CHAPTER XIII.
PAUL'S GREAT CATCH.
There was a tremendous cheering from those who favored Si Voup's club, while the Lakeport sympathizers were correspondingly silent.
"The Excelsiors get the first run!"
"They are going to win this game sure!"
The Lakeport players were much crestfallen, but did their best not to show it.
While the cheering was going on and Joe was preparing to pitch once more the runner at first tried to steal to second. Like lightning Joe delivered the sphere into the hands of Link and the runner was put out. This brought the first inning to a close. A score board had been erected, and up went the score, in chalk:
"That's hard luck, no use of talking," said Bart, as he came in. "Boys, we must do something this inning."
"If we can," added Paul.
"No use of getting discouraged," came cheerfully from Harry. "This game is young yet."
Frank Pemberton was the first player to bat in the second inning.
"Here comes Cheeky," cried one of his friends. "He'll show 'em a trick or two."
"Another victim!" roared an Excelsior enthusiast.
The run gained made Si Voup feel good and he walked to the box feeling very important. Then he sent in an outer curve.
"Ball one!" called the umpire.
Again the ball came in and Frank did not try to hit it.
"Ball two!"
"What's the matter with that?" growled Si.
"Too far out," said the umpire.
Once more the sphere was delivered. It was in the right place and Frank rapped it good and hard and sent it sailing far out into left field.
"Good!" came the shout. "Run, Cheeky, run!"
And Frank did run for all he was worth. First was gained, then second, and he slid to third in safety.
"A three-base hit!"
"Now where are you, Excelsiors?"
"You've got 'em started, boys; keep it up."
Harry was the next player to bat and as he came up Laura waved her flag at her brother.
Harry tried to keep cool, but his heart was thumping madly. He let the first ball pass him.
"One strike!"
Again the ball came in. It was not exactly what he wanted, but he landed on it almost desperately and sent it along the ground between first and second base. The first baseman ran for it, while Voup started to cover the bag. But before anything could be done Harry was safe and Frank had come in home.
"A run for Lakeport!"
"Why didn't you put the ball home?" cried the Excelsior catcher, angrily, for the sphere had been sent to Voup instead of to him.
"I couldn't get the man from third," growled the first baseman, yet he knew in his heart that he had made a wrong play.
Joe followed his brother, but as luck would have it was caught out on a pop fly to shortstop. Then Voup put in his swiftest ball, the catcher threw it to second, and Harry was caught just as he was trying to steal that bag. Link was at the bat and he went out an instant later on three strikes; and this finished the first half of the second inning.
"Never mind, we have evened up the score," said Joe. "Frank, that was a dandy hit and no mistake."
When they came to the bat the Excelsiors did their best to get in two runs, but there was a triple play between the first and second basemen and the shortstop of the Lakeports, and the runners failed to score. Then a short fly to third finished the inning. Once again the score went up on the board:
"Anyway, that looks a little better," said Fred.
"It looks like a nip-and-tuck game," said Mr. Corsen to his gentleman friend. "Still, I bank on the Lakeports."
"And I am just as confident that the Excelsiors will win."
So far Paul Shale had not been to the bat, but now it was his turn to face Si Voup and he did it as calmly as possible. He had two strikes called on him and two balls and then knocked a little fly to first base.
"Come home!" cried somebody. "You don't know how to bat!" And Paul walked to the bench feeling very sore.
But the bad luck did not continue, and before the inning came to an end the Lakeports scored two runs. Then the Excelsiors made four runs. The score now read, Excelsiors 5, Lakeports 3, and our young friends felt rather glum.
"Brace up, fellows," said Joe. And then he added: "Do you want another pitcher or catcher?"
"No!" was the immediate answer. "You are all right."
During the next few innings there was a general see-sawing and half a dozen mildly exciting plays. There was also a dispute over a close decision on second base, but the umpire stood firm and the majority of the spectators sided with him. The score at the end of the seventh inning read, Excelsiors 8, Lakeports 5.
"This is a victory for the Excelsiors," said more than one. "The Lakeports can't catch up to them now. It's too late."
But in the eighth inning matters took a brighter turn for the Lakeports. Harry was first to the bat and knocked a clean base hit. The fielders fumbled the ball and he managed to get down to second. As before Joe followed him, and rapped a red-hot liner to shortstop. The Excelsior player could not hold the sphere, and while Joe reached first Harry went up to third. Then, while Link was at the bat, the catcher let the ball pass him and Harry came in, while Joe advanced to third base. The Excelsiors were now badly rattled and when the catcher threw the ball to Si Voup he missed it, and in the mixup Joe slid home.
"Hurrah for Lakeport! That's the way to do it!"
"Voup, put some glue on your hands! You'll be able to hold the ball better!"
