CHAPTER TWO
Wilson and House drove to the ball field. It was PPTH vs. Princeton General tonight. Princeton General had just finished their warm up, and PPTH was taking the field for their turn when Greg and Jim got there. "Hello Mary Lou" was blasting over the PA system. As Lucy and her team went through their warm up, she felt like someone was staring at her. She turned to the stands just as Ricky sang the line:
"Passed me by one sunny day, flashed those big brown eyes my way, and ooh, I wanted you forever more.
(Hello, Mary Lou, Ricky Nelson, Greatest Love Songs).
Greg was watching her; he and Jim were sitting right behind the dugout. They stared at each other and he smiled at her; she could see the blue eyes twinkling. She quickly turned back to the field to finish the warm up. "Get a grip, Mazzelli!" she said to herself. When it was over, she headed back to the dugout.
PPTH was the visiting team. The first batter flied out. Lucy batted clean up. She had two runners bring home. She took a called strike and a ball high and inside. The pitcher went into his windup, and it was her pitch, right down the middle. She swung and drove in two runs. The next two batters left her stranded on second. So the game went. Lucy was batting in the fifth inning with two on and nobody out. This pitcher "hated" her; he always threw at her. Why, you might ask? Lucy could tell you.
Sometimes she liked to show bunt but swing away and foul the pitch off. A couple of seasons ago, she didn't foul the pitch off. Instead, she hit a slow roller to the mound to advance the runner, and the pitcher and catcher both charged after it. They got tangled up in each other and although Lucy should have been an easy out, she ended up safe at first and the tying run on third. Because Lucy had "made" him look silly, ever since then, he tried to throw at her at least once a game when he pitched, but Lucy usually managed to get out of the way.
The count was two and one on Lucy. No outs and runners at the corners. She stepped into the box and got ready for the next pitch. It was a fast ball high and inside. Really inside. Lucy put her arm up for protection and tried to get out of the way, but this time she got hit. Damn! She saw stars and had tears in her eyes, but she was positive nothing was broken and that she was just going to have a big, painful bruise all the way down her arm. The next thing she knew, Greg had come out with the trainer and was examining her arm. His touch was gentle, and there was concern in the blue eyes, but Lucy lost it when he said he wanted her to have it x-rayed because it might be broken. Her temper flared and she pulled away from him, sending another flash of pain through her arm.
"Nothing's broken!" she cried. "Just wrap it up and let me finish the game!" Greg tried to argue with her, but she wasn't having it. The trainer just shook his head; this was typical Lucy and he knew better than to argue with her. If she said she could play, she could play. He wrapped her arm up and she took first base. PPTH eventually won the game, and when Lucy looked up in the stands on her way back to the dugout, Greg and her brother were already gone. She was disappointed and wasn't sure why. Everyone went out for a few drinks, and then she went home.