#11 pitch inning

[dinosaurwithablog]

With only 11 pitches to end the inning, Carlos Rodon is in fire 🔥 He's struck out 9 batters already. You go, Carlos!!! As you can see, the crowd is on their feet and everybody is feeling good!!!

LET'S GO YANKEES!!!!!

[the-physicality]

Red Sox still the only ones to come back from being down 0-3 in a seven game series :)))

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 26 Thoughts: Sam is awkward. Celia is hot.

Yet another guest writer episodes and this time it's Muna Hussen. She' co-creator and producer on The Silt Verses, and produced and acted in I Am In Eskew. The Silt Verses is a show I can wholeheartedly suggest giving a listen. It's great in just about every way a thing can be. I might leave a pitch for it as an addendum. I Am In Eskew is in the forever pile of things I may one day get to. It's a really well written episode too, I liked this one a lot. It is, unfortunately, another pretty explicit one so I don't expect to have a load to say, but that's not the same as it being bad.

Spoilers for episode 26 below the cut.

Celia and Sam's conversation doesn't have a load of note in it. Yes, they're going to meet Helen but that's for later. The important detail here is how Celia categorises her incidents. Which she does with the least effort imaginable. She's not had any misfiles yet which tells me that either those no longer happen or you just need to get it in the right Section. But more importantly than that it's also a good look at just how little she cares about the job. We've all known she's had ulterior motives from her introduction but it's nice to see ways that is reflected.

Much like the last incident there isn't too too much to rip into for what I talk about. I'm not sure the themes of this one speak to any greater connection and the characters are all new as far as I know. Which only really leaves one detail to talk about. The Archivist or, rather, *an *Archivist as that's the more interesting detail. The Archivist here didn't really do much we've not seen before. The forced running isn't to dissimilar to the forced drowning and Jarrod did seem to be mumbling in classic fashion. No statement to be heard as such but that might just be because of the framing. However, unlike previous run ins with an Archivist they're very much aware that they're not the only one. Whether this leads to something more grand or not is hard to say but it's an interesting detail.

Alice is finally up to episode 11 with the plot. More seriously it's nice to see her piecing things together now. I do wonder if that was Chester's point or not. Gwen was a little weird in this interaction IMO. Alice and Gwen shared a fairly major revelation together, that this ties into, but she seems to have distanced herself a lot from that emotionally already. Which isn't out of character but does come a little fast.

Helen is *very *Helen here. I think of all the returning characters she might have changed the least. At least from where she started. It's lovely to see her back, although I do wonder if maybe they're leaning on these characters a little too much at this stage. It's hard to know if this is one-off fanservice or the way of things going forward. I hope it's the latter because the less of the old cast we get the more of the new cast we'll see. There isn't a huge amount to say here but its good to see them getting more information about the Institute. Also, unfortunately Helen is still a tory. Categorically disproving the "these characters are now living their best life" theory. It's all still hell. I'd also include the transcripts note for the laugh but that's a TMA spoiler and probably one person hasn't seen that show. Besides if you know, you know.

Sam and Celia finally fucked. Good for them. Well, bad for them if TMA is anything to go off for couples in this setting. But, y'know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 4463 is pretty normal for this, I think. No major surprises.

CAT# Theory: 1 is a 1. I'll maybe try to write an essay on this before the season ends. No prommies tho.

R# Theory: BC seems about right.

Header talk: Exhaustion (Athletic) -/- Compulsion (Tape). Also very very normal.

I guess I will write that addendum then.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Addendum: Go listen to The Silt Verses.

It's a horror audio drama that's more or less a world where the modern religious landscape is a polytheistic one, with fabricated corporate gods putting pressure on local ones, outlawed religions, and all sorts of fun stuff. But it's a world where religions, fabricated or otherwise, are also powerful and gods do exist and perform miracles. It follows two worshippers of the Trawler Man, and outlawed god, on their pilgrimage up its great black river. As you might expect things don't go smoothly and soon enough there's a man hunt, run ins with cults stranger than theirs, and all sorts of revelations.

The world building is a real high light too. It's just the right level of "this world is horrific yet treated as mundane". It's worth listening just to see how that's all built on.

I rate it a strong prisoners-buried-alive-in-the-foundations-of-new-construction-projects-to-bless-them/10.

[bibibudin666]

hi!! could i please request prompt # 11 with joel miller? thank youuuu :)

Joel Miller x afab!f!reader

Warnings: spit, degradation, cursing, p in v, unprotected, rough. Joel refers to reader with f!pronouns. Calls her “good girl” etc.

Absolutely!! This is my first prompt I've written, I'm so excited eee~

Thank you for requesting, I hope this satisfies your needs! And for the others who have requested I appreciate your patience. Don't worry I'm working on them just please continue to be patient with me.

Thank you to all of those that have requested and if you would like to request check out my prompt list HERE

As always this is 18+ so minors please DO NOT INTERACT!!

This can be read for the video game or show Joel Miller

I love daddy Joel, enjoy~

“Just can’t keep that damn mouth shut now can you?” Joel grunts.

You mewl at his words, his pace was unrelenting. He had you pinned to the nearest wall, a wall you were surprised was still standing. The cracks and holes from the years of abandonment still held together. And the way Joel was fucking you right now couldn’t help it from not falling apart anymore than it already was. 

He was brutal, you had been teasing him all day and he was sick of it. You two were on a regular patrol today, nothing too serious, just regular rounds and fighting off the few infected in the area. But you couldn’t help yourself.

Joel had just looked too good today and maybe you had an extremely vivid dream of him fucking you dumb earlier this morning. So you decided to do what you do best, tease the older man. And oh how it worked so well.

Now Joel has had his fair share of dealing with your neediness, so when you were more clingy than usual he just wrote it off as another day. Tending to it slightly with more lingering touches when he would help you climb up some broken debris or the way he would grab your face to kiss you after you two had close encounters with infected. 

As nice as it was to feel his touch more often, especially the sweet kisses you two shared, you couldn’t lie when you’d tell yourself that you wanted so much more. See Joel may be a grumpy old man yet he knew how to love. But, he knew how to fuck even better. And you were going to do everything in your power to get him to fuck you today, either on patrol or off. 

This is why you’re in the certain predicament you’re in now. His strong arms hold your frame tight as his hips snap into yours. His face buried in the crook of your neck, groaning at the feeling of you wrapped so warmly around his cock. 

You couldn’t stop your moans, the way he kept hitting that one sweet spot had you going wild. You two were alone in an abandoned apartment building, clearing out the infected that you had come across. But Joel knew the ins and outs of the post-apocalyptic world, infected were scattered all over, especially clickers. So the volume in which your moans were at needed to be quieted down immediately. 

Not to say Joel didn’t love the way you called out his name, dumb on his cock as he fucked you raw. But at this specific moment he needed you to do one thing, in which you were doing the complete opposite.

“What did I say about keeping your mouth shut Darling? We’re still outside the base.” He gave you a particularly harsh thrust which caused an even higher pitched moan to leave your lips. 

His hand came up to grab at your jaw, craning your head so you can meet his eyes. He looked bothered, you couldn’t help yourself. How could you help yourself? He was fucking you so good. 

“How ‘bout I make you shut that damn mouth?” 

You whimpered at his words, “S-so sorry Sir-!” 

He squished your cheeks, your lips pursuing as he cut off your words. A smirk adorned his features as he thought about what he was about to do. 

“Open your mouth.” You obey his command, letting your tongue roll out of your mouth as you look up at him with doe eyes. He spits on your tongue, closing your mouth before it dribbles down, “Don’t you dare fuckin��� swallow it, keep that shit in your mouth.” 

The pads of his fingers came in contact with your clit and your eyes rolled to the back of your head. You could feel the familiar build up of your orgasm approaching. You wanted to say something but you didn’t want to disobey his command. Plus Joel knew you were close, he knew every inch and every tick your body had when it came to pleasing you. 

“Such a fuckin’ loud slut, m’glad I could shut that damn mouth.” He grunted. 

He was soon approaching his end, your walls squeezing around him so deliciously. As much as he berated you for being so loud, he was struggling to be quiet himself. His harsh pants against your cheek, your muffled moans with his spit in your mouth. The way his cock would hit your sweet spot and the pads of his rough calloused fingers circling your clit, it was all becoming too much. Before you knew it you were unraveling against him, convulsing at the pleasure and he wasn’t far behind. He spilled his seed into you and fucked it up your hole for a few more thrusts. 

When he was done he didn’t pull out, instead he held your chin. He looks into your eyes and you open up your mouth showing him his spit that was set on your tongue. Along with yours they were mixed together in the filthiest of ways. He grins wildly at you, giving you a slight nod. You swallow it all down and show him your tongue again. 

“Such a good girl.” He mumbles as he presses his lips into yours for a searing kiss. 

He slowly pulls himself out and you whine at the loss of his warmth, already missing him inside you. You were breathless and finally satisfied. The one thing you’ve been fantasizing about all day has finally been given to you. 

“I might have to start annoying you on patrol more often.” You lightly joke, still leaning against the cracked wall for support. 

“Darling if you do that again, spit won’t be the only thing I make you hold in your mouth.” His eyes darken as he spoke. 

As much of a nuisance you were, he wouldn’t mind upping the punishment a bit more the next time you acted up. 

~

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - Not Ready Part 9/12

Part 10 and Part 11 are out on my Patreon!

Readers sister dies in a tragic car accident, leaving reader and her boyfriend Ruben in the urgent custody of her niece and nephew. Readers' life is suddenly flipped upside-down since having children hadn't been the plan for her and Ruben's life together. At least not now, when his football career was reaching great new heights.