Si Voup was so cut up that he began to pitch wildly and soon Link went to first base on balls. Then Paul came up and knocked a two-bagger, and Walter followed with a clean hit to center that brought him to second and helped to score two more runs. The Lakeport supporters were now cheering wildly and throwing up their hats.
"We've got 'em on the run!" cried Bart, excitedly. And when he came up he banged out another two-base hit, and a runner came in, adding another run to the score. But that was the end of the good luck, and they retired at the end of the first half of the eighth inning with the score standing, Excelsiors 8, Lakeports 10.
When the Excelsiors came up again it was with a "do or die" expression on their faces. One of their best batsmen was up and he managed to make a fine two-base hit which won great applause. Then came an out, followed by another hit, and then a player got to first on balls. When the inning came to a close the score was a tie, 10 to 10.
The excitement all over the ball field was now intense. That the two clubs were closely matched there could no longer be any doubt. Many, however, considered that Joe was a slightly better pitcher than Si Voup.
Harry was now again to the bat and sent the ball down to right field, thereby gaining first. Joe followed with a fly to left field, but the fielder dropped the ball, and Joe got to first while his brother gained second. Then Link distinguished himself by a long drive to center which took him to second and brought in two runs. Again a wild cheering rent the air. Fearing they were going to lose, some of the players of the Excelsiors began to find fault with the runners.
"They cut third base," said Si Voup. "I saw them do it." But the runners had done nothing of the sort, and some spectators began to hiss at the pitcher. Then the umpire told them to play ball, and in a bad humor the Excelsiors did so. When at last the first half of the ninth inning came to a close the score stood Excelsiors 10, Lakeports 13.
"I hope that proves a lucky thirteen," said Harry, as his club walked out into the field well satisfied with their score.
"If we could only shut them out this last inning!" came from Link.
If the Excelsiors had been anxious to score before, they were doubly anxious now, and Voup cautioned the first man up to do his very best. As a result the fellow made a safe hit and reached first.
"That's the way to start 'em up!" cried Sidney Yates, who was on the coaching line. "Show 'em how we have been fooling 'em, boys!" And then he continued to make all sorts of remarks, in an endeavor to rattle Joe.
The next player went out on a sacrifice hit, which he made contrary to Voup's orders. This took the man on first to second. The next batter hit the ball to left field, but only managed to reach first, while the other runner came home.
"Eleven to thirteen!" was the cry. "Now, Excelsiors, make those other two runs, and one over!"
Joe's heart was thumping wildly, but he did his best to steady himself. He pitched with all the speed left in his arm, and as a result the next man was struck out in quick order. At this the Excelsiors looked glum once more.
"One more out and the game will be over."
"It doesn't look as if the Excelsiors would make those runs now, does it?"
So the talk ran on, while the next player came up, and the man on first reached second. Then came a short hit. Link got the ball and threw it to third and the man on second stayed where he was.
"Go in for a home run!" shouted somebody in the crowd. A run of that sort meant three runs, for both first and second bases were now occupied by runners.
In the midst of the fever-heat of excitement one of the Excelsiors' best batsmen came to the plate. He had made a two and a three-base hit and everybody felt that he could score a home run if given half a chance.
"I must be careful," thought Joe. He realized that his arm was not as limber as it had been. He had wanted to put Link in as pitcher the inning before, but the others would not have it.
Making certain that the runners were not "playing off" too far, he delivered the ball with care.
"One strike!" sang out the umpire, although the batsman had not moved his bat.
Again the ball was sent in. This time the bat came around, but the sphere was not touched.
"Two strikes!"
A murmur arose among the Excelsiors.
"Hit it, Wheeling; you've got to hit it!"
"Knock the cover off the ball!"
Again the ball came in just where Wheeling wished it. He reached out, and crack! the sphere went sailing high over second base and far out into centerfield.
"A home run!" came the cry. "A home run! The Excelsiors win this game."
"Run, fellows, run! There is nothing to stop you."
And the Excelsior players began to dance around like wild Indians. The two on the bases began to tear around the diamond like mad, with the lad who had hit the ball following.
Paul Shale saw the ball coming. He knew it would pass high over his head and down into deep center he went like the wind after it. He heard the crowd yell, but paid no attention to the rest of the players.
"I must get it! I must get it!" he said to himself, and the words fairly burnt themselves into his brain. He made leap after leap. The ball was coming down—it was still out of reach. He stumbled, but kept on—and then, just as the ball came within eight feet of the earth, he sprang up and clutched it in the fingers of one hand. Hardly had he done this than his feet struck a rock and he went down heavily. Then he rolled over on his back, but held the ball aloft.
He held the ball aloft.
He held the ball aloft.
He held the ball aloft.
"He has got it!"
"He caught that fly after all!"
"What a magnificent play! I never saw anything to match it!"
"Those runs don't count."
"Lakeport wins the game!"