The memories of what Brandon Ley accomplished Thursday -- his first career hit, defensive assist and inning pitched as a varsity baseball player -- are bound to fade with time.

It's the sight of his smile that needs to linger.

A freshman at Quincy Notre Dame, Ley recently was called up to the varsity level and he started Thursday at shortstop in an 11-5 loss to Hannibal. In the fourth inning, he got his first test on a ground ball up the middle and threw the runner out by two steps.

In the fifth, in his second official at-bat, Ley stroked a single to right field to load bases and keep a QND rally alive. He finished 1 for 3, putting the ball in play in each plate appearance.

It wasn't until the sixth inning, however, that he experienced his I'm-in-the-big-time moment.

Brought in to relieve Justin Stinnett, Ley looked comfortable, effectively spotted his fastball and got the Pirates' Alan Ward to pop out to third baseman Blaise Haxel to start the inning.

Then it happened.

Ley tried to throw what appeared to be a knuckle ball that never really knuckled. Actually, the pitch didn't do much of anything except float to the backstop.

He came off the mound, adjusted his cap and laughed. His teammates, his coaches, his family and friends all chuckled. Right then, you could see in Ley what this game is all about.

It's meant for fun.

QND trailed 7-4 at the time, having been thwarted by an opportunistic Hannibal defense and smacked by a Pirate offense that pelted line drives into the outfield power alleys. There was a seriousness of purpose in the QND dugout, a sense of urgency overtaking the Raiders.

One pitch relaxed everyone.

Haxel, the staff ace who routinely has his fastball clocked in the upper 80s, uttered something that had Ley shaking his head and smiling. It kept Ley from getting embarrassed or nervous and allowed him to get the batter out on a soft liner a couple of pitches later.

The rest of the inning didn't go so smooth as the Pirates scored three runs as Ley gave up back-to-back doubles to Hannibal's Jay Mosley and Zach Nichols. It did little to diminish the positive start Ley enjoyed.

And it didn't erase his smile.

Better days lie ahead for a freshman with limitless potential. There will be some worse days, too. That's the beauty of this fickle game. It humbles you as much as it glorifies you. It forces you to maintain some perspective.

Ley gained some perspective Thursday by not allowing the pitch that got away to ruin his day. He took it for what it was -- a reason for his teammates to give him some good-natured ribbing.

When they do, he'll smile.

That should make us all remember why the game is played.

-- mschuckman@whig.com/221-3366