章 354: Game: @ Etna H.S. (10)

Top of the seventh inning would start with Noah so he sprinted with excitement back to the dugout. As I jogged in, he passed by me on his way out. He gave me a carefree smile and walked on out. 

"What's the count?!" Kyle hollered, making his entrance known. "What am I at?"

It took me a second to realize he was talking about his own pitch count and not Noah's batter count. 

"Settle down, you're done for the game." Coach told him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "You did well."

"No way, Coach, you said I get 75 pitches. Not one more. So you might as well not do one less. What am I at?"

Coach looked to Kelvin, who held a clipboard in his wrapped up arm. "Tell him."

"68." Kelvin gave Kyle a look of pity. 

"You won't be able to do a complete game." Coach told him, bluntly. "I'm not going to send you back out there just for one more batter. That batter might do a ten-pitch at-bat as well and put us in a bind."