Chapter 25

Aaron called Dave as he and Sean drove to Richmond, the site of the State Tournament. "You'll let me know if the team gets called out?"

"Aaron, Derek and I have got this and Erin has full buy-in. Just keep us updated on the game later today. She's already sent me an email." Her son played for a team that was in the next division down, barely missing the state tournament.

Aaron smiled. "Welcome to my world Dave." Sean laughed. The boys were already at the site, having got a big send off at the high school that morning and riding a coach bus, complete with air conditioning and a bathroom. Coach Bock had arranged for them to have a light practice at a local high school field before heading to the stadium. The team loaded up and headed for the stadium.

Jack, as usual, shared a seat with Zach. Yet Zach sat with his headphones around his ears, hooked up to the iPod shuffle that Zach had bought with Dave's money. A major ear infection seven years earlier, did not allow for him to wear the ear buds like the rest of the team.

While Jack couldn't hear the music, he knew it was part of Zach's pre-game ritual. Yet, the brothers that they were, their ritual was for Jack to lay his head against Zach's chest as Zach pulled his brother into his lap. As Zach started to tap his foot, he pulled the headphones off his ears, hung them around his neck and pumped up the volume on his shuffle. The Hotchner brothers listened to the chorus of Gloria Estefan's Everlasting Love, pointing at each other on the two words. Pete, listening to his own tunes, beamed at the sight.

Tom, the charter bus driver that all the parents had chipped in to rent, pulled into the stadium parking lot. His own son had been through this same experience over twenty years earlier. He had cut the parents a huge discount.

And it was a stadium. Richmond was the home of a Triple-A baseball team. The next step for the players there was the pro league. It was a working professional stadium, complete with staff that was paid, just at a smaller scale.

The Cardinals faced their foes, the Eagles of Winchester in the semi-final at 4 pm. Zach had updated the entire team to the big pitcher's tell of his change-up. And Jake Beckham pitched a two hit beauty, he and Zach completely in synch. Final score: 9-0, with Zach and Pete both clearing the depth of the major league fences, accounting for six of the nine runs batted in. Aaron called Dave with the final update, having kept in touch with him with texts.

Aaron and Sean met up with the boys as they walked out of the stadium to the bus. They all shared hugs. Aaron looked at Jack. "You ready to bunk in with Uncle Sean and me?"

Jack shook his head strongly at Aaron. "I'm part of the team dad and I'm staying with the team."

Aaron crouched down to look his youngest son in the eye, rubbing his shoulder. "Buddy, you make a lot of miles in bed and Zach needs his sleep."

Zach shook his dad off. "Dad, he's right; he's a part of this team and he stays with the team. It's OK. Coach has the rest of the team four to a room. Our room is just Pete, me and JP. We'll be fine," he smiled.

Sean smiled at his brother. "You gonna argue with that?"

"No," Aaron smiled. They gave the boys another hug and the team got on the bus. The team enjoyed a relaxing evening at the hotel in the pool, after spending time at a local mall and getting something to eat. Jack was conked out before Zach and Pete watched the 10 pm broadcast of ESPN's Sports Center. They weren't far behind Jack, with Zach snuggling up to his brother.

The championship game started at one the next afternoon. The Roanoke Red Hawks gave the Cardinals a game. The Cardinals were up 2-1, compliments of Pete delivering a two-out single that scored Zach from second. Zach had laced a double down the left field line, batting in front of Pete.

The pivotal play happened in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Red Hawks, with two outs, had a man on second. The next batter lined a single to Javier Rodriquez in centerfield, who aggressively approached the hit and cleanly picked up the ball on one bounce. He noticed the third base coach waving the runner home and fired a bullet to Zach. Zach had the plate perfectly blocked, in an almost textbook way just as Mike had taught him. The runner came in with a hard slide, knocking the much stronger Zach off his feet with a slide at his ankles. It was by the book and the way Zach slid as well. Zach hung onto the ball, while tagging the runner. The umpire signaled the third out.

Zach came up limping for a second, shaking his left foot out. He handed the ball to the umpire and then ran into the dugout to receive the high fives from his teammates including Jack, as J-Rod did as well.

