CHAPTER XVII
NEARING THE END
The game moved along slowly.
Seven full innings had been played, and the score was still low. It had swung around until it stood in favor of Bellport, four to three.
“It’s anybody’s game yet!” shouted several.
“Get into harness, boys! Put on another wrinkle and win out! You can do it, Columbia!”
“Where’s Herman Hooker? Get that voice of yours working just now. Give the boys encouragement. That’s all they want to pull out! Start her up, Herman!”
“Yes, tune up, Herman!”
And as Bellport came to bat for the beginning of the ninth, with no change in the score as yet, Herman marshalled his cohorts in the bleachers, and with that strident voice of his to lead, began to cheer in concert, bleat out the famous school cry, and sing “Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,” the immense crowd joining in until the volume of sound might have been heard a mile away.
“Careful, Ralph; this is a crisis!” Frank Allen had said as his friend picked up his glove and started toward the box.
Ralph looked perfectly cool. Indeed, many who saw him, and knew that this was his first game in big company, prophesied that he would turn out to be the greatest pitcher Columbia had ever known, given a little more experience.