There was no scoring in either half of the seventh, although the
Indians had two men on bases at one time, with only one out. What luck
there was broke for the Mascots; and the first double-play of the game,
participated in by Groom and Crossbush, put an end to the inning. In
the eighth the Mascots came near to scoring when Peterson reached third
on a base hit and a wild throw to second and tried to score on White’s
grounder to shortstop. At that the decision at the plate was close and
might have gone either way.
In their half the Indians set to work with vim and lighted on Dick
Barry hard. Codman hit safely, Benson got his base on balls, Porter
struck out, Thursby sacrificed, and Nettleton, with only one gone,
filled the bases by a pop fly to Dick, which that overeager youth
dropped. Things looked desperate then for Sam’s charges, but a minute
later Sawyer had fouled out to third baseman and the Mascots and their
allies breathed freer. They were not to emerge unscathed, however,
for Meldrum hit a bounder that just tipped Dick’s upstretched fingers
and was finally fielded by Groom too late to throw to the plate or to
first, and the Indians scored their fifth run. Then, after missing the
plate three times out of four, and putting himself in a hole, Dick
made a sudden throw to second and, after a wildly exciting moment, the
runner was caught between bases.
Simpson opened the ninth for the Mascots with a bunt that trickled down
the first-base line and threatened every instant to roll out, but never
did, much to the disgust of Porter and Benson, who hovered anxiously
over it. Had Porter fielded it at once he could have made the assist,
but he left the decision with the ball and the ball fooled him. Then
Jones sacrificed Peterson to second, Welch struck out, Barry lifted
a fly to left field that was an easy catch and, with two down and a
runner on second, the inning looked about over. But Tom Crossbush drew
a pass and stole second on the first pitch, while Simpson went to
third, and then Dan Peterson scored Simpson, with a hit over second
base.
The Mascots leaped and shrieked with delight, and while the Indians
were still wondering what had happened, and while George Porter was
winding up to send his first offering to Billy White, Crossbush, who
was dancing back and forth a dozen feet from third, suddenly broke for
the plate. Shouts of warning, shrieks of excitement! Porter momentarily
faltering as he pitched! Crossbush sliding feet foremost for the
platter! Benson leaping far to the right in a despairing effort to get
the ball! Peterson rounding second like a runaway colt! And then, while
the brown dust billowed, Steve Brown announcing, “Safe!”
Eight to five then, and nothing to it but the Mascots! Shouting and
dancing and pandemonium along the lines! And, finally, White striking
out and a deep breath of relief from the Indians and their supporters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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