Two runs that inning was all the rivals of the academy could bring in, the succeeding batters being pitched out by “Sock.” But when Boxwood took the field for the last half of the fifth there was a different atmosphere. Boxwood Hall’s team had “tightened up,” and the same might be said of the military academy players, for they realized they had to meet some snappy players.
“Hold ’em down, Ned,” begged Bob, as he went to his position at shortstop.
“I will,” promised Ned.
“And don’t you make any wild throws, Chunky,” cautioned the tall lad on first.
“You watch me,” Bob remarked.
However, for all his promise, he nearly brought disaster in the next few minutes of play. For a bounding ball came his way, and though he scooped it up in a clever catch that earned him applause, he threw it so high to Jerry that the tall lad had to leap in the air, and spear it down with one hand.
That he got it was due not only to luck, but to efficient playing, and as he came down on the bag with one foot just in time to catch the runner out, a yell of approval arose from the crowd.
Everything did not go as well as that, though, for one of the fielders missed an easy fly, thereby being indirectly responsible for letting in a run, making Kenwell nine. But that was all they got that inning—Ned pitching some wonderful ball, and retiring two men in succession without letting them even foul.
“Well, at that rate, we won’t beat ’em,” said Bob, gloomily, as his side came in to bat. “We’ve got four more innings to play, and if we get two runs each inning that will make eight for us, or a total of eleven. They’ve got nine now, and one run in each of the four left will make them thirteen——”