Down in the field in front of the section where the Lowell boys sat were four Lowell boys with megaphones and without coats or hats who led the yelling and the singing, and the wearers of the green did their best to make as much noise and sing as loud as the more numerous adherents of the orange (Armour’s color), who sat in the stands back of first base and spread out on the field, and who would have won the game purely on their enthusiasm if they could. Last year Armour had played at Lowell and had lost, but they had a good time anyhow with their cheering and their singing, and especially after the game when the Lowell crowd entertained them.
That afternoon the team came nearer to defeat than at any time so far that year. The advantage of being champions had been partly offset by the big hostile crowd in the stand. The feeling of nervousness was shared by Hughie and the coaches over the one weak spot, first base, in what would otherwise have seemed to him a championship team. Dill had been tried and found wanting, and Ross was given the job. He was at times fit, but at other times he made the rankest errors and occasionally made such a boneheaded play that it upset the confidence of the whole team.
“If this is one of Ross’s good days,” said Hughie, “we’re all right; but if he is as bad as he was two weeks ago in the game with Colfax, then look out. We have no one else to put in, and we can’t win from this crowd if it’s a bad day for Ross.”
Then the gong sounded, the umpire said “Play ball,” the Armour boys took their places in the field and the game was on.
Everson led off for Lowell and drew a base on balls. Captain sacrificed him to second; Honus drove a hot one to the shortstop, who fumbled but recovered in time to catch the runner at first, Everson taking third. Ty placed a neat single over the second bag and Everson came in, Ty taking second on the throw in. Tris came up next and drove a hot one past third base and Ty came all the way home on the hit. Tris being held on first, Delvin hit a screamer down the first-base line, which rolled to the fence, and Arthur made the round trip with Tris ahead of him. Ross, the next man up, struck out.
“That’s a bad sign,” said Hughie to himself as Ross walked down to first and picked up his glove.
Carter, the first man up for Armour, fouled out; Wilson, the next batter, hit a long fly to Ty; Blair, the next man up, hit a grass-scorcher over second. Honus rushed over, made a beautiful pick up with one hand and a perfect throw to Ross ten feet ahead of the runner, and Ross muffed the ball. Gibbie signaled to Miner to throw to first to catch the runner who had taken a big lead. His throw was good, but Ross again muffed. The next man up made a clean hit over third, and Blair, the man on first, got clear around to third. Hughie signaled the infield to play in close, because a hit would bring in a run anyhow. The batter tapped an easy one toward Ross, who picked it up neatly, but while he was making up his mind where to throw it, the man on third came in and the batter reached first. The next man sent a high fly to left, which Cap. gathered in. Score, 4 to 1.
In Lowell’s half of the second we went out in one-two-three order. In Armour’s half, Miner was unsteady and passed Clymer, the first man. Then he struck out the second batter. The next man up laid a neat bunt down toward third; Delvin came rushing in, scooped it up neatly and hurled it straight for the bag. [Again Ross muffed the ball], and before he had recovered it the batter was safe and Clymer who had received the base on balls originally was perched on third. By this time the nervousness had spread to the rest of the team. A hit would mean another run.