Aaron texted Dave. Helluva of a play at the plate. J-Rod's throw perfect. Zach had plate blocked. Still 2-1.

The BAU team, back at the office was hanging on every word. As much as Garcia tried, she could not find a live video feed of the game.

The game went to the bottom of seventh inning, with Marquis Washington pitching for the Cardinals. Aaron had texted Dave the score. The old adage held true. You pitch your ace to get to the championship game and then do it by committee, meaning all of your pitchers. And the Cardinals, under Coach Mayer's and Zach tutorship, had the pitchers. A sophomore that Coach Mayer had worked with, along with Zach, both of them seeing his talent, trusted his abilities.

Yet he walked the first runner, and gave up a bloop hit just over over Pete's out-stretched glove to put two runners on, with no outs. Aaron had noticed Zach rising out of his crouch after each pitch, something he normally didn't do; but in the heat of the game, thought nothing more of it, especially when Zach ran out to the mound to get Markey settled.

Zach looked his pitcher in the eye as Coach Mayer came out of the dugout. The state tourney terror showed in Markey's eyes. As Coach Mayer approached, Zach just shook his head at him. Marquis was normally very reliable in this situation and balked at the call.

Coach Mayer took the ball. "I have to trust Zach," he said, looking at Zach. "And you're pitching." Mayer motioned to the dugout to Willie, who jumped up, already in his catcher's equipment. Zach ran into the dugout, got his protective cup out his baseball pants, and threw off his catcher's gear and glove. Grabbing his pitcher's mitt from his bag, he looked at Jack.

"Can you get that back in my bag?"

"Got it Cob; just get 'em."

"Thanks JP," Zach said as he rubbed Jack's helmet, turning his cap to face forward. Zach struck all three batters on a total of twelve pitches, all perfectly called by Willie, remembering Zach's words. "Sometimes, you gotta go fishing Willie," for the three that weren't called strikes. Willie burst out of his catcher's stance with the game winning ball secured in his glove. Zach just pointed at him and grinning broadly, turned to Pete, rapidly approaching from his first base position as the Cardinals shared the tradional "pig pile" on top of each other to celebrate a state championship.

Jack was still in the dugout as the coaches started exchanging handshakes. "Get out there JP!" they happily shouted at him. Sean filmed the video of Jack jumping on top of the pile on his cell and sent it to Dave. The BAU bullpen, with all of them standing around, including Erin, erupted with their own celebration. Garcia had commandeered the feed from Dave's cell and had it on Reid's computer.

After shaking hands with their opponents, all of team acknowledging the hard fought game to the other players, they gathered in the dugout for the traditional award ceremony. As the Red Hawks received the second place trophy, the Cardinal fans joined the entire stadium, as well as the team, in congratulating the Red Hawks for their gutsy performance.

Before the championship trophy was presented, the head of Virginia High School League handed out a special trophy. It acknowledged the student athlete with the best academic scores in the division and announced Zach's name. Aaron and Sean beamed in the stands, along with Haley's folks who were there as well. Jack looked at Pete with a big grin. Zach accepted the trophy and did the photo handshake with the Director. He looked at the trophy and then to the heavens. He raised it in tribute to his mother. Jack broke past the coaches to Zach as he returned to the dugout. Zach scooped his younger brother into his arms and carried him into the dugout. All the coaches were there to congratulate him, while giving Jack's helmet a rub. The BAU team watched a couple minutes later. All of them, now knowing what Zach meant with his last promise to Haley, smiled and wiped tears.

The next video the team received was of Zach and Jack both getting their state champion medallions, hung on blue ribbons around their neck. The next one was of the team getting the championship trophy from Coach Bock. The Cardinals gathered around to look at it as a team for a few seconds, Jack in Zach's arm. Jake, the team captain smiled at Pete and Zach. Pete, being the tallest, grabbed Jack and put him on his shoulders. Jake handed the trophy to Jack to show their fans. Zach and Jake helped him hold it up while Pete turned to the Cardinal faithful. They rocked the stadium with their cheers and applause.

###