The next ball also came straight and Ty thought to fool them by bunting. He did, and almost perfectly, as the ball didn’t roll over six feet in all. Black was nearly at the plate before Ty got started to first but as hard luck would have it the last foot of the distance the ball rolled outside the foul line and it was “Two strikes” and everybody went back to where they were before. Then it was a study to watch Mellen and Robb.

Would Mellen send another one straight over and try to make him think it would curve or would he send one up wide of the plate and make it curve in, or would it be a high one that would drop to the strike level at the plate? It was a great guessing match that lasted for several seconds.

Then slowly Mellen began his wind up. The ball started for the plate. It was coming straight over. Was it possible that Mellen had decided to take a chance on his hitting it safe? Ty thinks he’ll fool him on that. He will just put that ball over the fence. He pulls back his bat to meet it squarely. He makes a savage swing at it and listens for the crack of the bat. Instead he hears a thud—and Ty knew he had struck out, and the game was lost to Lowell by the score of 4 to 2.

BOX SCORE

JeffersonABRHPOAE LowellABRHPOAE
Laird, 3b401210 Everson, 2b511231
Beach, cf403200 Larke, lf512020
Church, 1b4001000 Talkington, cf502000
Hollins, ss411130 Robb, rf502200
La Joy, 2b412010 Hagner, ss402230
Warcford, lf422100 Case, 1b300730
Twitchell, rf303310 Delvin, 3b400320
Brest, c200800 Gibbs, c401820
Cam, p100041 Radams, p200010
Mellen, p100010 Black, p101100
Huyler[A]100000
3141227111 39211[B]25161
Jefferson0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0—4
Lowell1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0—2

It was now one game apiece and it would take a third to decide the championship.