The Yale rooters brightened up.
“What’s this? What’s this?” cried Charlie Creighton. “They have dropped on Finch at last! Now they will hit anything he sends over the plate.”
The Yale yell was heard, and the little bunch of rooters did their best to encourage the players.
Finch was astonished by Merriwell’s success. Suddenly he lost some of the supreme confidence that had buoyed him up all the while. Yale had scored at a time when a whitewash seemed sure. What was going to happen next?
Cal Jeffers came to the plate. He had been placed at the head of Yale’s batting list because of his qualities as a hard, sure hitter.
Hodge and Merriwell had secured hits, and Jeffers looked as if he meant to do the same.
Finch fiddled with the ball, while two Yale coachers shouted from opposite sides of the diamond. He pitched twice and had two called balls on him. Jeffers stood calmly waiting for a good one.
Finch decided to put on his greatest speed and cut the outside corner of the plate. He did, and Cal Jeffers swung his bat.
It did not seem that Jeffers put any force into that hit, but the ball went skimming down between short and second so fast that no one could touch it, and it placed Jeffers on second, while Merriwell scored with ease.
Two for Yale!