The badgers were behind by two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. with two players on base, victoria was confident that she could secure a win with a perfectly placed hit. the first pitch was a vicious fastball that victoria missed by a mile. the opposition cheered when the umpire called the strike, but victoria grew more determined to get a hit. after several more pitches, the count was full with three balls and two strikes. victoria had only one more chance. the final pitch seemed to take its time crossing the plate. finally, victoria swung her bat and made contact with the ball. the ball soared past the outfielders and over the fence; it was a home run! when she triumphantly crossed home plate, victoria's appreciative teammates surrounded her.

the climax of the story occurs when victoria
a) hits a home run.
b) misses the first pitch.
c) hears the opposition cheering.
d) is surrounded by her teammates.