It happened in the bottom of the fifth inning, when the wheels had begun to run off for the team from Durham. The Tar Heels already had an eight-run lead and had blown the game wide open, scoring five runs in the fifth inning, when Justice Thompson stepped to the plate. There were two runners in scoring position, although the bases themselves would soon be rendered inconsequential. A 3-1 pitch cruised down the center of the plate, and Thompson chose violence.
I’ve never hit a home run. The closest I’ve ever come was smacking golf balls into low-earth orbit with an old aluminum bat that was taking up space in my parents’ garage.