Zachary's Thursday Night ballgame

This baseball season has been a little bit of a struggle.  Zachary has moved up to what they call farm and the kids pitch to each other.  There have been a number of kids hit by the pitcher, Zachary included, and a lot of them are now scared of the ball.  You can see at least half of the kids backing out of the batter's box scared to death.  Zachary has not had a hit since his birthday back in March and he is really dissapointed in himself.  He has a hard time when he doesn't excel in things.  We were on our way to the game Thursday night and he was really quite.  I noticed that the closer we got to the field the quiter he got.  I asked him waht was wrong and he started to tear up and say that he just wanted to hit the ball.  My heart was breaking for him and all I wanted to do was hug him, but he is way to big for that!  So I started telling him about Granddaddy and his love for baseball.  That this should be fun for him and it was always fun for Granddaddy, when he played, when he coached, when he was at the field, or watching the Reds on TV he was always happy with baseball.  I told Z that this should be fun or we shouldn't be doing it.  He said ok mom and got out of the car to join his teammates on the field to practice.  I sat in the car, had a good cry for my baby and prayed to God and asked Granddaddy and Meamaw to watch Z's game and cheer him on to a hit, at least one.  The game starts and he is first to bat, I am sick at my stomach and I can hardly watch.  I am praying over and over, please let him hit it, please let him hit it.  He swings and connects.......foul ball.  I breathe again.  The next pitch, ball 1, again I breathe.  The third pitch he swings, connects and it goes right past the pitcher's mound!!!!  I am up off the bleachers running to 1st with him!  He is thrown out but the look on his face told me that he was ok, he was so happy to have hit it!  I go back to my seat and try not to cry.  He gets back up to bat 3 innings later and again I start my prayer.  He connects on the first pitch and again is thrown out at first.  This time he comes skipping off the field.  I am so proud of him my heart could burst out of my chest.  I leave then to get the little ones and I am crying the whole way home.  I am so happy he is out of his hitting slump, but I know that my Granddaddy and Meamaw were cheering so loud up in Heaven Thursday night and I know that they played a big part in his two hits!