Thud! it dropped to the ground.
But the bases were filled, and the batter was out, for all that Jack had
not held the ball. He recovered it so that there was no possibility for
the man on third to get home.
Now two men were out, but the bags were filled, and a long, safe hit
meant more scores for the visitors. Fleetwood, the Hartford
third-baseman, took his turn at the stick. He was a good waiter, and he
found just what he wanted, sending it safe over the short-stop, so that
two more scores came in.
Badger was pale round the mouth when the next hitter stepped up to the
plate. He did not spare Ready. Jack missed the first two balls, being
unable to hold them, although he did not let them get past him. Both
were strikes, and again Badger tried to "work" the batter, though he did
not slacken his speed. Frank was anxious, for he expected to see the
freshman catcher let one of those hot ones pass him. Nothing of the kind
happened, and, after trying two balls, Buck used a sharp rise and struck
the man out.
The college men on the bleachers rose up and howled, but Frank Merriwell
was gloomy at heart, though his lips smiled.
"Badger is doing well," he told himself; "but Ready cannot hold him. I'm
afraid the handicap is too great. Oh, for Bart Hodge just now!"
The first half of the first inning was over, but Hartford had made three
runs.
Pages:
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66