(news.yahoo.com)
Gary Frank tells a great story about Malaika Underwood's introduction to the varsity baseball team her junior year at La Jolla High School in 1998.Underwood was to go on to fame and fortune as the CIF Female Prep Athlete of the Year during her senior year at LJHS in 1999, and member of the gold medal-winning USA women's baseball team in the Pan Am Games this past week in Canada.
But in the spring of '98, with Coach Bob Allen at the head and Frank a varsity assistant, Underwood was still not guaranteed a spot on the varsity squad.
She came in late to baseball, after the girls basketball team went far into the CIF playoffs. As a result, the second baseman, who had played for the junior varsity, hadn't tried out for the team. The Vikings were already playing tournament games.
Coach Allen decided to put Malaika into a game to see what would happen.
Let Frank tell the story:
"Bob put her in at second base in the bottom of the sixth inning at Oceanside High School. The first out of the inning was a popup to her, which she handled fine.
"After a runner got on first, the next batter hit a slow grounder to third base. He threw to second base and Malaika turned a great double play, while getting taken out by an aggressive slide by the baserunner.
"She just got up, dusted herself off and came back into the dugout like it was no big deal.
"She came up to bat in the top of the seventh, and quickly fell behind 0-2. Then she ripped a fastball down the right field line for a double.
"When she advanced to third base later in the inning, Bob told her, 'Congratulations, you just made varsity.'"
Copyright 2015 Ed Piper
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