to the infield, he saw that the first two runners had already gotten home, while the last two were just round second and third.

Mac took a split-second to take a deep breath before he threw the ball as hard as he could towards home plate and Bozer's waiting catcher's mitt. Bozer stood as close to the base as he could without being in the way, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the ball. The small object slammed into his mitt and he quickly got down, tagging the runner's leg as she tried sliding into first, successfully getting her out.

"Bozer, watch the runner!" Jack called out as he ran to cover third in case Riley wasn't able to catch it. Bozer looked up and saw the last runner heading back to third, while Riley stood there waiting. Bozer ran forward a few steps before tossing the ball underhand to his friend, and by some miracle, she caught the ball before the runner got back. She tapped him on the shoulder before he could touch the base, getting Phoenix their third out. Everyone jogged back to the dugout and looked at the batting lineup.

"Okay guys, we got this," Jack said encouragingly. "Don't look at the score; just get out there and do your best, and we're sure to catch up to them! After all, we're a family, and the family that plays softball together-"

"Still loses miserably to the other team," Riley interrupted, drawing a chuckle from the rest of the team, even bringing a smile to Patricia's face.

"Really?" Jack asked, giving Riley a disappointed look.

"What? I'm just being realistic!" she argued.

"Well, could we try for a bit of optimism instead?" Jack asked, looking at the entire team. "Come on, on three!" he said, putting his fist into the middle. "One, two,-"

"Phoenix, get out here!" the ump bellowed from home plate. Anderson, their first batter, quickly grabbed a bat and scurried for the plate. Thornton, who was on deck, grabbed their other bat and stepped outside the dugout, watching the pitcher toss the ball. Anderson let the first two go by, seeing as how one almost beaned him in the head, and the other one would have been hard for anyone under 6'5" to easily bat, but once the third ball was tossed, Anderson saw his chance and he took it. The bat swung around and made contact with the ball, and it flew through the air, just barely into the outfield.

It was a sweet spot. The outfielders were far enough out that they couldn't catch it in the air, and the it was too far for the infielders to run and catch, so it was a mad rush as three or four people ran for the ball at a time, and through all the confusion, Anderson actually managed to make it to second base.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Jack called out with a whoop, giving Anderson a huge, dorky grin and a thumbs up. Anderson gave a small, less-enthusiastic thumbs up as Thornton headed out to bat. Jack stepped out on deck as he called out, "C'mon Patty! You got this!"

Thornton seemingly ignored Jack, which Mac figured she'd gotten pretty good at over the years, and waited for the pitcher to throw the ball. She swung at the first ball that came towards her, smacking it out into center field, but once again hitting it just in a sweet spot that made it impossible for anyone to catch in the air. Anderson made it to third while Thornton stopped at first, not wanting to press her luck by trying to get to second.

"Come on Jack, you got this!" Bozer called out, deciding to give their coach the same encouragement he'd been giving them since the beginning of the game. Jack flashed a grin as he stepped up to bat.

The first ball that came Jack's way was fouled by the agent, arching in the air before dropping to the ground behind the NSA's dugout.

"Foul ball," the ump called, waving his hands to stop the play. He grabbed another ball and tossed it to the pitcher, who weighed it in his hands before he took his pitching stance. The next ball was way too low, putting the count to two all, seeing as how each batter started with a strike and a ball already to help move the game along quicker. As Jack readied himself for the next pitch, Mac surveyed the other team. They all looked athletic, like they all knew what they were doing, and he suddenly felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach as he realized he was up to bat after Riley, who was after Jack.

I've diffused hundreds of bombs, faced terrorists, been tortured, and I've been fine through it all. Why on earth am I all of a sudden feeling anxious about hitting a ball with a metal stick?!

He stopped trying to reason why he felt anxious as the next ball was pitched, and Jack swung the bat. There was the sweet sound of the bat striking the ball, and the ball popped into the air. Thornton and Anderson stepped off their bases as they watched the ball fly into the air before beginning its descent. Mac's mouth slanted in sympathy as he watched one of the girls in the outfield get underneath the ball and catch it in their mitt, getting Jack out. Thornton and Anderson both tagged up on their bases, and the ball was tossed back to the pitcher.