Enjoy! 💞

Emmy's birthday party might as well have been her Sweet Sixteen. You were going above and beyond for a little girl who wanted cupcakes, banners and a pink unicorn piñata, while the main theme of the party was, Moana.

Make it make sense.

Nevertheless, all of Emmy's school and football friends were invited. Not to mention Ruben's parents, who were staying in Manchester for the whole week. And your parents, coming all the way from Bournemouth. 

To think that you had the honor to cook for them all. Of course, Laleh was there to give her two cents about it....

"What the hell is a Pastel de Nata?" She said, skeptically squinting her eyes as she read off your grocery list that lay on top of your office desk. You wrote it during your lunch break, hence the sloppy handwriting.

"A Portuguese pastry." You replied. "A traditional tart of some sort. Ruben's mom wants me to bake them for Emmy's birthday."

"Erm...does Ruben's mom know that you can't bake for shit?"

You shot Laleh an evil glare from where you sat behind your desk. "I can bake."

"Erm...no you can't." She snatched up your grocery list and went through all of the entries. "And why not just order catering for the party? There is no way you'll be able to prepare all of these dishes on time. Who would even want to put themselves through that?"

You chuckled. "That's exactly what Ruben said." 

"And he was right. You're way in over your head, Y/N."

You stood from your chair, snatching the list out of Laleh's hand. "So be it. Emmy deserves the best." 

You were very stubborn to make her party as spectacular as it could be. In that way proving to Ruben's parents that you were an eligible mother and wife. After getting to know them over these past few days, it became clear to you that Ruben's parents valued tradition. Especially his mother who was a housewife through and through. Her newest occupation was criticizing your every move, whether it was the way you washed the children's laundry, or what foods you served them for dinner. Just this morning Ruben's mother rolled her eyes at the way you rushed Emmy and Vale out of the house so they would not be late for school. What else were you supposed to do? Perhaps it was the fact that you had a career that fueled her resentment? Ruben's mother probably thought that you'd never be able to handle motherhood while juggling a career. Meaning you wouldn't be a suitable wife for someone like Ruben.

You'd prove her wrong, alright. Starting with this damn birthday party.

********************************************

"Fuck!"

Ruben slammed his fist hard against a passing wall. He felt it throbbing as the players made it through the tunnel back to the locker rooms. 

"You made a mistake man, so what?" Said Bernardo. Ruben's only teammate that dared to address him in his state of anguish. The other players did best to stay away.

"It cost us the game, Bernardo. Against Chelsea of all teams."

Bernardo couldn't argue with that. City blew an important match win. One that would've shot the team to the top of the tables. All of it had been lost in the hands of Ruben and his terrible defense.

"I blame the pitch." Bernardo nodded. "You slipped and fell because Stamford Bridge is a shit stadium."

Ruben did not return Bernardo's cheeky smile, although he was thankful for his friend's attempt to cheer him up. But when Ruben got like this it could take hours, sometimes days before his mood was restored.

"Hey." Bernardo nudged Ruben's shoulder. "At least we get to celebrate something this afternoon. Ines picked out the cutest pair of cleats as our gift for Emmy's birthday. Guess what color the shoes are."

Ruben shrugged his shoulders and let out a low grunt. He was not in the mood to play games.

"Pink! They're pink." Bernardo exclaimed. "I must say that fatherhood has made these things exciting for me."

"Right, right." Ruben could lie and say that he felt the same way, but in reality he couldn't care less about a pair of pink cleats. No matter who they belonged to.

The team bus arrived back in Manchester just as the sun was setting low over the city sky. Right now you would have your hands full entertaining a dozen sugar induced children. Just the thought of them running around in the apartment made Ruben dread the idea of going home.

"I'll see you in a bit." Bernardo said, as they stepped off the team bus parked outside of the Etihad stadium.

"Yeah, whatever man."

What should have been minutes turned into an hour. Ruben drove the long way home, meaning his Porsche circle around the city, giving the environmentalists another reason to hate him.

"Hello? Ruben?"

Just as he came around the block your name popped up on the car dash. It did occur to Ruben that he would hear from you sooner or later.

"Yes, babe. I'm late and I'm sorry."

"Is everything alright? Are you on your  way?" Children were heard shouting in the background, causing Ruben to rub the side of his already aching temple. He tried to solemnly focus on your voice. You sounded worried, something he never intended to do. "I got a bit worried when Bernardo and Ines showed up before you did." You chuckled nervously, striking something within Ruben's chest.

"I'm right around the corner, baby. I'll be home in a minute."

"Okay. Emmy has been asking about you. We saw the game. I know you must be upset....."

"I'm not—" Just the mention of the game triggered something that an hour car ride had managed to cool down. Ruben's grip around the steering wheel tightened. His knuckles turned white. Your end of the line had fallen silent, perhaps hearing the straining in Ruben's voice. He released the grip he had  around the steering and sighed. "I'll be home in a minute baby, don't worry."

"I love you." 

"See you soon. Bye."

Read full chapter and more on my Patreon

[hetalia-club]

Tsunami Titans vs. Freedom Fighters- Inning 9/9

Blue text Freedom Fighters at bat- link to their team and positions Orange Text Tsunami Titans at bat- link to their team and positions Pink Text = my commentary Inning 1 link Inning 2 link Inning 3 link Inning 4 link Inning 5 link Inning 6 link Inning 7 link Inning 8 link Inning 9 link

(Game is completely generated using the stats, characters, traits and abilities given to them by me that I've already shared with you, I do NOT know the outcome ahead of time and I am simply adding my own commentary along side the generated innings. It is generated one inning at a time. Whoever've wins will be just as much as surprise to me)

Announcer Voice:

Welcome back, baseball and Hetalia fans! The score is 11-10 in favor of the Tsunami Titans after a thrilling sixth inning. The Freedom Fighters have closed the gap, and it looks like we’re in for an exciting finish. We have a lineup change for the Tsunami Titans: Canada is being pulled from the game, and Iceland will be taking over at first base, batting fifth. Let's see how the seventh inning unfolds! Looks like Japan does not want to risk anymore errors on the field tonight.

Score going in- 11-10 favor of Japan's team.

Ninth Inning:

Welcome back, baseball fans! We’re heading into the ninth inning here at the Uzumaki Dome, and what a game it has been! The Tsunami Titans have taken a thrilling 11-10 lead after an explosive eighth inning. But the Freedom Fighters are not out of it yet. Get ready for an unforgettable finish!

Top of the Ninth Inning:

Leading off for the Freedom Fighters in the top of the ninth inning is Romano, wearing number 16 and playing first base. He’s looking to start a rally.

Romano vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan starts with a fastball at 92 mph. Romano swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Next pitch is a curveball at 78 mph. Romano watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Japan throws a slider at 85 mph. Romano connects and sends a line drive to left field at 105 mph. Spain runs in but can’t get to it! Romano is on with a leadoff single! "A great start for the Freedom Fighters!" Nice on base by Romano.

Next up is America, the star player now playing center field. He’s had a fantastic game so far.

America vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan delivers a fastball at 93 mph. America swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 92 mph. America fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a curveball at 79 mph. America connects and sends a towering fly ball to deep left center field at 110 mph. It's going, going, gone! Home run, America! "The Freedom Fighters take the lead, 12-11! What a shot!" That brings in Romano and America. America and Romano repeat their celebratory hand shake from they did last inning.

Now, we have Germany, number 85, playing right field. He’s looking to keep the momentum going.

Germany vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 91 mph. Germany swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: A curveball at 78 mph. Germany watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a slider at 84 mph. Germany connects and sends a grounder to shortstop at 99 mph. Prussia fields it cleanly but throws wide to first! Germany reaches safely on the error! A great hit by Germany!

Next up is Ireland, number 22, playing second base. He’s got the heart and hustle to make things happen.

Ireland vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. Ireland swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph. Ireland fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a changeup at 80 mph. Ireland connects and sends a line drive to right field at 105 mph. France dives but can't make the catch! Germany advances to third, and Ireland is on first! a nice routine hit by Ireland.

Now, Sweden steps up, number 92, playing left field. Let’s see if he can capitalize on this opportunity.

Sweden vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan delivers a fastball at 92 mph. Sweden swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: A curveball at 79 mph. Sweden watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Japan throws a slider at 85 mph. Sweden connects and sends a high fly ball to deep center field at 108 mph. Scotland is back, back... and it's gone! A three-run home run for Sweden! "The Freedom Fighters extend their lead to 15-11! What a swing!" a terrific clean up there by Sweden! Japan needs to be careful with feeding them easy hits like this.

Next up is Italy, the pitcher. He’s looking to get on base and get things moving.

Italy vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. Italy swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph. Italy fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a changeup at 81 mph. Italy connects and sends a grounder up the middle at 95 mph, and it gets through for a base hit! Italy is on first with a single." That would have been an out for anyone else but with teh fastest player in the league you got to really hustle if you want to get him out on those.

Now, Denmark, number 69, steps up to the plate. He’s been solid all game.

Denmark vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 91 mph. Denmark swings and misses. "Strike one!"

And Italy is off! He’s stealing second! The throw from Turkey... not in time! Italy steals second base! What a steal by Italy! I don't think I would have risked it but that is what he's out there to do.

Pitch 2: A curveball at 78 mph. Denmark watches it go by. "Ball one."

Japan throws the ball behind him and checks Italy at second. Looks like he has him shaken up. Italy is still safe on second.

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a slider at 84 mph. Denmark makes contact, a grounder to third base at 97 mph. China fields it cleanly and throws to first. "Out number one! Italy holds at second." Nice play by China and Iceland!

Next up is Russia, number 27, playing catcher. He’s had a big hit tonight already.

