The pitching of Dick Merriwell during the rest of the game was the wonder of all who witnessed it. The boy had all kinds of speed, perfect control, and a cool head. His manner of mixing fast and slow balls bothered the batters, while not one of them could touch his jump ball.
Inning after inning passed, and still neither side made a run.
Hazen was anxious, and, at last, he became desperate.
“Confound that boy!” he snarled. “Is he going to be the cause of my losing a pot of money?”
“It looks like it,” confessed Wescott.
“Hold on,” urged Derring. “He can’t keep it up. Something will happen.”
And so the desperate gambler made no move, hoping all the time that something would happen.
Straight through to the ninth Dick pitched without permitting the home team to get another run. In the ninth he used the jump ball and the drop, and not a man fouled the ball, much less hit it out.
Rattleton was the first hitter for the Merries in the ninth. Batch had Harry’s weak spot, and he fanned him.