“Now is the time to do it,” said Hughie as Hans walked to the bat. “This is the one grand chance to get them. We only need three, Hans, and you can get one.”
Hughie’s coaching made no difference to Hans either way. He kept his eye on Mellen and the ball and when Mellen finally sent one up Hans smashed it for a single to right which got him to first.
Hal tried to hit it out and got a long fly to Warcford which kept Hans on first.
Delvin came up determined to do or die and he dropped a beautiful single in left which Warcford fielded quickly, holding Hans on second. Then Gibbie tried to knock the cover off the ball. He struck three times at what appeared like good ones and missed three of them, which was very good work on Mellen’s part. Hughie now sent Huyler up to bat for Black. Being two out Hans and Delvin started and got away with a double steal, Hans going to third and Arthur to second.
It was the only chance Huyler had in the game. He landed on the second ball pitched for a beautiful liner which went to the right field fence, but the unbeatable Twitchell made it look like an easy out, for he timed the ball to the instant and made a running catch that was as clever as any that had been made in the entire game. This made three out and Jefferson still two runs ahead.
The Jefferson crowd felt they had the game salted away and the team needed only to hold its advantage and the Championship was theirs. At the same time they intended to make the most of their last time at bat.
Babe Radams went in to pitch for Lowell and Twitchell feeling good over his line catch of a moment before couldn’t be stopped. He leaned against the third ball the Babe tossed up for a well-played single to right. This hit and Brest’s monkey shines at the plate got Babe going for a minute and Roger walked. Mellen, good hitter always, wanted to drive it out, but Captain Church ordered the sacrifice, and Twitchell reached third, and Roger got to second.
Laird came up to turn the trick and knocked one that took just one bound in Hans’ direction, and then tried to get over Hagner’s head, but Hans went up in the air, lurching somewhat to the right, got it, and with the same motion fired the ball to Gibbie, who got Twitchell at the plate. To the crowd it looked safe, but the umpire said “out” and that settled it.
Babe’s nerves were on edge by this time and unfortunately he hit Beach with a pitched ball and the bases were full. This put everybody more or less up in the air and anything might happen.
Church now came to bat. He was trying to make Babe walk him, and he did get three balls. Then Babe put two over which the Captain-manager missed. The last one he hit right over third base and nine times out of ten it would have been a safe hit but Arthur managed to knock it down with his right hand, and then picking it up hurriedly he fired it in Hal’s direction, but high. If there ever was a ball that was headed for the grand stand it was that one. For height it came near the record. The Jefferson crowd went wild, but they had never really seen Hal climb into the air. He ran three steps, made a mighty leap into the air, his back to the ball, and then that right hand of his shot up one, two, maybe four feet higher, and he got it. He was as far from the bag almost as the runner, only he was up over it. He came to earth feet on the base and as the umpire waved his hand for the out, Hal and Church came together and the breath was knocked out of both of them.