Russia vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan starts with a curveball at 78 mph. Russia watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 2: A fastball at 91 mph. Russia swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a slider at 84 mph. Russia connects and sends a grounder to shortstop at 99 mph. Prussia fields it cleanly and throws to first. "Out number two!"

Next up is England, number 04, playing third base. Let’s see if he can drive in Italy.

England vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. England swings and connects, sending a high fly ball to left field at 107 mph. Spain runs back, back... and it’s over his head! England rounds first and heads to second as Italy scores! "The Freedom Fighters extend their lead to 16-11!" Nice RIB by England!

Next up is Romano, number 16, playing first base. He’s looking to keep the rally going.

Romano vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. Romano swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph. Romano fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a curveball at 79 mph. Romano connects and sends a line drive to left field at 105 mph. Spain runs in but can’t get to it! England rounds third and heads home. The throw... not in time! England scores, and Romano is on second! "The Freedom Fighters extend their lead to 17-11!" Another run batted in!

Next up is America, the star player of their team. We've come up on this exact face off twice now. America at bat, and Romano on base. Let's see if third times a charm.

America vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan delivers a fastball at 93 mph. America swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 92 mph. America fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a curveball at 79 mph. America connects and sends a line drive to deep right field at 110 mph. France runs back... and it’s gone! Home run, America! "The Freedom Fighters extend their lead to 19-11! What a performance!" Amazing another home run by America! You do not want to let this man get a piece of that ball! Japan does not look happy about that one. America and Romano doing their handshake at home plate after a very dramatic around the plate walk by America, he really took his sweet time.

Now, Germany steps up again, number 85, playing right field. He’s looking to keep the momentum going.

Germany vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 91 mph. Germany swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: A curveball at 78 mph. Germany watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a slider at 84 mph. Germany connects and sends a grounder to shortstop at 99 mph. Prussia fields it cleanly but throws wide to first! Germany reaches safely on the error!" It's not looking good for our home team. They seem to be feeling the pressure from those last runs. They need to keep their nerves in check and just focus on fundamentals.

Next up is Ireland, number 22, playing second base. He’s been reliable all game.

Ireland vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. Ireland swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph. Ireland fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan delivers a changeup at 80 mph. Ireland connects and sends a line drive to right field at 105 mph. France dives but can't make the catch! Germany advances to third, and Ireland is on first!"

Now, Sweden steps up again, number 92. He hit a home run earlier this inning.

Sweden vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan delivers a fastball at 92 mph. Sweden swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: A curveball at 79 mph. Sweden watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Japan throws a slider at 85 mph. Sweden connects and sends a high fly ball to deep left center field at 108 mph. It’s going, going, gone! Another home run for Sweden! "The Freedom Fighters extend their lead to 21-11! What a display of power!" Amazing hit by Sweden! cleaning up the basses again!

Finally, Italy steps up again. He’s looking to add to the total.

Italy vs. Japan:

Pitch 1: Japan throws a fastball at 92 mph. Italy swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 93 mph. Italy fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Japan throws a changeup at 81 mph. Italy connects and sends a grounder to second base at 95 mph. Finland fields it cleanly and throws to first. "Out number three!"

End of the Top of the Ninth Inning:

Freedom Fighters: 11 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors

Freedom Fighters lead 21-11

And that does it for the top of the ninth. Japan did not look happy he was teh first one off the field to teh dug out. They seem to really be feeling the pressure after that home run from America, that set the whole tone of the Stadium into silence. Let's see if Japan and his team can return the call. We have seen them dig themselves out of worse before.

Bottom of the Ninth Inning:

Leading off for the Tsunami Titans in the bottom of the ninth inning is Spain, wearing number 12 and playing left field. He’s looking to get something started.

Spain vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Spain swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Spain connects and sends a towering fly ball to right field at 108 mph. It's going, going, gone! Home run, Spain! "The Tsunami Titans cut the lead to 21-12! What a shot!" And Spain is here to return the call! They are not out of this game yet folks!

Next up is Finland, number 77, playing second base. Let’s see if he can keep the momentum going.

Finland vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Finland swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Finland watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a curveball at 77 mph. Finland connects and sends a grounder to shortstop at 97 mph. Denmark fields it cleanly but throws wide to first! Finland reaches safely on the error!" A great base hit by Finland ready to help his team set up a big play.

Now, it’s Iceland, number 45, playing first base. He’s looking to make an impact.

Iceland vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy delivers a fastball at 85 mph. Iceland swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Iceland fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Italy throws a slider at 80 mph. Iceland connects and sends a line drive to center field at 102 mph. America dives but can't make the catch! Finland advances to third, and Iceland is on first!" A Stunning it by Iceland! A runner on first and third.

Next up is France, number 39, playing right field. The crowd is on their feet!

France vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. France swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. France watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a curveball at 78 mph. France connects and sends a high fly ball to left field at 105 mph. Sweden runs back, back... and it’s gone! A three-run home run for France! "The Tsunami Titans cut the lead to 21-15! What a comeback!" And clear the base home run by France! what a hit!

America calls a Time Out from Center. America and Italy meet at the mound to have a chat. They seem to be having a pretty serious discussion between the two of them a lot of hand movements going on.

While they have their little discussion this might be a good time to go over some of Italy's stats. Not only is he know for being the fastest in the league but strike out wise he's the better pitcher on the Freedom Fighters. He's best to have as a closer for situations like these. he really knows how to keep his cool and shut down batters.

And time out is over the game is back ok! Now, it’s Turkey at bat, number 40, the catcher. Let’s see if he can keep the rally going.

Turkey vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Turkey swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Turkey fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a slider at 79 mph. Turkey makes contact, a grounder to shortstop at 100 mph. Denmark fields it cleanly and throws to first. "Out number one!" Nice shut down by Italy it looks like he's really locked in. That smile is gone from his face and he's all business.

Next up is Prussia, number 01, playing shortstop. Known for his confidence, let’s see if he can get on base.

Prussia vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Prussia swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Prussia watches it go by. "Ball one." Italy is shaking that one off, holding the ball staring Russia down waiting on the pitch to be called.

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a curveball at 77 mph. Prussia makes contact, a grounder to third base at 97 mph. England fields it cleanly and throws to first. "Out number two!" That was a nice effort by Prussia, If only he got a bigger piece of that one.

Next up is Scotland, number 11, playing center field. Let’s see if he can get something started with two outs. They really have to make something happen here.

Scotland vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Scotland swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Scotland watches it go by. "Ball one."

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a slider at 80 mph. Scotland connects and sends a high fly ball to left center field at 108 mph. America and Sweden converge... and it drops between them! Scotland hustles to second base for a double!" Great hit by Scotland!

And now, it’s Japan, 'The Tsunami,' wearing number 8 and pitching. The crowd is electric!

Japan vs. Italy:

Pitch 1: Italy throws a fastball at 85 mph. Japan swings and misses. "Strike one!"

Pitch 2: Another fastball at 86 mph. Japan fouls it off. "Strike two!"

Pitch 3: Italy delivers a changeup at 78 mph. Japan makes contact, a line drive to right field at 104 mph. Germany dives but can't make the catch. Scotland rounds third and heads for home. The throw to the mound... in time! Scotland rounding third making his way home. Italy charges, meets him there. Italy with the tag, and Scotland is out! "The Freedom Fighters win, 21-15!" He's out of there, and that's the ball game! the Freedom Fighters dominated by 6 points. What a come back! They spend the whole game dragging behind just to come out in the ninth with a mission to win!

End of the Game:

Freedom Fighters: 21 runs

Tsunami Titans: 15 runs

What a thrilling game. Italy taking initiative with that last out, not wanting to risk his throw to home and risked it for the out. Judging by the whole game this really isn't how I thought this game was going to turn out. It seemed like everything was going in the favor of The Titans after the switch up in teh outfield. But it looks like the Fighters buckled down. I'm not sure what America said to them in the dug out during their pep talk but whatever it was it sure worked!

For the MVP of the game I'm going to have to give it to: America: What with his pitching to lead off the game and his multiple home runs and leading his team to victory with an amazing come back.

Honorable mentions would have to be:

Sweden: Clearing the bases twice in the same inning driving in 6 runs, is something of legends.

Japan: Pitched all 9 innings and didn't show any sign of slowing down. I think he had a few more in him EASY

Spain: It's hard not to give this guy the recognition he deserves, he always puts on a show.

Players that need to go to my intensive baseball training camp before we even consider a rematch: Prussia- too many errors Canada- Was taken out of the game due to his poor show on first base, costing his team runs and the game. Germany- Is not signed up for teh camp but is on THIN ice. he needs to look alive out there and stop getting so distracted.

Pitching run down: America- Pitched 6 innings. Had a total of 84 throws. 5 strike outs Italy- Pitched 3 innings. Had a total of 48 throws. 3 strike outs Japan- Pitched all 9 innings. Had a total of 155 throws. 9 strike outs

[severitus-big-bang]

Rules and FAQ

(last updated 04/Feb/2024: Added icebreaker questions, updated Round 3 end date. Please confer most recent questions segment for participant questions.)

Pitching has ended! Claiming will happen:

Round 1: Feb 3rd, 11:59 UTC – Feb 4th, 11:59 UTC Round 2: Feb 7th, 11:59 UTC – Feb 8th, 11:59 UTC Round 3: Feb 10th, 11:59 UTC – Feb 11th, 11:59 UTC

Please read the following rules and FAQ completely and carefully if you plan to participate in this fest, and then, if you haven't already:

check out the How-to-Claim doc in which the link to the Claiming Form can be found - which will be open once the claming timeframe starts!

Come say hi on our discord server!