"Hey, good hit man," Mac said as Jack trudged back to the dugout and Riley jogged to home base. Jack merely grunted in response, and Mac felt bad for his partner. He couldn't feel sorry for too long though, because Riley hit the ball and got to first base, and suddenly it was Mac's turn. Anderson jogged back to the dugout to the congratulations that awaited him for scoring their first point, but Mac focused instead on the pitcher in front of him. He heard Jack yelling encouraging things at him, but he wasn't able to make out the words as the pitcher pitched the ball at Mac.

The blond judged the distance and guessed that it would be a little high, but he was wrong. "Strike!" the ump called out, drawing an argument from the Phoenix dugout.

"A strike?!" Mac heard Jack ask incredulously. "How tall is he? LeBron James' height?" Mac chuckled as he swung at the next ball, tipping it and sending it flying backwards.

"Way to make contact," Bozer yelled from the dugout.

"Trust your gut, Mac!" Jack yelled. Mac had been about to tune his team out, but Jack's call made him pause. As the pitcher began winding up for his next throw, Mac realized Jack was right; he needed to stop trying to bat by figuring out the stats and logistics of the bat and ball, and instead trust his gut on when to swing.

That moment of trust came sooner than he was expecting as the pitcher released the ball. Mac swung, certain that he was going to miss it, only to feel the ball connect solidly with the meat of the bat, sending the ball sailing into the outfield.

"Go, go, go, go!" Jack yelled from the dugout, jumping up and down as Thornton rounded third and made it home, and Riley made it to third. Mac made it around to second, and he watched as Violet, one of the other girls on the team stepped up to bat. She hit the ball, which landed just outside infield, and Riley booked it home. Mac stayed on second base though, knowing that if he tried to make it to third he would be out for sure.

He watched Riley jog into the dugout, then looked at the scoreboard. The score was now 15-3, and they only had one out.

"Come on Bozer," he called out as he watched his roommate step up to bat. The newest agent readied himself, and he swung at the first ball that was pitched to him, making decent contact. MacGyver knew he had to run, so he took off, jumping over the ball as it bounced on the ground.

The man at shortstop caught the ball before it could go into the outfield, and he tossed it to the second baseman who got Violet out. Mac had rounded third base to go home, but he saw the second baseman toss the ball to first base, and the bag was touched before Bozer could reach it, getting them their third out. Mac stepped on the base anyways, as if to spite the scoreboard. Someone tossed him his mitt from the dugout, and after he caught it, he headed back to the outfield.

The next inning was basically the same as before: complete and utter annihilation mixed with a good dose of humiliation. The NSA Panthers managed to bring the score up to 19 before Phoenix got their first out, and then they got two more points in before the third out was called.

When the Phoenix Foundation went up to bat, they somehow got two more points added to their score before they got three outs, making the score 21-5. Mac grimaced as they headed back to the outfield. The timer read seven minutes left in the game, and he knew that even though they had last bat, there was no way they were going to be able to catch up. He knew Jack was trying to keep the optimism alive, and so for his friend's sake, Mac ran to the outfield and tried to make it seem like he was enthusiastic about it.

The first person up to bat smacked the ball into the outfield, and as Mac looked up and ran for the ball, he realized he might actually be able to catch it. He got underneath the ball and held his mitt up, and he felt the ball smack into the netting on his glove, and he immediately closed the leather around the ball. There was a whoop from Jack at the pitcher's mound, and Mac couldn't help but return the ecstatic grin that his partner was giving him.

"Nice job, bud!" Jack yelled as Mac threw the ball back towards the pitcher's mound. The blond gave a thumbs up to his partner and readied himself as the next person got up to bat. Mac immediately backed up, seeing it was the person from the beginning, who had hit the ball over the fence on the first try. History was not to repeat itself, though, because when Jack pitched the ball, the man hit it alright, but his hit was a little off, and it sent the ball bouncing towards third base. Riley caught the ball and took a breath, steadying herself before she threw the ball to Thornton, who caught it and tagged the base, getting that runner out. Mac could see Jack's grin from way out in the outfield, and he chuckled as he scooted in a little closer. The next hitter got up, and she stared Jack down as she lifted the bat, preparing to swing.

