“Come on over to Morris’s. He’s fixed some electric lights over the tennis court and is going to try and play at night.”
“Don’t remember being invited.”
“What of it? It isn’t a party.”
“All right, but don’t expect me to play. It’s too much like swinging a bat! Stop by for me.”
CHAPTER XXIII
OUT AT THE PLATE!
Clearfield turned out well on Saturday for the first Springdale game, while the visitors swelled the proceeds by filling most of one whole section behind third base. The day was fair but rather too cool for the players, with a chilly east wind blowing down the field, a wind that puffed up the dust from the base-paths, whisked bits of paper around and interfered to some extent with the judging of flies in the outfield. Springdale was in holiday mood, armed with a multitude of blue banners and accompanied by a thick sprinkling of blue-gowned young ladies whose enthusiasm was even more intense than that of their escorts. Clearfield’s cheerers had to work hard to equal the slogans that came down from that third-base stand, and Toby Sears, cheer-leader, was forced to many appeals before he got the results he wanted.
Clearfield’s line-up was the same she had presented in Wednesday’s game against Benton: Bryan, 2b.; Farrar, cf.; Merrick, 1b.; Scott, 3b.; Cotner, lf.; Jones, ss.; White, c.; Browne, rf.; Nostrand, p. Haley was expected to go to the rescue if needed, and seven substitutes adorned the bench and hoped to get into the game. Springdale started with her left-hander, Newton, on the mound, and Newton, who was a big, lazy-looking but quite competent youth, disposed of Bryan, Farrar and Merrick without difficulty. Neither team hit safely, in fact, until the last of the third, when Lanny managed to land a short fly just beyond third-baseman’s reach. But Lanny, although he reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Browne, didn’t see the plate, for Newton registered his third strike-out against Nostrand and caused Bryan to hit into second-baseman’s hands.
In the fourth inning Springdale had a batting streak that lasted until she had men on third and second with but one out. Then Tom Nostrand passed the next batsman, who had a reputation for long hits to the outfield, and, with the bases filled and the blue flags waving hopefully, he struck out the next two opponents. The cheer that went up from the Clearfield stand when the last man turned away from the plate was undoubtedly plainly heard on the other side of town!