Eager to get to know your teammates? Here's a set of icebreaker questions!

Table of contents:

Most important Rules/Infos

Most recently asked questions

What is Severitus?

How does this Big Bang and Reverse Big Bang work in general?

How can I participate?

What types of works am I allowed to create?

I have no way to access to the pitching / claiming form in the given time frame, but I still want to pitch / claim! How do I do that?

Do I have to pitch to claim?

Can I create works based off of already existing fanworks?

When will this happen? Important Dates:

What happens if I can’t make a deadline/have to opt out?

How will the teams be formed?

I would like to be paired with [XYZ, a specific person]. How do I let you know?

I'm not quite comfortable working with others. Can I still participate?

What happens if I don’t get along with my team members?

Why are there mandatory check-ins?

What happens if I miss a mandatory check-in?

This is totally different from what I know from other Big Bangs. Why?

What is pinch-hitting?

How do I post my work?

I have never posted a work to AO3 - how do I do it?

I do not want to open an AO3 account / do not want the contents of this fest to be associated with my AO3 account. Is there still a way for me to participate?

Can I post my work to other sites besides AO3?

Can I add my work to other fests or collections?

I really want to participate, but I don't have any ideas currently! Is there a prompt list?

I have a question that is not on this list! How and where can I find you?

Most important Rules/Infos

This is a Severitus-centred fest. As such, we will only allow works that feature Severus Snape and Harry Potter in any platonic/non-romantic/non-sexual setting. No Snarry works will be allowed. 

Most important dates: Pitching starts: Jan 1st 2024 Pitching closes: Jan 28th Claiming opens: Feb 3rd Works due: May 17th Posting begins: June 1st 

If you can’t make the deadline, please reach out to the mods as early as possible so we can make arrangements and give you an extension. 

Pitching and claiming will be hosted via google forms. The links to those will be posted accordingly. There will be mandatory check-ins once you have claimed. Please stay in contact with the mods (see FAQ). Fics must NOT be Snarry. Ages to participate: 13+, creation of works rated M or E: 18+ 

Minimum requirements for your works: 

Fic: 2500 words

Poetry: 500 words OR 6 poems

Traditional or digital art: 600x600 px (scans in reasonable quality), and a basic description for accessibility

Spoken audio work: 15 minutes, and a written summary (transcript nice-to-have; podficcers may be allowed to pod an excerpt of their template if the final product is at least 15 minutes long)

Original music: 3 minutes, and a basic description (for instance lyrics, chords, sheet music) for accessibility

Song parody: 2 songs, (link to) reference work, and new lyrics

Playlist: 7 elements

Moodboard: 7 elements

Original dance: 3 minutes, and a basic description for accessibility

Fanbinding: one complete typeset: check out this post for details

Other forms: please contact the mod(s)

There are no maximums.

We do NOT accept AI generated content. 

The works must be original to the fest and created by you. They can be part of an existing universe, but must be understandable as stand-alone. 

Posting Please post your works to the AO3 collection and add the mod account (Severitus_Big_Bang_Mods) as co-creator. We will not change your work in any form, we just want to make sure it is appropriately tagged and rated and we can change the publication-date according to the posting-schedule. After reveals, we will delete the mod account from your works.

We want this to be a respectful and safe space. So the following general (fandom) rules apply:

Be respectful, no bullying, no harassment, …

No character or ship shaming/bashing, SALS - ship and let ship

Works created in this event must NOT feature characters under 18 in sexually explicit scenarios

Like most other fandoms, Harry Potter as a canon/fanon/fandom grapples with various issues, including but not limited to transphobia/transmisia, racism and other forms of discrimination. When creating fanworks, it can be helpful to keep various resources in mind, as well as doing additional research. Writing with Color’s Stereotypes & Tropes Navigation is one way to begin examining racism in fanworks creation - please especially refer to the colour stereotype post in regards to the term "Black / Dark Magic" which is deeply rooted in racism. Magical Trans is a community for transgender individuals in the Harry Potter fandom. If you have resources you’ve found helpful and would like to share, please let us know. (We trust this caution isn’t necessary, but if you don’t agree with the linked resources, please do not contact them with negative comments.) (Thank you to @bluedreaming for drawing our attention to this issue, and for allowing us to use their stipulations.)

Most Recent Questions:

Can I invite fellow creators? (Yes!)

Are side ships allowed? (Yes, all apart from Snarry are!)

Detail questions about pitching

You can find the answers HERE: https://severitus-big-bang.tumblr.com/post/738225193133244416/answering-some-more-questions-about-the

I have a question that is not on this list! How and where can I find you?

Mail: severitusbigbang@gmail.com

Discord: in the Severitus Big Bang Discord server or in the Big Bang channel of the Potions&Snitches Server

Tumblr @severitus-big-bang

AO3: Severitus Big Bang 2024 AO3 collection  

Your Mods:

Serena: she/her, @serenaew (discord, tumblr, AO3)

Trueliarose: she/her, @trueliarose (discord, tumblr, AO3)

Eso; any/they/them; esotericsevitus (discord), @esotericsnape (tumblr), esoteric_creature (ao3)

Binte: she/her, @bintemuhammad (discord, tumblr, AO3)

You can find the rest of the FAQ under the cut. 

What is Severitus?

For the sake of this fest, Severitus is every form of fanwork where Severus Snape and Harry Potter have a non-sexual / non-romanticrelationship. 

Severus’ and Harry’s gender don’t have to be male. We welcome any female/non-binary/trans or other queer characters, and characters of any race, and of any other identity, in our works.

Please note that it is our foremost goal to create a chill fest and good experience for everybody participating. That means we need to create a safe space for Severitus shippers and as such, we cannot allow any works that even wander the line to being read as sexual or romantic in the sense of “Snarry”. 

Severitus includes the following:

Snape as Harry’s father/father figure (biological, adopted, stepfather, uncle, godparent)

Snape being Harry’s mentor (Professor, Master in apprenticeship setting, friendly neighbour, you name it)

Severus and Harry being siblings

Severus and Harry being platonic friends

Reverse Severitus: Harry being Severus’ parent/uncle, mentor…

For more information you can also look through our prompt ideas which you can find on our tumblr.

How does this Big Bang and Reverse Big Bang work in general?

The Severitus Big Bang is a fanworks fest centred around Severitus and Reverse Severitus works. 

Creators pitch their ideas of any form to other creators to work on them together and create two or more intertwined fanworks of different kinds/media. 

The spirit of this fest is to connect creators and encourage each other's creativity to collaborate and celebrate Severitus together. If you don’t feel comfortable collaborating with others, it is technically possible to sign up as a “solo team” and create multiple projects for the same idea on your own; however we hope (and we give our best) to create a safe atmosphere without pressure or negativity for our teams to flourish. 

Creators can sign up (pitch, claim, or both) to create works, which, ideally, should be ready by the submission date. (See: [What happens if I have to opt out]). After submission, we plan to reveal the works in a staggered reveal (ideally, we will get new Severitus content every day in June).  All the works will be part of the Severitus Big Bang 2024 AO3 collection. 

For more information please read the following FAQs.

How can I participate?

This bang is more formalised than just posting within the given time frame.

To participate, creators should sign up and can either pitch, claim, or both to create works. 

You are allowed to pitch and/or claim as many works as you feel you can manage in the creation time span.

1. Pitching Pitching means you offer up an idea of yours for other creators to claim later on so that you can create fanworks in collaboration. This is the perfect opportunity to get ideas/prompts that have been on your mind for a long time, but you didn’t have enough time or creativity to work on, out there so that others can share in your joy. 

Please note that a pitch is more than just a one-line prompt; the requirements will be finalised and posted closer to Jan 1st. 

If you ask yourself why all the effort: it is the mods' attempt to formalise the process of presenting your idea for collaborating with other creators so that you needn't know your collaborators' identities to have a high likelihood to create something you both / all like. The process consists of a Google Form. 

All is explained in a great more detail here.

2. Claiming Later on, creators can claim any of the given pitches that request collaborators. 

There will be three rounds of claiming. To ensure that we have the best possible overlap with our creators' needs and wishes, we (the mod team) will work out the best fitting teams, and as many matches as possible, after each round of the claiming period. After matching, any open or partly-open pitches will be opened for claiming again. We hope that all pitches will be claimed after the third round; the unclaimed ones will be open for pinch hitting and will receive at least a little something from the mods. 

For more details about Ho-To-Claim, please refer to this document.

You will then be notified about your claim and how to proceed. 

You then have a period to create. Let your creativity strike, discuss your ideas and works with your co-creator(s) and simply do what you do best. Ideally you have your work ready by the submission date. (See: [Important Dates]) After submission, we plan to reveal the works in a staggered reveal (ideally we will get new Severitus content in June).

What types of works am I allowed to create?

You can create any type of fanwork associated with the pitch you claimed. 

Here is a list of possible types of media:

Written works such as fanfiction, poetry

Traditional or digital art, crafts

Comics, manga

Spoken audio work such as podfic, podcast, audio play

Music (both original music and song parodies)

Fanvid

Playlist

Moodboard

Original dance

Fanbinding

Recipes

…

For further inspiration and clarification especially for the term "art" please refer to this extensive list: https://unconventionalfanworkex.dreamwidth.org/14316.html. 

If you are unsure if the work you want to create will fit the parameters of this fest, please feel free to contact a mod; in these cases, we also advise you to check in with your fellow team member(s)

I have no way to access to the pitching / claiming form in the given time frame, but I still want to pitch / claim! How do I do that?

If you know you won’t be able to pitch / claim during the according period, please contact us and we will send you the pitching or claiming form in advance so you can participate.

For reasons of fairness, please let us know when you will need the form by so that we can pre-release the forms to all participants at the same time.

