The Gold Medal Game
by Naveen Dosaj
Roslyn and Max Margles Young Writers’ Contest
Honourable Mention - Grades 5 & 6
June 6th, 2022, Rouyn-Noranda, 6:45pm. Gold medal game of the Quebec Little League provincial baseball tournament. Our hero steps up at-bat with nobody on base, with no outs and a tied match.
I step in and wait for a pitch. A juicy ball hangs over the plate. I reach out and swing my bat. CRACK. The ball soars through the infield as the opponents dodge the speed of the ball. In the outfield, the ball slowly stops as the center fielder picks it up with a sticky palm and throws to the second baseman.
Our hero has already passed second base and is heading to third… he slides in right before the throw from the cut-off man (the second baseman) and gets to third base easily. He does a sort of celebration as his teammates cheer him on and dance with him.
Next up at-bat for the NDG Black Lynx is Owen Lindsay, all Owen must hit the baseball hard on the ground or hit it in the outfield. The Patriots put their defense in, if an infielder receives the ball, they will immediately throw to home plate to prevent the winning run from scoring.
Back to the game. Owen is ready, I am ready, and the pitcher is ready. The pitcher throws the ball and Owen swings as hard as he can, but he misses. That’s okay. The pitcher winds up and Owen strikes his bat at the ball. It’s a weak ground ball hit directly to the Shortstop. He charges the ball as I dash towards home plate as fast as a cheetah chasing its prey.
The Shortstop throws the ball while I slide belly first into home plate. The catcher tags me violently with his glove but it’s up to the umpire to make the decision of whether I am safe or not.
The umpire at home plate is old, and old umpires make better decisions than young umpires. The moment of truth is upon us: safe or out?
“You’rrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeee…”
jury comments
The jury said that “The Gold Medal Game”by Naveen Dosaj was dynamic, lively, and full of energy. They praised the story’s vivid descriptions, clever ending, and strong narrative voice, and appreciated how it left readers eager for more.