[CHAPTER XXIII]
THE SECOND STRUGGLE
| LOWELL | JEFFERSON |
|---|---|
| Everson, 2b | Laird, 3b |
| Larke, lf | Beach, cf |
| Talkington, cf | Church, 1b |
| Robb, rf | Hollins, ss |
| Hagner, ss | La Joy, 2b |
| Case, 1b | Warcford, lf |
| Delvin, 3b | Twitchell, rf |
| Gibbs, c | Brest, c |
| Radams, p | Cam, p |
When the teams lined up at Lowell for the second game, the batting order was the same but there was a somewhat different air to be noticed among the players. The boys who hit the ball were not satisfied with their batting records in the first game, and they were determined to knock somebody out of the box. This time it was Jefferson’s first turn at bat, and as Laird came up Radams prayed for a little luck to enable him to get a good start. Thinking about it so much spoiled his control, for when he had pitched six balls the count was two and four and Laird was walking down to first as a result.
Beach was true to his first inning record and got a nice single to right field and Laird got to third. Captain Church came up with lots of confidence and tapped the ball smartly, but it was an infield fly which Everson caught near the pitcher’s box. Radams was having a hard time with his nerves, apparently, for he gave Hollins four bad ones in succession and he walked to first also. This brought La Joy to bat and he hit a fast grounder over second, but [Hans made a one-hand stop] right at the bag, touched second forcing Hollins and threw to first for the third out.
[“Hans made a one hand catch.”]
“Let’s do something in the first inning besides field,” said Hughie, as Everson started for the plate with his bat.
“Here goes,” said Johnny. Cam, the pitcher, was sizing up Johnny and also wishing, as had Radams a moment before, for a little luck in getting the first man. When he pitched the first ball, however, Everson waded right in and turned it into a single to right and was off for first like a streak. Larke immediately hit a low roller to La Joy who got the captain at first, but Johnny had reached second before Larry had stopped the ball.