Pitching or claiming early will not influence your likelihood of being paired with your first choice(s).

Do I have to pitch to claim?

No. You can pitch and not claim or claim and not pitch or do both, it is up to you. However, we hope to receive a lot of pitches and claims to make this fest work, so it is super, duper awesome if you can do both.

Can I create works based off of already existing fanworks?

For your own pre-existing universes, yes, as long as the Big Bang work(s) are newly published and understandable as stand-alone! If at all possible, we would like to ask for your pitch to stay anonymous until claiming ends. 

You can use an already existing fanwork as your pitch if you have permission to create secondary/derivative fanworks by the original author/creator. Please note that we (the mods) can not grant you this permission and can also not monitor if every pitch meets this stipulation. 

If you as a creator want to give permission for others to use your works as such, maybe add a fanworks permission statement / transformative works policy to your profile. You can find a statement builder here or check the mods' profiles for inspiration.

When will this happen? Important Dates:

Pitching starts: Jan 1st 2024

Pitching closes: Jan 28th 

Claiming opens: Feb 3rd (Round 1)

Claiming closes: Feb 17th (Round 3), or earlier if all pitches are claimed to the max

Icebreakers (Check-in 1): Feb 18th

Check-in 2: Mar 3rd

Check-in 3: Mar 31st

Check-in 4: April 28th 

Works due: May 17th

Posting begins: June 1st

What happens if I can’t make a deadline/have to opt out?

Of course, we hope that every one of you will be able to make the submission date, but as we all know: Real life happens. 

If you realise you won’t be able to make the deadline, please contact us early so we know and can plan accordingly. It is completely okay if you have to ask for an extension or drop your claim. We want this to be as accessible and chill as we can make it. 

Just please inform us because we (the mods) have to plan the posting schedule.

How will the teams be formed?

You can either sign up as a pre-formed team with your fandom BFFs (with or without the option of pitching for more team members/claiming as team for a pitch), or the mods will assign you your team member(s) based on who responds to your pitch/which pitches you claim. 

We encourage you to be open to other creators and share the spirit of this fest.

I would like to be paired with [XYZ, a specific person]. How do I let you know?

If you want to be paired with XYZ, the best way to make sure is to sign up (pitch or claim) as a preformed team with yourself and them.

If you pitch your work on your own, we cannot say in advance who you will be paired with until the claims come in at the beginning of February and we can not guarantee that we will assign XYZ as your (only) claimer, because we will have to take all the claims into account.

We will also not reveal the pitchers and claimers to each other until the teams have been decided, and will not reveal the final teams until publication of their works. (So only the teammates themselves know who works together with them until the reveals.)

I'm not quite comfortable working with others. Can I still participate?

If you don’t feel comfortable collaborating with others, it is technically possible to sign up as a “solo team” and create multiple projects for the same idea on your own; however we hope (and we give our best) to create a safe atmosphere without pressure or negativity for our teams to flourish.

What happens if I don’t get along with my team members?

In your claiming form we ask you to give us your Do Not Wants. We try to match the team members to the best of our ability, taking those Do Not Wants into account, and hope that you will get along fine. 

If, despite all this, you notice that you can under no circumstances continue to work together with your teammate(s), please contact the mods. We do not want to force you to work together with someone you can absolutely not stand and we will then find a solution if this might happen.

However, we want to encourage you to be open-minded and give others the benefit of the doubt. We hope to create a fun experience for everybody.

Why are there mandatory check-ins?

We plan to do four mandatory check-ins with you (our participants) to ensure that everything is alright and you are still participating in this fest.

This has several reasons, foremost to make planning for us easier and to ensure that we can help out if that is needed. 

Please note that we don’t want you to feel pressured or patronised. It is completely okay if you just answer “I’m still here.” and tick the box in the relevant google form for those mandatory check-ins. You don’t need to report your work progress to the mods; however, we do recommend using these dates to check in and report to your team (yes, we know, some of us are procrastinators). 

We hope to simply offer guidance and act as a reminder, as life can get busy sometimes.

What happens if I miss a mandatory check-in?

You will have one week to respond to each mandatory check-in. If you missed it, the mod team will reach out to you. Just shoot us a quick response and you are fine. 

If one more week passes without response, we will have to assume that you dropped out. 

If you already know in advance that those just happen to be the two weeks where you are away without internet access, that's fine. Just let us and your collaborator(s) know in advance and we'll mark you as checked in.

This is totally different from what I know from other Big Bangs. Why?

Things evolve and for this, Serena wanted to make the concept of Big Bang more versatile and therefore adjusted it to what she (we!) thought would fit this fest best. 

The goal was to allow as many different types of media as possible, as well as allow the claiming of as many different works/ideas as one wants. Therefore we allow any type or art, artists can claim artists and so on. 

For this fest, the working together and connecting aspect is the focus (and we are of course rewarded with tons of wonderful works). We like to think that connection spikes creativity and helps us to create our own fandom safe space in which we can thrive. 

We also want to make this as chill as possible to take away pressure - which is why we set the minimum word count for fics as low as 2,500 words.

What is pinch-hitting?

Pinch-hitters are people who volunteer to take on an extra pitch later on if somebody has to opt out and drop their claim.

Can I claim after the deadline if I finish with my first project earlier and want to take on a second pitch?

If there are projects looking for pinch-hitters, yes, absolutely. Please feel free to contact a mod if you finish early and want to take on a second pitch.

How do I post my work?

Please add your works to the Severitus Big Bang 2024 AO3 collection (spelled Severitus_Big_Bang_2024) and add the mod account (Severitus_Big_Bang_Mods) as co-creator. 

We will approve your work for the collection and use the mod account to change the publication date accordingly to our posting schedule. 

Please note that you have to actually post the work to the collection, keeping it as a draft does not suffice. It will not be visible to the general public until one of the mods reveals this work, so don’t fear to do something wrong, and don't hesitate to make changes even after posting to the collection.

I have never posted a work to AO3 - How do I do it?

AO3 has a tutorial on how to post a work, see below. If you have further questions or need further help feel free to contact the mod team.

https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tutorial-posting-a-work-on-ao3?language_id=en 

https://archiveofourown.org/faq?language_id=en 

Posting images: AO3 does not host images, you can only embed them using a link. You have to host them on another site. Here's the how-to: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/posting-and-editing?language_id=en#embedimage  

Posting audio: AO3 does not host audio, but you can embed them in a stream or a download variant. For a list of audio hosting end embed options, check out GodOfLaundryBaskets' Breakdown of Podfic Hosting Options: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240112

I do not want to open an AO3 account / do not want the contents of this fest to be associated with my AO3 account. Is there still a way for me to participate?

We want to give everybody a chance to participate, so please contact us if you won’t be able to post on AO3.

We can post your work from the official Mod Account and then link to the site you posted it to, as well as create an external bookmark for it. 

Please note that even if we post it in your stead (posting it from the mod account) the work will be uploaded on AO3.

Can I post my work to other sites besides AO3?

Yes, you can (and are encouraged to) cross-post whatever you want to whichever site you like. We just ask you to wait with crossposting until after your reveals in the official Severitus Bang AO3 collection!

Can I add my work to other fests or collections?

Yes, you can. After reveals, you are free to do with your work as you please, for example add the works to any collection you like.

Additionally, while waiting for reveals, you are allowed to co-submit to fests and events that have no unrevealed period (e.g. @hp-flowers, free submissions phase of HP Poetry, @voiceteam, May ficlet challenge, many bingos, etc.). Please note that your work will not be accessible in those collections until after reveals.

I really want to participate, but I don't have any ideas currently! Is there a prompt list?

There is not the usual prompt list, but we have made this list of typical Severitus themes/prompts and starting points. We hope this helps to start off your creativity.

[bearterritory]

Cal Beats Stanford To Take Season Series

Bears Bullpen Dominates

BERKELEY – The California baseball team notched its 14th comeback win of the season thanks to three runs in the seventh and eighth innings to defeat Stanford 5-3 on Monday evening at Stu Gordon Stadium. With the win, the Golden Bears take the season series against the Cardinal.   Cal (34-18) got a trio of stellar pitching performances and the bullpen in particular was sensational, holding Stanford (22-29) scoreless over the final 4.1 innings. The duo of Austin Turkington (2-1) and Oliver Boone did not allow a hit. Offensively, Cal finished the evening with nine hits but got them in bunches going 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The bottom of the order was particularly fruitful with Max Handron, Jag Burden, and Dominic Smaldino going a combined 6-for-11 with two runs scored and three driven in.

