Clancy sent in the ball far ahead of him, and Squint turned to get back to third. As he did so, Billy put the ball into McCarthy’s hand. Squint gave a yell and flung himself at Dan feet first, in an undoubted effort to spike.
A shout of anger burst from every man on the field. The lanky McCarthy was not so easily caught, however. As Squint came at him, he writhed aside and drove down his fist with the ball into Fletcher’s face.
Squint was knocked a yard away, and rose with a yell of wrath, blood streaming from his nose. McCarthy was only too ready to pitch into him, but Bully Carson dragged his backstop away, and Merry caught Dan by the shoulder.
“You paid him out for spiking Jim,” cried Frank. “Now simmer down, Dan.”
Squint was greeted with howls and catcalls as he came in. But, during the storm, Bangs had stolen third, and Ironton had taken second. Frank gave Johnson a fast high one, and Johnson hammered it for two sacks.
Murray fanned, but the evil was done. The score stood three to one, and the Clippings seemed lost when McCarthy came out to the plate and went out on a high fly. The crowd began to stream away from the field.
Nippen lumbered up to the plate, and, with a grin, Carson handed him an out. A shriek of astonishment went up as the huge fruit-picker connected. The ball went up and up, and the Clipper outfield raced back. Then they halted in dismay.
Silence fell on the crowd—broken by a gasp. Nippen passed second, rounded third, and held on home. The ball not only cleared the fence, but—dropped into the river! The huge outfielder had knocked a homer!
When the fans understood what had happened, they went wild. Amid the confusion, Clancy came to bat and rapped out a single. The field became a bedlam. Shrieks and wild yells rose on every side, and the thump of feet rose into a dull thunder. When Merry came out to bat, the entire crowd went crazy all over again.
As for the Clippers, they were thunderstruck. Carson tried to gain time, but the umpire commanded him to play ball, and he threw a vicious one straight at Frank’s head. Merry calmly stepped back and bunted it toward first.