"Pay attention, Alice," said her friend Ida, "there goes that handsome Larry to the bat!"
But it was needless to direct attention to the player. Every eye was fixed on the favorite as he lifted his bat jauntily and took his position with a knowing smile to Sam Morse, the Calumets' pitcher, as if in recognition of their former contests. But Larry, and Sam Morrison, who succeeded him, failed to hit the ball safely. And Neddie Ellis, who came next to the bat, secured his base only by an error on the part of Captain Ayres, at first base. There was then a chance for the Catalpas to score, but this was destroyed by Charlie King's going out on a fly. Equally unsuccessful were the Calumets, who now came to the bat with high hopes. Darius Ayres hit a fly to John Brubaker, in the right field, and that vigorous young man neatly captured the ball amid the plaudits of his fellow townsmen, who were plainly glad of the least occasion for hilarity. Sam Morse was retired at first base, and John Handy hit a sky-scraper to Neddie Ellis, ending the first inning without a run.
Again both clubs, watching each other with rigid scrutiny, failed to score a run. Each of the nines played a model fielding game and the result was that not a player reached first base in safety. For the Catalpas, Hart Stirling struck out; John Brubaker hit a slow ball to Jamie Kennedy who fielded him out at first base, and Hiram Porter went out on a fly to James McWilliams.
The Calumets were retired with equal precision and celerity, Rob Peabody being thrown out at first base by Albert Heaton, Tom Shoff meeting his fate at the same point at the hands of Hart Stirling, while Glenn Otto failed to hit the ball, although he made three mighty strokes at it.
The third inning began without a run to the credit of either club, and it ended in like manner. The Catalpas went to work with a will that promised to achieve something for their success, but they were forced to yield to the strong fielding game played by the visitors. Al Heaton made his first appearance at the bat, and a little rustle of applause ran around the crowded seats as he stepped lightly to his position. He had been "a little shaky," as he expressed it confidentially to his friend Larry, but the welcome he received from the spectators gave him a bracing of the muscles, and he hit a hard ball to the right field, where it was captured neatly by Rob Peabody. "The Lily" next tried his best to hit the ball, but he could not send it out of the diamond, and, as Deputy Sheriff Wheeler remarked, "he died at first base." Larry Boyne fared no better than his predecessors, as he hit up a very easy fly which fell to the lot of Shoff. It was the work of a few minutes to dispose of the Calumets. Jamie Kennedy struck out; Charlie Webb was retired at first base, after hitting a hot ball to Hart Stirling, and McWilliams went down before the deceptive curves of the Catalpas' pitcher.
"Three innings and not a run yet!" was the exclamation of Miss Ida Boardman. "Why, both clubs seem to be watching each other as a cat would watch a mouse! I wonder if either will score a run in this game? If they don't, I shall feel as if my time was wasted, shan't you, Alice?"
But Miss Alice, with a demure glance at her aunt, who beheld the field with a listless manner, declared that the playing was simply splendid, and she pitied anybody who could not appreciate the wonderful fielding of the two clubs. She wished victory for the home nine; but she could not withhold her generous praise for the fine playing of the visitors.
When Sam Morrison went to the bat for the Catalpas, there was on his face a look of determination that indicated mischief, as his admirers said among themselves. "The Lily" said, "It is high time that something was done, and we must be the first to send a man across the plate." Sam hit a difficult grounder to Handy, who allowed the base runner to reach the first bag in safety, by making a poor throw to Ayres, after accomplishing a first-rate stop, at third base. Neddie Ellis made his first base hit of the game, and this advanced Morrison to third base.
The next two strikers, Charlie King and Hart Stirling, threw a gloom over the spirits of the Catalpas and their allies sitting in rapt silence in the benches around, by going out at first base. As John Brubaker, the redoubtable, handled his bat in this inning, the attention of the spectators was fixed on him when he took his position. The eyes of Sam Morrison and Neddie Ellis were also riveted on John; the former was on third base, and Neddie had succeeded in reaching the second bag in safety. Anxiously did they wait to be sent around homewards. John hit a ball over the head of Tom Shoff which secured him two bases and his club the same number of runs, as Morrison and Neddie finished the circuit of the bases on this timely hit of the right fielder of the home nine. A great roar of applause went up from the assemblage, and the moisture gathered in the eyes of some of the more impressionable of the fair ones among the spectators. It was an auspicious moment for the Catalpas. The spirits of the on-lookers were slightly dampened, however, by Captain Hiram's being put out, which ended this half of the inning.