The Golden Bears extended Stanford's losing streak to seven games and held them to just five hits on the evening, tied for the second-fewest of the year by the Cardinal. Charlie Saum went 1-for-3 with a 2-run home run in the second, his eighth of the year.   Andres Galan made his sixth start of the season for the Bears and turned in a solid outing. Galan made quick work of the Cardinal in the first retiring the side in order in 10 pitches. In the top of the second, he ran into some trouble. With two outs, the Cardinal notched three consecutive hits, the big one the 2-run home run from Saum to make it a 2-0 ballgame.   Galan was able to recover and got out of the jam thanks to a nice play from PJ Moutzouridis who picked up a ground ball deep in the hole between short and third and fired a laser to first for the out. Galan showed good stuff early, 20 of his first 27 pitches were for strikes.   The Cardinal lead did not last long. The Bears' bottom of the order tied the game up thanks to back-to-back 2-out singles from Burden and Smaldino.   After the Cardinal and Bears traded zeros in the third and fourth, Stanford broke the 2-2 tie, taking advantage of a pair of 2-out errors by the Bears. Jimmy Nati singled through the left side which allowed Court MacDonald to score. The single by Nati ended the day for Galan who went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, three runs – two earned, with a walk and five strikeouts.   Turkington entered the game in the fifth and needed just one pitch to get out of the inning. After surrendering a leadoff walk to Malcolm Moore in the sixth he retired five in a row to earn the win.   Cardinal reliever Ryan Speshyock (0-4) entered the game in the top of the sixth inning. After a scoreless frame, he ran into trouble in the seventh. Caleb Lomavita started the 2-run rally by getting hit by a pitch. He came around to score from first on the double in the right-center gap by Rodney Green Jr to tie the game at 3-3. Peyton Schulze gave the Bears the lead for good when he hit a ball in front of a diving Ethan Hott in center field for a double that allowed Green Jr. to score. The double by Schulze was his 20th of the year which ties him for 10th most in a single season in Cal history.   In the bottom of the eighth, the Bears got an insurance run from Smaldino who blasted a 1-1 offering over the left-center wall for his second home run in as many games.   Speshyock went 2.1 innings, allowing three hits, and three runs (all earned), with two walks and five strikeouts.   Boone earned his first collegiate save, recording the final six outs in dominating fashion. He faced the heart of the Cardinal order and set them down in order, striking out five in a row to end the game.

[brighter-by-the-daly]

Rachel Daly x Reader

Part One - Nobody Says No to That!

Posted: 11/03/23 Edited: 18/07/23

As the final whistle blew you threw your hands in the air cheering and jumping around hugging your friends. England just won 2-1 against USA at Wembley Stadium in front of a sell out crowd! You and your two besties couldn’t be happier! Turning your attention to the pitch and clapping your team who were celebrating with each other, a huge smile spread over your face while glancing around the stadium soaking up the atmosphere. It felt so good to see your team back here after the EUROS in front of so many fans. Continuing the celebrations you watched the players form a circle and congratulate each other then they broke out and started their lap of honour, walking around to thank the fans.

Your eyes followed them around the stadium when you spotted one of the players heading straight towards you, it was none other than Rachel Daly!! Your favourite player and not just for her amazing skills but also your biggest crush! Your heart started beating faster while trying to not seem overly excited. She was jogging over with her shirt in hand, held it out towards you and asked “would you like this?” You were trying to remain cool, calm and collected, reaching out to take it and saying “I bet nobody says no to that, do they!” with a smirk. Rachel simply shook her head with a goofy smile on her face. Your friends were gobsmacked; eyes wide and jaws dropped, they couldn’t believe what they were seeing! Tens of thousands of fans in the stadium, a lot with signs that said “Daly can I have your shirt�� but she chose little ole you with no sign, just a huge smile. “Could you sign it for me please?” you asked hopefully. Rachel looked behind her in a cautious manner “I’ve just gotta do some interviews and I’ll be back, do you have a pen?” Shaking your head as you weren’t expecting to get anyones autographs today, Rachel gave a thumbs up and jogged away.

Slowly turning toward your friends whose eyes were still wide and letting out a silent scream - “oh.my.god… I can’t believe it!!” you exclaimed joyfully. “Neither can we!” your bffs said seemingly just as happy for you, holding the shirt up to admire it. Then one of your friends spoke up “you know after the whistle blew Rapinoe asked for Rachel’s shirt, she must have said no to give it to you!”

Your mind wandered off trying to think of how you had stood out to her in front of all of these people, when you remembered… Just before the end of the first half, the ball flew off the pitch and into the stands. You’d thrown it back in and Rachel caught it, you’d shared a little smile before play continued. You wondered if this was the reason she gave you her shirt… but throw ins happen at every game, they’re nothing special. Maybe she was just being kind, who knows. ‘Hopefully she’ll remember to come back to me’, you thought, dreaming of those beautiful blue eyes once more as you skimmed the pitch until you spotted her in front of a camera being interviewed by Sky Sports. By this time the fans had all trickled down and you three were the only ones there. “I think we should go (y/n/n), she’s probably forgotten about you” joked your friend. “Hey! Don’t ruin my daydream like that, who do you think you are?” you laughed and gently slapped your friend. It was at that moment you spotted Rachel look towards you in a way to check you were still there and told your friends you’re not leaving unless she goes back into the tunnel. They carried on the conversation but your mind was elsewhere, eyes firmly set on Rachel willing her to come running back to you.

To pass the time you began to flick through Insta Stories seeing the players repost the team photos from the day. Later looking up to see the striker jogging towards you waving something above her head with the biggest smile on her face… it was a sharpie! “I’m so glad you’re still here, sorry that took a lot longer than I thought it would”, “that’s okay, was starting to think you were taking ages hoping we would leave!” you laughed cautiously hoping that wasn’t the real reason. “Of course not! I wouldn’t have said I’d come back if I didn’t mean it!” she said reassuringly. Your friends asked if you could have a photo and as you opened the camera on your phone Rachel leaned her head in for a closer look “is that me and Millie?!” she asked surprised to see her picture as your background, “yeah after you won the euros, it makes me happy” trying to play it cool. She snapped a few photos of you all and passed your phone back, “tell you what, to say sorry for keeping you waiting how about I give you a behind the scenes tour?” she asked. “Well I know nobody has ever said no to that!” you chuckled nervously, “I’ve never invited someone on a tour before” she smiled “so you better not say no!” You both giggled at each other but when you asked if your friends could come, Rachel’s facial expression changed - “there’s actually only room for one, I could still get in trouble for that”. Your friends shook your shoulders and insisted you go, they both gave you a look that said ‘have the best fucking time and tell us EVERYTHING when you get out!’ You told them that you’ll call them after to find out where to meet back up as Rachel took your hand and lead you to the hatch onto the pitch. “Look after her!” your bff shouted “of course I will!” Rachel shouted back in her northern accent that made you want to melt.

Rachel lead you across the pitch towards the dugouts as she was telling you about the different stands and where her family sit on game day. Once in the tunnel, the blonde stopped and took her shirt out of your hand “you can put this on if you want” she said with a half smile/half smirk. “I’d look a bit fangirly don’t you think” you joked. “Nothing wrong with that!” she replied while elbowing you in the ribs lightly. Looking around to make sure no one else was watching you lifted your England top above your head to show off your new bra before pulling on the number 9 shirt. ‘Thank god I decided to wear the sexy underwear today’, you thought to yourself. You knew her eyes were on you the entire time and you couldn’t resist the attention. “Does it suit me?” you asked while spinning round to show off her name on your back. Rachel pouted her lips and nodded with a suggestive look on her face “you know there were toilets over there but I’m not complaining” coyly biting her bottom lip and holding your gaze for a moment. “Come on I’ll show you the changing room”, Rachel pushed a door open forcefully while shouting “GIRLS, are you decent?!” A cluster of different voices came from the other side, but one stood out - Millie Bright “you don’t usually care Rach!” she cackled. “Well today’s different, EVERYONE! I’d like to introduce you to my biggest fan!” strutting inside and making you do a twirl in front of the team. Feeling firmly embarrassed you quipped up “so that’s why you made me put this on before coming in here, so you can prance me around like your prized cow!” Millie almost spat out her drink and the other girls laughed at your comment making you feel more at ease.

“Oh like that is it” piped up Beth Mead, as you shot her a puzzled look “Rachel only gives her shirts to sick kids or girls she thinks are hot” she explained. A smile spread across your face as you turned your head towards Rachel with a raised eyebrow. “Well I’m not sick” your smirk remained firm as Rachel looked flustered, her cover blown making your confidence sky rocket. “So I am your prized cow” you joked, “I think you’re more of a goat” she said cautiously holding back laughter.

That’s when Alessia Russo came wandering in “Rach, physio wants you… who’s this?” she asked as she noticed a stranger standing in the middle of the changing room. “Rachel’s prize goat” Millie snorted into her drink. Lessi looked puzzled but introduced herself and sat down with the others. “Okay I’ll pop to physio, I won’t be long. Girls can you make her feel at home, oh and sign her England shirt yeah - don’t touch mine!” she grazed the small of your back as she ran out of the room and down a corridor.

Millie was the first to approach you and ask your name as she took your England shirt out of your hand. “(Y/n)” you replied with a smile while holding it taught so she could sign it. “Nice to meet you (y/n), Rachel’s a nutter but she’ll take care of you” she said passing your shirt around to the others. “Did you enjoy the game?” gesturing for you to sit next to her on the bench. You explained how it was your first England game and thought it was incredible and how it made you feel so happy. “I can’t believe I’m back here with all of you, I’m going to wake up in a minute and it was all a dream!” Beth walked over and pinched you shout out in discomfort, “see, we’re real! We’re just normal people!”

Suddenly Mary Earps appeared from nowhere and caught you off guard “OMG MEARPS!” fangirling a little bit in front of the goalie before going in for a hug “you’re fucking amazing!” “Yes, yes I am aren’t I” she said with cockiness as she flicked her hair over her shoulder - exactly how you imagined she’d react. “Girls I’ve found a new tiktok dance who wants to do it?” The usual culprits - Millie and Beth expressed their enthusiasm before realising they were down a member. “Do you know how to dance?” Mary asked, “I’m probably worse than Rachel tbh!” laughing nervously over what you were about to get dragged into. “That’s impossible!” she said enthusiastically, taking your arm and dragging you to the other side of the room to show you all what the trend was. The other girls fizzled out of the room saying their goodbyes, you thanked them for making you feel welcome and for signing your shirt. It was just you four left in the room, Millie taking lead being the dance teacher trying to get you all up to standard before recording.