Jack tossed the ball, but it was too far to the outside, and the girl didn't swing. Bozer tossed the ball back to Jack, who prepared to pitch again. When the ball sailed towards home plate this time, the girl made contact with the ball, but she froze in horror and time seemed to slow down as the small object, travelling at probably sixty miles an hour or more, whizzed towards Jack's head.

Mac's eyes widened, and he worried about the brain damage his friend was going to suffer, but his mouth dropped open as Jack's mitt seemed drawn like a magnet upwards, catching the ball so quickly that almost no one believed it. The girl had dropped the bat and covered her mouth with her hands, exclaiming how sorry she was, but Jack simply looked at the ball in his glove with surprise for a moment before holding it up like a trophy. That seemed to break the spell, and the Phoenix team ran in, preparing to get their last batting in before the game was finished, and as everyone ran in, they all shouted and congratulated Jack for not dying from a softball injury to the head.

"I think it woulda helped your looks a little," Riley jabbed at the older man jokingly. Jack growled and pretended like he was going to reach for her, but she skipped out of his reach as she went up to bat.

"My looks are fine, thanks," he called out to her. She raised her eyebrows and nodded in mock belief before preparing to swing. She hit the ball and got to first, and then it was Mac's turn.

He got up to bat, holding the bat like it was a lifeline as he waited for the pitcher to throw the ball. The moment seemed right, and when Mac swung, he hit the ball alright. Straight into the mitt of the first baseman. Riley was able to quickly tag up before being called out, and she shot Mac a sympathetic look as he made his way back to the dugout. Violet went up to bat next, and as she swung at the ball, she fouled it and sent it in the air.

"Don't catch it, don't catch it, don't catch it," Jack muttered as he watched the catcher run after the ball while it was in the air, then cursed quietly as the ball was indeed caught. Jack sighed and looked at Bozer, who was next up to bat. "Alright Boze," he said. "This is it. You can either bat well enough to become a hero, or you see yourself become the villain," he said, changing the Batman quote to fit their needs.

"Oh thanks man," Bozer complained. "No pressure at all!"

"Nope! Get out there," Jack ordered. Bozer shot Mac a worried look as he made his way to home plate, and Mac tried to give his friend a reassuring smile, but he didn't think it worked. The entire team knew they were going to lose, so they all knew no matter how Bozer batted wouldn't make a difference.

Everyone could tell Bozer was nervous, and it definitely affected his batting. He swung at the first ball and tipped it, sending it sailing towards Phoenix's dugout. Jack ducked out of the way of the ball, narrowly avoiding having his head beaned once again.

"Hey, that's okay Boze!" Jack called out. Bozer's mouth slanted in slight annoyance at Jack, but he quickly turned his attention back towards the pitcher, who was winding up to throw again. The ball sailed towards Bozer, and he swung again, connecting solidly with the ball this time and sending it just barely into the outfield.

"Come on, run!" Jack yelled as he saw the outfielders scoop up the ball and prepare to throw it to first. "Go as far as you can, Ri!" Jack yelled, hoping they might be able to get at least one run in. It was a vain hope, and he knew it as Bozer barely missed touching the base before the first baseman caught it. Jack rubbed his hand over his face, trying not to show his disappointment.

"C'mon," he said as Bozer and Riley got back to the dugout. "Let's go congratulate the other team."

Despite the sound whopping they'd taken, the Phoenix team was cheerful and very good sports when they went forward and shook the hands of the other team.

Once that was done, everyone turned and made their way off the field to make way for the next team, and Mac took one last look at the scoreboard. 21-5.

Jack looked around at all the faces of his teammates. "Hey, don't sweat it guys," Jack said, trying to sound encouraging. "There's always the spring season! We'll get them then."

Haha but Jack...we all now know that didn't happen... XD

So uh...what did you guys think? Boring? Dull? OOC? Okay? Let me know! :D