But even Henderson, who ranked high in the Tri-State League, couldn’t
keep it up to the end, and when the eighth inning came Sailor
O’Neill brought yelps of joy from the stands by leading off with the
Badgers’ fourth safe hit of the game, a sharp liner that whizzed over
shortstop’s head and let O’Neill reach second base by a hair’s breadth.
Then Leary struck out. Linton, the catcher, laid down a bunt in front
of the plate and the Billies’ backstop chose to head off O’Neill at
third. But his hurried throw went wide, O’Neill scored and Linton slid
into second. With but one down there was a fine chance of evening up
the score or winning, and Wayne wasn’t surprised when the delay at the
plate resulted in the arrival there of a pinch-hitter in the person
of Fawcett, a substitute outfielder. Fawcett’s appearance was greeted
joyfully by the bleachers and he received a deal of advice. Fawcett,
however, failed to deliver the needed hit, for, after swinging at two
good ones and missing them, he stood idle, while a third sailed across
the plate. Bennett was the remaining hope, and Bennett came across
nicely. He allowed Henderson to put him in the hole to the tune of
two-and-one, refused a wide one and a drop, and then connected with
the next offering and banged it hard at the hole between second and
shortstop. The pitcher nearly reached it but failed, and the ball
sailed serenely over the second bag and Linton scuttled home with the
tying run.
The inning ended when Briggs, centre fielder, flied out to first
baseman, and with the score three to three the game went through
the ninth and started the tenth. By this time ennui was no longer
discernible in stands or bleachers. Leather-lunged “fans” were
appealing wildly to the Fates for a victory. Cotton was the relief
pitcher for the Badgers, and, although he was as wild as a hawk in the
ninth, he got by with the aid of sharp fielding and settled down in
the tenth very nicely. With two of the Billies gone, though, an error
by Captain Cross gave a life to the Doncaster left fielder and a pass
to the succeeding batsman put him on second. Then the first baseman
succeeded where better batters had failed and lined one past third,
allowing the left fielder to score and putting the next man on second.
A fly to the outfield brought the end.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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