“Right we better head off, we have an early one tomorrow!” they said as they started packing up their belongings. Asking what was happening and they told you they have training for the next friendly against Brazil in the morning. “Can you remind Rachel please, she’s so forgetful!” Millie said while giving you a big tight squeeze, you said you’ll try as you’re also forgetful and it’s not everyday you meet your idols. Millie then pecked your forehead which made your heart miss a beat as you gazed up at her big blue eyes, your knees felt weak and you wondered who you could possible be crushing harder on. Remembering that sadly Millie is straight you went back to thinking of Rachel. “Hope to see you tomorrow!” Beth called out as they all left together.

With that, you were left alone in the changing room wondering what happens next, ‘where’s Rachel? Am I just meant to wait here for her to come back? Have I overstayed my welcome and should just disappear?’ You decided to FaceTime your friends and tell them about what’s happened, they wanted all the details - the shirt, the tiktok, the Millie kiss, and now you’re alone wondering what to do. You showed them around the room and pointed out everyone’s shirts that were left on hooks and all the boots on the floor. Suddenly your conversation was interrupted by a man walking in. He looked at you weird and asked who you were; telling him you’re a friend of Rachel’s and waiting for her to get back from physio. He looked at you questionably while picking up the dirty kits then left. “Friend of Rachel’s are ya?” your friends piped up, you forgot you were on the phone to them during that awkward encounter. You bragged how Beth said she hoped to see you tomorrow then stuck your tongue out and hung up, looking around the room wondering what to do next. You edged towards the corridor you saw Rachel leave through earlier and decided to call out for her. “Rachel?” “Yeah?” “Erm.. I think I’m gonna go” “what?! You have to leave?” the disappointment in her voice obvious, “well.. no but everyone’s gone and a man came in and looked at me like I’m a stalker” “oh that’s Gary don’t mind him! I’m down here, come join me!”

Part Two - The Night That Changed Everything 🔞

[citizenscreen]

19-year-old George Herman “Babe” Ruth made his #MLB debut on July 11, 1914, pitching seven innings to give Boston a win over Cleveland, 4-3. #Baseball #BabeRuth #OnThisDay

[dinosaurwithablog]

In extra innings, Juan Soto gets a pinch hitting RBI double!! A wild pitch to Soto got the first run of the 10th inning and then Soto's double scores, too!! I love this guy sooooooo much!!😍 it's now 4-1, after Anthony Volpe gets on base for a third time!! This 10th inning has exploded!! Spectacular!! I love these guys. Gerrit Cole, definitely, deserves the win, and my boys are gonna get it for them!! LET'S GO YANKEES!!!!!

[kitnita]

Hey Zoe, do you want to elaborate on this ghost runner thing? The name says this is something I want to know about

ABSOLUTELY. the official terms for the ghost runner that mlb uses are designated runner & automatic runner, as seen in the official rule — 'All half-innings after the conclusion of the ninth inning begin with an automatic runner on second base. The rule applies only to regular-season games.' it was first put in place during the covid shortened seasons to help preserve player health by shortening games, because having a ghost runner drastically affects extra inning scoring & thus can lead to shorter extra inning games. however, it was kept even as mlb moved back to regular non-covid seasons.

per the boston globe — 'In 2019, the last year without ghost runners in extra innings, there were 891 extra innings and 422 runs scored in 208 extra-inning contests. […] In 2023, 201 extra-inning games yielded 546 runs across 495⅓ innings.'

(also from that article: 'It’s baseball’s version of ChatGPT')

so in roughly the same amount of extra inning games, the amount of actual extra innings played was cut in half as the amount of runs scored in extra innings increased. i personally hate this! i miss the excitement of getting to watch an 11+ inning game during the regular season!! i think the fact that it's not used in the post-season says a lot, because like. this is not real baseball. if a ghost runner scores it does not affect the pitcher's stats even as it impacts the outcome of the game. i think if mlb wants shorter games then the pitch clock is a necessary evil but the ghost runner has absolutely no place in the sport.

also, not everyone uses the term ghost runner; that same boston globe article also calls them phantom runners. some people use zombie runner. other people call the runner the manfred man, after mlb commissioner rob manfred. ghost runner is just the one i've used since the rule's inception so it's stuck!

[leicamoments]

Eyes To The Heavens

I pulled into car park ‘A’ at around 8am, relieved to hear security on the Headingley Stadium gate confirm he was expecting me. Parking under a tree, I looked up at the sign that adorned the side of the building still trying to work out the logistics of the day in my head.

I was at Headingley to cover the Yorkshire Cricket Board’s Finals Day being held at both Headingley Stadium and a couple of miles away at Weetwood.

To be fair, it was already raining and the prospects for the day didn’t look good. Maybe there could be a chance of some cricket later, but recently the weather forecast has been unreliable, so I was simply going to watch the radar and see where the main rain was falling.

I chatted with Katie Stewart who was greeting the teams at reception, then met with Grace Pearson up in the Long Room, overlooking the Headingley pitch. I found out that the start was going to be delayed, so decided to head down pitch side to see what photos I could get in the meantime.

A quick discussion with the umpires and grounds people had, I headed around the boundary to get different shots of the stands and Pavilion – all to help with telling the story of the day.

A further delay and then word that the softball final had potentially got underway, meant that I hopped back into the car and headed to Weetwood Park. Depressingly, it rained while I made the short journey and was still spitting slightly when I made a real hash of parking the car into one of the narrow spots in the car park.

Unfortunately, the games hadn’t started, and I was informed that they were on the verge of calling the day off due to the continued poor conditions. However, we still had some team photos to capture, and we set about getting the various shots of the eight teams attending.

Eight photos and one big group shot later, the decision was to postpone the softball finals, so I headed back to Headingley as they had apparently started one of the hardball semi-finals there.

I got to the ground just as the first innings was ending…seemingly a monster innings of hitting as Sessay had managed to get over 150 in their ten sets. Wow! I felt really disappointed to have not been there to see that!

I grabbed shots of Sheffield Collegiate’s response and had no time to settle as the next game between Doncaster Town and Saxton got underway – trying to beat the menacingly dark clouds racing towards the stadium. Unfortunately, as the first innings of that semi ended, the rain returned and, well…that was that.

Cricket in September is always going to be at the mercy of the elements and so it proved on Sunday…the weather gods in this case prevailing.

Disappointment put aside, we managed to get a big group photo downstairs in the indoor training area, and Paul Cummins gave a few words of thanks to the assembled group of players, supporters and staff of the Yorkshire Cricket Board who had organised the day.

It was wonderful to see such a huge group of people at both Weetwood and at Headingley to support women’s cricket, I think it is a testament to all involved that the game is growing in Yorkshire so quickly, and I am looking forward to getting out to cover more games next season. 

From conversations had in the past day, I believe that the finals for the softball competition will happen at the beginning of the 2025 season. The hardball finals will be concluded on Sunday at Walton Park Cricket Club near Wetherby, starting at 11:30 for the remaining semi-final and then the final kicking-off at 1:30pm.

It would be great to have you pop along to support the teams!

[zoeology31]

Series sweep! 🧹🧹🧹🧹

Yeah, you're supposed to beat bad teams, but 4-game sweeps are hard, especially with a doubleheader thrown in. This was a great series with a lot of action and lots of fun stuff happening. The team is hitting its stride offensively and has the confidence to come back from any deficit, the City Connects and everyone's custom gear look great, there's a Prince-themed homer celly now, etc.

Pitching was... interesting this series, but Ryan and Ober both had genuinely strong starts, and half credit to Varland for shutting things down through 4+ innings after Paddack got lit up. Also strong performances from Jax, Alcala, Staumont, and Duran out of the bullpen, all four of them have really been great in their own way.

Royce Lewis is unbelievable, man. Every day he hits a homer and there's a new stat about how historic his pace is in franchise history. Genuinely if he keeps this up he should be an All-Star, forget about the missed time.

On a similar note, what a heater Correa's on right now. Extremely deserved AL player of the week, hitting a ridiculous .548/.576/.871 with 17 hits and 3 homers, and expanding that window slightly he has 24 hits in his last 11 games. It's the best stretch of his career (yes, including 2017) and the best by any Twin since 2010, and damn is it fun to watch.

Other position player shoutouts: Buxton had some clutch hits and played his usual amazing defense, Kepler of course had his night on Friday, and Santana, Miranda, and Larnach all came up big at various points. Also welcome back Austin Martin, who's already had some well-timed hits and that insane homer-robbing catch last night (MLB play of the week and #1 on SportsCenter top ten!). I have a feeling he'll be sticking around this time.

(On-brand closing note: Duran's kids threw out the first pitch for Father's Day and it was the cutest thing in the world)

Half a game back from KC and five and a half from Cleveland (thank you Jays). Let's have some fun.

[brandstifter-sys]

Coach

For @dukexietyweek Day 8: Kids              (Ao3) (login required)

Word Count: 1786

Rating: T

Characters: Virgil, Remus, Roman, Andy (TS Shorts Anxiety), OCs, Pattong (mentioned)

Warnings: mentions of toxic parents, death mention, sex mention

Virgil is one of the best coaches the local Little League has, and the kids love him. And so does one of their older brothers. And why wouldn’t Remus adore the one person more than willing to help him with Roman after losing their parents?

---

"Alright, bring it in!" Virgil shouted to his team. It was almost time for the first game of the season and he wanted to make sure his kids were ready. 

About a dozen kids flocked to his dugout from the field, ready for the first huddle of the season. He was already proud of these kids, all between 10 and 11 years old. They had spirit and they trusted him to keep the team in line and in good spirits. 

"Great warm up out there. Now we're fielding first. Andy, you think you can pitch this inning?" Virgil said and eyed his cousin.

"No." 

"Alright, do you want to pitch at all for this game?" 

"No." 

