Linus watched from the dugout as his team went down in order, one by one, each batter striking out or grounding weakly to an infielder. It was the first time he had seen the team stumble so early in a game, not even managing to get a single runner on base. The tension was building, thickening the air around him, but he pushed it aside, reminding himself that this was only the first inning. They had plenty of time to get back on track.
As their turn at bat ended, the team jogged out onto the field to begin the bottom of the first inning. Linus headed to his spot at shortstop, glancing over to see Elias jogging beside him.
"Their pitcher is pretty good, huh?" Elias muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice.
Linus nodded, but a sly smile crept onto his face. "Yeah, I guess so," he replied casually, adding with a grin, "But I'm just saying, I wouldn't have gotten caught looking on a strike three, but that's just me though."
