As for our hero, however, he knew that his eye was as true as it had ever been, and he felt able to go on for nine innings if necessary. But only four remained in which to turn the trick. Could he do it? Others beside himself asked that question.
The next man stepped to the plate. Two fouls and a miss on the last strike was the best he could do, and he went back to the bench. The third man Bill struck out cleanly.
“Wow! Wow!” howled the Westfield crowd. “We’ve got ’em going!”
But it was to be no easy victory. Though by reason of Bill’s twirling a momentary halt had been called on the winning streak of the visitors, still Westfield must make more runs in order to win the game.
And this was not easy. Hedden was hit for two singles, but the Westfield players were a bit careless on bases, and one was caught napping. One run was brought in on Cap’s three bagger making the score eight to nine, with a single leading tally in favor of the visitors.
From then on it was nip and tuck for victory. Bill kept up the good twirling, and such box work as he exhibited was not seen for many a long day on the Westfield diamond. Not a Tuckerton player got a hit off him in the next three innings, goose eggs going up in the frames, that up to the advent of Bill had contained at least one tally for each time the visitors were at bat.
But, on the other hand Westfield, try as they did, could not score. The captain and coach begged and pleaded, and the crowds by songs and cheers urged their men to battle to the death. It seemed useless. The two teams, now evenly matched, sea-sawed back and forth, with grim, bulldog tenacity, but there the game hung in the balance.
Tuckerton was still one run ahead when they came to bat in the ninth inning.
“Hold ’em down! Hold ’em down!” pleaded Cap to Bill.
“I will,” promised the pitcher, and he did, striking three men out in quick succession amid the cheers of the crowd.