"Okay. So you, Mike, and Damian won't go on the mound. That makes this easier. Davis, you're pitching first. Mike, left. Abdul, center. Wayne, right. Carlos, first. Andy, second. Roman, shortstop. Demitri, third. Toshio, catcher—Coach Pat will help you suit up. Damian, Benny, you're on the bench for now." 

"I don't want to be left field!" Mike complained. He was the difficult one. He wanted to be the star. The hero. 

"Everyone is going to be in every position at least three times. It's important to know how to play in different positions so you know what to expect from your team." 

"But we won't win if I'm in the outfield!" 

"That's not true, and we don't have to win. Little League is more like training. We're here to play, to learn how to be a team," Virgil said calmly, "it's no fun if you only care about winning." 

"My dad is gonna be mad." 

"If we don't win, I'll talk to him. And that goes for all of you, if you're scared that your parents will be mad, I'll talk to them. Now, who's ready to play ball?" 

The kids cheered, bringing a smile to his face. 

"Hands in, on three," he said and held his hand out, palm down. The kids slapped their own hands in with his and counted with him, except for Damian. He was keeping his distance.

"One! Two! Three! Jumpers!" 

Virgil smiled at the kids who ran onto the field. Or to the bat box in Toshio's case.  Then he eyed Damian and Benny. 

"Benny, there's some granola bars and apple slices in this backpack , take it slow so you don't get an upset stomach. And I won't send you out there until you're less dizzy," he said and crouched by the bench to get something out of his bag. It was an oral thermometer. He stepped out of the dugout and approached Damian.

"Stick this under your tongue and have a seat," he told Damian, "I know you want to be out there, or at least watching, but I have to send you home if you have a fever or if you throw up."

"But I wanna be here for my friends," Damian pouted and stuck the thermometer under his tongue without sitting down on the grass or the nearest bench. 

"You've got the spirit, Champ. And I don't want to discourage that. I also don't want you to get sicker by being out here. Sometimes the best way to support your team is to take care of yourself." 

The thermometer beeped. Virgil slipped it out of the boy's mouth and read it. 103°F. 

"Is your mom here?" 

Damian nodded. 

"You need to go home and rest. You have a high fever," Virgil told him, "I'll make sure you get to her." 

Damian was unhappy as he and Virgil headed for the bleachers. The poor kid was such a great team player, he felt bad that he couldn't stay. 

The bleachers were intimidating, full of rambunctious family members. Virgil didn't like having to go near them if he could help it. He was glad to see Damian's mother on the lowest bench, chatting with Roman's brother, Remus, a wily man with a mustache, about her hair routine. She always had a way of making her tight coils look incredible.

"Momma," Damian said softly, getting her attention. 

"What's wrong, Baby?" 

"Coach Virgil said I need to go home," Damian said and pouted, on the verge of tears. His mother turned her gaze on him, ready to fight him for making her baby cry.

"He has a temperature," Virgil admitted and held up the thermometer, "I know he wants to stay for the team, but I can't let him stay like this." 

"I want to stay!" Damian sobbed. Virgil knelt by him and rubbed his back. 

"You gotta take care of yourself, Champ, even if it makes you a little sad. There'll be other games and we'll be happy to have you feeling better on the field." 

Damian nodded and dried his eyes. Virgil offered him an understanding smile and got up. 

"Thank you, Virgil. I'm sorry for the mess." 

"There's no mess, don't worry. It's great to have someone this dedicated on the team," Virgil said shyly, "But I'll let you get going. Drive safe." 

After a quick goodbye, Virgil went back to the dugout to douse his hands in hand sanitizer and to make sure Benny wasn't shaking anymore. He didn't realize that someone was watching him like a hawk from the bleachers. 

"Look alive out there!" he called to the outfielders as the next batter came up. He knew the kid, Phil, was actually really good at hitting the ball. 

"Thanks, coach," Benny said when Virgil sat down next to him. 

"I can't let anyone on my team go hungry," Virgil said and grabbed his clipboard, "Which is why I want you to put this in your bat bag and give it to your mom." He pulled an envelope from the clipboard and handed it to the kid. 

"What is it?" 

"A gift card for the grocery store. Let's keep it a secret between us," he said and started writing things down. Benny hugged him and hurried to hide his present. 

Virgil smiled to himself and watched the game. These kids made the extra work worthwhile.

.

The game itself was pretty standard without too many incidents. Virgil was so glad he didn't have to fight with angry parents over the ump's calls. Even if they didn't win, his team played well. 

"You guys did great out there today," Virgil said in the team's last huddle, "You're really coming together as a team and I'm proud of all of you. Now go get some rest and relax, you earned it. I'll see you on Tuesday for practice." 

He broke the huddle and his team scattered, except for Andy and Roman. 

"Hey, Squirt, can you get the bases and bring them to Coach Pat?" Virgil asked and started packing up. Andy rolled his eyes and trudged onto the field. 

"What can I do, Coach Virgil?" Roman asked brightly. 

"You don't have to do anything, I know your brother is here and probably wants to go home." 

"He says he needs to talk to you," Roman pouted, "And he doesn't shut up. I don't wanna be bored." 

Virgil's eyebrows rose slightly. Remus needed to talk to him? What could that feral babe need from him? Roman seemed to love being on his team and he was doing good. It wasn't like he had any reason to need to talk with a boring baseball coach. He could understand Remus might want to talk to him, they were best friends and they acted like boyfriends, and they spent a lot of time watching Roman. But need set off alarm bells. 

"You can check the field for any balls. You don't have to go far, or you can see if Coach Pat wants help," Virgil said, "I'll try to make this quick." 

Roman beamed at him and ran off to help. Virgil took a moment to finish packing and lean against the fence to calm his nerves. Remus probably wasn't going to yell at him for anything. He was probably just going to talk about Roman. It would be fine. 

"Hey there, Coach" an imp purred by his ear, "wanna show me your bat and balls?"

Virgil yelped and spun around. Remus was leaning forward, holding the fence and arching his back coyly. He was grinning and taunting Virgil with his sparkling eyes. 

"Jeez, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Virgil huffed and tried not to stare. Remus looked good in his low rise jeans, neon green shredded crop-top, and spiked leather jacket. 

"Nope!" Remus giggled, "You're just so cute when you're startled!" 

"Ro said you need to talk to me?" 

"Yeah! Are you busy tonight?" 

"Why?" Virgil asked and picked up Andy's bat bag and his own. 

"Do you want to get dinner and watch old horror movies at my place? Roman is sleeping over with Phil and it won't smell like formaldehyde or anything!" Remus grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. If he weren't an embalmer, Virgil would have questions for Remus. 

"Depends. Is there more to it than cuddles?" 

"Only if you're my boyfriend," Remus hummed, "Because I was planning on asking you anyway." 

Virgil blushed and rubbed his neck. 

"If you're sure." 

"Yeah! Do you want to make things official?" Remus asked with a little shimmy. 

"We don't have to kiss, do we?" 

"Only if you want to!" 

Virgil stepped out of the dugout and coaxed Remus away from the fence. The little imp was grinning and bouncing on his heels. He was so cute. Virgil couldn't resist kissing his forehead. 

"I'll stop by after work and I'll bring Chinese food," he said with a smirk. 

"Tease!" Remus huffed and grabbed his shirt. He dragged Virgil into a surprisingly chaste smooch. 

"Gross!" Andy complained as he and Roman trudged over to them, both eager to leave.

"It could be grosser!" Remus teased, "I could accidentally sneeze on him too!" 

"That's way grosser," Virgil agreed and rolled his eyes. 

"Can we go home now?" Roman asked, glancing between the pair. 

"Sure! Don't want to stop and say hi to mom and dad?" Remus asked. Roman shook his head. He didn't want to go to the cemetery. He wanted to shower and then spend the night with Phil and play video games. Remus was more than okay with that. 

"Alright, then let's go!" 

"See you tonight," Virgil said as Remus left with Roman. Then he turned his attention to Andy, who was picking up the backpack.

"Ready, Squirt?" 

"Yeah. Are you and Remus dating?" 

"We are now." 

"Mom owes me 10 bucks. she said you wouldn't get together before I turn 11," Andy said mostly to himself. Virgil sighed and shook his head. He would have to have a talk with his aunt later.

[optimistredsox]

19 May, BOS @ STL, 11-3, win

There’s the offence we knew was there but seemed to have little or no sense of timing. What a way to break a losing streak. And it wasn’t just offence. Nick Pivetta had day on the mound whilst Jarren Duran made at least one catch that I’m not sure should’ve been humanly possible. Do I wish we got our shit together a few games ago? Yes. Was I delighted that we seem to be getting it together now? Also yes. Do I think this is how every game is going to go for the rest of the season? No. Am I going to let that bother me whilst I enjoy how much fun that game was? Also no. Were there bright sides? Fuck yeah there were bright sides.

Nick Pivetta pitched a one hitter over six innings. The only hit was a dinger. He didn’t walk anyone and he struck out eight. He also only threw 72 pitches, 51 for strikes. Damn.

Raffy Devers hit another home run, but this time not only was someone on base at the time but we also won. That’s cool.

Tyler O’Neill had a bit of a slump buster, hitting a dinger and going 2-for-3 with three runs scored. He also didn’t strike out once, which made a nice change from some of his recent at bats.

Connor Wong went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and also our starting catcher is batting .352. That’s a thing.

Dave Hamilton, who’s struggled, pinch hit and hit a dinger.

Dom Smith knocked in three runs.

We didn’t make an error.

Jarren Duran hit a triple and played great defence.

Wilmer Abreu went 2-for-3 with a RBI.

Chris Martin struck out the side in the ninth.

We won!

We’re heading to Tampa Bay and I am convinced we’re a better team than them. Here’s hoping we can prove it.