Riaan 
Basafake amagilavu abo emugqeni omuhle eduze komugqa wesithathu ngaphambi kokuzilolonga, basahlangana ngemigqa ukunikeza ukuxhawula okuqotho kanye nokushaya amanqindi kumqeqeshi ngamunye ngemva kokuzilolonga.
Basaphuma ngesivinini ngaphambi kwemidlalo futhi bazulazule kubalandeli ngemuva kwemidlalo.
Noma kunjalo. Noma kunjalo. Noma kunjalo.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezine eshonile, iqembu le-softball laseWestlake Village Oaks Christian High lihlonipha wonke umuntu UPete Ackermann isiko, basakhuluma esikhathini samanje somqeqeshi wabo ongasekho njengomkhulu othandekayo. Ukushaqeka kuphelile. Kodwa ukungabi bikho komeluleki omi ngemuva komugqa wesithathu zisamile.
Uphawu lulenga phakathi nendawo olufundeka ngokuthi “Peter Ackermann Field.” Iphosta isekhejini yokushaya elinengcaphuno ka-Ackermann, “Culture Before Championships.” Iqembu ligqoka amahembe anamagama athi, “#PlayForPete.”
Nokho lokhu kungaphezu kokunikela isizini, noma ukudlalela umuntu ohluliwe. Usizi alunaso isikhathi, futhi ukuzilolonga ngakunye kwamaBhubesi kuwukuzila, ukududuza kulawo masiko ngemva kokulahlekelwa.
“Kuzwakala sengathi ucezu oluthile luphelile,” kusho u-Anahi Arreola oyisikhulu esiphezulu. “Ngizizwa sengathi ngezinye izikhathi ngiyamuzwa, kodwa angikwazi yizwa yena.”
Kubeke umthwalo omkhulu kumqeqeshi oyinhloko wonyaka wokuqala Cheyenne Coyle, i-shortstop ye-All-American e-Arizona State kanye nomsizi womqondisi wezokusubatha wakamuva esikoleni esiphakathi sika-Oaks Christian. U-Ackermann ushiye izicathulo ezingenakwenzeka ukugcwalisa njengomsunguli wohlelo, futhi u-Coyle unyathele kancane, esebenza nabadlali abatshele umqondisi wezemidlalo u-Brad Cook ukuthi abafuni ukushintsha okuningi ngemuva kokulahlekelwa u-Ackermann.
U-Coyle uthathe indima yokuba udadewabo omkhulu, kusho u-Arreola. Ukukhulisa. Futhi ngemidlalo engu-10, u-Oaks Christian ungu-9-0-1, iqembu elibambene ndawonye ngenxa yenhlekelele nokwelashwa elamukela umholi omusha emhlambini.
“Njengoba siqhubeka sikhula futhi sifunda ukuthi unjani njengomqeqeshi, kuphinde kwaba sengathi ngisekhaya,” kusho u-Arreola ngoCoyle.
Njengoba amasiko ebasizile ukuba baqhubekele phambili, izinkumbulo ziye zasiza ekubambeni ukulahlekelwa. Chitha amaminithi ambalwa nethimba, futhi uzobuya namaguga asagolide wezindaba ze-Ackermann. U-Justine Lambert omkhulu wayehleka ngenkathi elandisa intandokazi yakhe: ukuhlangana nomfana ongahleliwe ku-Chick-Fil-A ohambweni lonyaka omusha oluya e-Utah, wenqatshwa ecela i-Snapchat yakhe, futhi u-Ackermann wamisa iveni yeqembu ukuba igijime ngaphesheya komgwaqo futhi ikholise. ingane ukuthi ibuye izocela uLambert wakhe I-Snapchat.
UCoyle, ngendlela yakhe, ubelokhu ezama “ukufana noPete” ukukhombisa abadlali ukuthi uyabakhathalela njengabantu, esho. U-Lambert, ozinikele eNyuvesi yaseHoward, uthe ngezinye izikhathi wayedonsa kanzima nezifundiswa futhi u-Ackermann wayemthumelela umyalezo ukuze ahlole amamaki akhe; U-Coyle umthumelele umlayezo muva nje ukuthi uyaziqhenya ngaye ngemuva kwesonto elinzima, isenzo esithinta uLambert.
Ngemuva kokudlula ngo 34-1 ku-Ackermann isizini yokugcina, Amabhubesi angase alayishe kakhulu kulo nyaka. U-Arreola ungomunye wabashayi abaphambili endaweni, enama-homer ayisishiyagalombili kuma-at-bats angama-27. Futhi bajulile endundumeni, noPaityn Lavin owenza isibili ehambisana no-Emelia Davis omncane ukuze anikeze u-Oaks Christian isibhakela esisabekayo esisodwa kokubili.
Ukushoda kusekhona futhi kuzoba unyaka wonke. Kuzoba njalo namagilavu emgqeni wesisekelo sesithathu, nokuxhawulana ngemva kokuphrakthiza, nokuwayizisa ngemva kwemidlalo. Usazama ukwenza u-“Ack” aziqhenye.
I-Prystajko ikhula ibe amandla azungezile
U-Zoe Prystajko ka-Huntington Beach ube ngomunye wabagadli abahamba phambili kwi-Southern Section ngesizini edlule, u-Stanford uzibophezele ekuthumeleni i-0.46 ERA.
I-cerebral senior ikhulise umdlalo wayo ngendlela ehlukile kulo nyaka – ngemuva kokushaya i-.271 ngesizini edlule ngama-homer amathathu, ifinyelele ku-.632 isilinganiso kanye nama-homer amahlanu kulo nyaka ngemidlalo eyisishiyagalombili. Ukushwiba okufushanisiwe nokunyakaza okuncane kuqhubezela u-Prystajko ekuqaleni okuhle njengomunye wabadlali abahamba phambili ababili e-Orange County.
“Ngonyaka odlule ube nalesi sigcwagcwa lapho ebengumdlali osezingeni elilodwa. … Ngicabanga ukuthi lokho kuyamqhuba,” kusho uForsberg.
