A ball! two balls! Then Michael's bat cracked and the ball shot toward Hayes, struck well, and bounded into his hands. He gave but a glance at third—where Furness was lingering, hoping to draw a hasty throw to the plate, and so get Michael safely to first—then threw to McPherson, who had covered second. Rounds was thus forced out. Meantime Furness had made a late start for home, trusting to McPherson's slowness and probable confusion. But McPherson, who was neither slow nor confused, sent the ball directly to the plate, where Owen received it safely. Furness, while still ten feet away, stopped and wheeled about; but Owen ran him down, then turned sharply, steadied himself, and drove the ball with all his strength to McPherson. Michael had passed first on the plays and was sliding into second; the ball in McPherson's hands touched him before he reached the base.
In a fraction of a minute it was all over. The umpire was signalling to Michael that he was out; Poole and Rorbach had started in from their positions; Owen was unbuckling his protector. Still Patterson stood and stared, unable to believe that his rescue was complete. And then, like the explosion set off by an electric spark, the audience waked to the situation. The whole Seaton company rose en masse, waving arms and hats and banners, and sent forth a formless, exultant roar; while the recreant cheer-leaders turned their backs on their chorus and danced frantic jigs before the benches.
So ended the first half of the eighth, with the score two to nothing. The Seatonians were soon disposed of. Poole, over-eager, struck out. Owen hit to O'Brien and was thrown out at first. Rorbach made a pretty single into centre field, but came to grief when he tried to stretch it into a two-bagger. Hillbury came in for the last trial!
"Only three outs!" thought Wally, complacently. "Only three outs now!" ran the whisper along the Seaton benches, but expressed in timid hope rather than in confidence. Runs might precede those outs; these Hillbury men could not forever be checked on the bases. The courage rose when Hood sent Durand an easy chance, and was out at first. Then Coy bunted safely, and took second when Patterson threw wide to Ames. Kleindienst hit to Patterson, and was put out at first, while Coy was held on second. Two out, but a man on second! The spectators drew labored breaths; the cheer-leaders on either side, fearing to add to the strain upon their champions, hung silent on the scene before them.
Webster, after two balls and two strikes, caught one on the end of his bat and sent it just out of Hayes's reach. On this scratch hit Coy was advanced to third. Again men on first and third, this time with two out! Ribot was at bat, nerved and resolute; and Rob felt a dread—almost a conviction—that a ball within his reach would be hit safely. On the other hand, in the desperate situation in which Hillbury stood, Webster was bound to steal, so as to make two runs possible in case of a hit. Patterson waited for his catcher's signal. The game hinged on Owen's decision. An error in judgment, a fault in execution, and the peril which had been warded off for nine long innings would be upon them. A tie at this stage, Rob knew, would mean defeat.
He called for a swift, wide ball. Webster feinted a start, hoping to draw a useless throw to second that would let Coy in. Rob hesitated, took a step forward, and pretended to throw; then wheeled and sent the ball to Durand. Coy was nailed as he scrambled back to the base—and the game was won.
The score:—
Seaton
| ab | r | bh | po | a | e | |||||||
| McPherson, 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Poole, lf | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Owen, c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Rorbach, rf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Ames, 1 b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Durand, 3 b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Sudbury, cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Hayes, ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| Patterson, p | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Totals | 29 | 2 | 7 | 27 | 14 | 3 | ||||||
| Hillbury | ||||||||||||
| ab | r | bh | po | a | e | |||||||
| Michael, lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Hood, ss | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Coy, cf | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Kleindienst, 3 b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| Webster, 1 b | 4 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Ribot, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| O'Brien, p | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| Furness, rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Rounds, 2 b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||||
| — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Totals | 31 | 0 | 7 | 24 | 11 | 2 | ||||||