Baseball -- Juvenile fiction; College students -- Juvenile fiction
"All right," answered Bert; "I've only used the fadeaway once or twice
this game, and they've had no chance to size it up. I'll mix it in with
the others and try to keep them guessing."
Drake and Dick made desperate attempts to overcome the one run advantage
in their half of the eighth. Each cracked out a hot single, but the
three that followed were unable to bring them home, despite the frantic
adjurations of their friends to "kill the ball."
Only one more inning now, one last chance to win as a forlorn hope, or
fall fighting in the last ditch.
A concerted effort was made to rattle Bert as he went into the box, but
for all the effect it had upon him, his would-be tormentors might as
well have been in Timbuctoo. He was thoroughly master of himself. The
ball came over the plate as though shot from a gatling gun for the first
batter, whose eye was good for curves, but who, twice before, had proved
easy prey for speedy ones. A high foul to the catcher disposed of him.
Allen, the next man up, set himself for a fast one, and was completely
fooled by the lazy floater that suddenly dropped a foot below his bat,
just as it reached the plate. A second and third attempt sent him
sheepishly back to the bench.
"Gee, that was a new one on me," he muttered. "I never saw such a drop
in my life. It was just two jerks and a wiggle."
His successor was as helpless as a baby before the magical delivery, and
amid a tempest of cheers, the Blues came in for their last turn at bat.
Sterling raised their hopes for a moment by a soaring fly to center. But
the fielder, running with the ball, made a beautiful catch, falling
as he did so, but coming up with the ball in his hand. Some of the
spectators started to leave, but stopped when White shot a scorcher so
hot that the second baseman could not handle it. Ames followed with a
screaming single to left that put White on third, which he reached by a
desperate slide. A moment later Ames was out stealing second, and with
two men out and hope nearly dead, Bert came to the plate. He caught the
first ball pitched on the end of his bat and sent it on a line between
right and center. And then he ran.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account