Mikey Forney paced back and forth in Holtville’s dirt-laden dugout, his eyes engulfed in an enraged flame.
With the Bulldogs ahead of Sylacauga 7-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the junior was preparing for a save attempt in an elimination playoff game.
kAm“r@249 D2:5 :E H2D >6[ x <?6H :E H2D E:>6[” u@C?6J D2:5] “x 5@ :E 7@C E96D6 8FJD @FE 96C6] %96D6 D6?:@CD[ E96J ?665 2?@E96C H66<] v@E E@ AFD9 E96> E@ E96 ?6IE H66<] (6’G6 8@E E@ <66A A=2J:?8 7@C E96D6 D6?:@CD 6G6CJ 52J 3642FD6 E96J DE2CE65 E9:D E62>[ 2?5 H6’G6 8@EE2 92G6 E96:C 324<D 2== E96 H2J E9C@F89]”k^Am
kAm%96 p88:6D <:4<65 @77 E96 7:?2= :??:?8 3J AFEE:?8 2 >2? @? 7:CDE 32D6 27E6C 2 7:6=5:?8 6CC@C 2?5 25G2?465 9:> E@ D64@?5 H:E9 @?6 @FE @? 2 D24C:7:46 3F?E]k^Am
kAmu@C?6J 2?5 E96 6?DF:?8 32EE6C 32EE=65 E@ 2 b\a 4@F?E] %96 e\7@@E\c u@C?6J 3=6H 2 72DE32== 3J 9:D @AA@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm(:E9 EH@ @FED[ 2?@E96C b\a 4@F?E 2C@D6 2D $J=242F82’D CF??6C 96=5 @? :? D4@C:?8 A@D:E:@?] u@C?6J 3=2K65 9:D 962E6C A2DE 282:?]k^Am
kAmw@=EG:==6 D64FC65 2 f\e H:? :? E96 E9:C5 82>6 @7 :ED 36DE\@7\E9C66 7:CDE\C@F?5 A=2J@77 D6C:6D 27E6C 4@>:?8 324< 7C@> >F=E:A=6 567:4:ED[ 25G2?4:?8 E@ E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 r=2DD dp pw$pp DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:AD]k^Am
kAm“u:CDE @7 2==[ J@F’G6 8@EE2 E:A J@FC 92E E@ $J=242F82[” w@=EG:==6 9625 4@249 $4@EE %F33D D2:5] “%96J’C6 2 G6CJ[ G6CJ 8@@5 E62> 2?5 E96J’G6 8@E 2 =@E @7 6IA6C:6?46] p?5 :E D9@H65] %96J 42>6 @FE C625J E@ A=2J[ 2?5 7@C @FC 8FJD[ E92E’D 3:8] x <66A E6==:?8 E96>[ :7 E96J H2?E E@ 92G6 2 492?46 E@ H:? 2 DE2E6 492>A:@?D9:A 2E E9:D D49@@=[ E96J 92G6 E@ H:? 82>6D =:<6 E92E]”k^Am
kAm%96 qF==5@8D EC2:=65 E9C66 E:>6D :? |@?52J’D 4@?E6DE]k^Am
kAmp 7@FC\CF? 7:7E9 :??:?8 7C@> $J=242F82 AFE E96 p88:6D 29625 d\a[ 3FE w@=EG:==6 @FE7:6=56C qC25J (9:E6 =65 @77 E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 7C2>6 H:E9 2 5@F3=6 E@ E96 =67E\7:6=5 H2==]k^Am
kAm$9@CEDE@A $2> $:=2D 7@==@H65 H:E9 2 5@F3=6 @7 9:D @H?[ 2?5 2 A2DD65 32==[ H2=< 2?5 DE@=6? 32D6 AFE CF??6CD @? D64@?5 2?5 E9:C5 7@C %2??6C !@EED]k^Am
kAmw6 DEF?8 2 8C@F?5 32== @77 E96 8=@G6 @7 $J=242F82’D D64@?5 32D6>2? E@ E:6 E96 82>6]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< :E H2D ;FDE E96>[” %F33D D2:5] “(96? E96J 8@E E96:C 7@FC CF?D[ x D2:5[ ‘vFJD[ H6 8@EE2 2?DH6C 324<] (6 5@?’E 86E E96> 2== 324< E9:D :??:?8[ H6’G6 ;FDE 8@EE2 2?DH6C 324<[ 86E D@>6] v:G6 FD 2 492?46]’ x’== 36 5@88@?6 :7 H6 5:5?’E 2?DH6C 324<] p?5 E92E’D 2== J@F 42? 2D< 7C@> <:5D]”k^Am
kAms@H? 282:? e\d :? E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 D:IE9[ (6DE@? %F33D 6?E6C65 2D 2 A:?49\CF??6C 2?5 E:65 E96 82>6 27E6C $:=2D H2D 42F89E :? 2 CF?5@H? 36EH66? 7:CDE 2?5 D64@?5[ H9:49 96 6D42A65 7C@>] #2?5J s2G:D D>24<65 2 D:?8=6 E9C@F89 E@ 8:G6 w@=EG:==6 2 f\e =625 2?5 D6E FA u@C?6J’D D2G6]k^Am
kAm%96 >@F?5 H2D 2 4@==64E:G6 677@CE 36EH66? 7C6D9>2? sC6J q2CC6EE 2?5 s2G:D :? E96 7:CDE D:I :??:?8D]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 qF==5@8D’ E@A A:E496CD[ %@55 (:=D@?[ H2D F?2G2:=23=6 5F6 E@ 9:D A:E49 4@F?E uC:52J 2?5 s2G:D 925 2 =:>:E65 4@F?E 2G2:=23=6 @? D9@CE C6DE]k^Am
kAmq2CC6EE DFCC6?56C65 ;FDE @?6 CF? :? 9:D 7:CDE 7@FC :??:?8D @7 H@C< 367@C6 6I:E:?8 :? 72G@C @7 s2G:D H:E9 E96 32D6D =@2565 :? E96 7:7E9]k^Am
kAm“w6 82G6 FD 2 8C62E @FE:?8[” %F33D D2:5 @7 q2CC6EE]k^Am
kAmp7E6C w@=EG:==6 6G6?65 E96 D4@C6 2E d\d[ s2G:D 6D42A65 2 32D6D\=@2565 ?@\@FE ;2> :? E96 D:IE9 :??:?8 H:E9 @?=J @?6 CF? @7 52>286]k^Am
kAm%96? 96 82G6 H2J E@ u@C?6J]k^Am
kAmp E9C66\H@C5 D6?E6?46 H2D E96 7:CDE E9:?8 E92E A@AA65 :?E@ u@C?6J’D >:?5 H96? E96 =2DE 32EE6C DHF?8 2?5 >:DD65]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5 :E] x 5:5 :E 7@C >J 3@JD[” u@C?6J D2:5] “x 8@E >J 3@JD E@ E96 ?6IE C@F?5] (6 8@E @FC 3@JD E@ E96 ?6IE C@F?5[ @FC 8C@FA]”k^Am
kAm%96 qF==5@8D H:== A=2J w625=2?5 :? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 E9:D H66<6?5]k^Am