Finishing his approach to first base, Brent Rooker’s eyes darted downward to make sure he stepped on the bag as he rounded first and continued what seemed like a fruitless jog to second base. The ball he had crushed to centerfield was, like so many before it, about to fall just short of its target, the gap between glory and defeat merely a few inches of leather glove.
The centerfielder for Southeast Missouri State had easily jogged back to the fence where his arm was outstretched and his gloved hand waited on the high-hit ball to fall into the sweet spot.