Dud started for the mound, drawing on his glove, but Brooks overtook him on the way. “Say, Dud, don’t let’s slip up on signals, eh?” he said anxiously. “If you don’t get ’em sing out. And if you use that side-arm pitch signal beforehand, will you? I’m always afraid of that getting by me. Lift your cap in front and I’ll know, see? All right, Dud!”
CHAPTER XXII
DUD COMES BACK
Dud started out with one idea, which was to redeem himself. He was pretty sure that Mr. Sargent would not expect him to go more than five innings, six at the very most, and he determined to use every bit of strength and science he possessed during those six frames, to pitch himself out if necessary, but at all hazards to show form. He was nervous at first and showed wildness with his practice balls, and after that made a bad start by passing the first man up for Corliss. But subsequently he settled down nicely, and although he had no strike-outs to his credit in that first inning, he allowed no hits, and the runner on first never left that bag.
Grafton got two hits in the second, one rather scratchy, but failed to score. Corliss once more got a man to first on a hit that took a bad bound in front of Nick Blake and once more watched him die there. In the third, after Grafton had retired in one, two three order, Dud began to find his control, and he and Ed Brooks disposed of the Corliss pitcher and the first two batsmen on the Blue’s list with no trouble, Walters fanning, the next man popping a fly to Neil Ayer and the next being thrown out at first by Bert Winslow.
Grafton got her first run in the fourth inning. Hugh Ordway was passed, Murtha sacrificed him to second and, after Neil Ayer had struck out, Boynton slipped a fast grounder down the alley between shortstop and second, and Hugh romped home and beat the throw by a yard. Star Meyer flied out to center field.
Dud added speed to science in the last of the fourth and two of the Blue’s best batsmen fanned wildly, and the little group of Graftonians in the corner of the stand cheered themselves patriotically and appropriately scarlet of face. The succeeding batter drove a liner into Captain Murtha’s glove and the fifth inning began.
Ed Brooks allowed Walters to put him in a hole with the first two deliveries, and then, after disdaining a couple of wide ones, swung despairingly at a third and somehow managed to get it on the tip end of his bat and land it safely behind shortstop. Then began a fusillade of the Corliss pitcher that ultimately spelled retirement for that youth. Dud, who had rolled a weak one down the first-base path and been an easy out the first time at bat, now tried twice to bunt and failed. After that there was nothing to do but take a good healthy swing and try to get the ball out of the infield. With the score two-and-two, Dud cut loose and poked a hit past third-baseman that put Brooks on the third sack and himself on first. Blake bunted and the pitcher fielded, the latter making the mistake of holding the ball too long to protect the plate. When he finally tossed to first he was too late and the bases were full.
At this interesting juncture Bert Winslow ought to have stepped into the limelight with a smashing home-run or a three-bagger at least, but the best Bert could do was to bounce one away to shortstop and Brooks was an easy out at the plate. But the bases were still filled, with only one man down, and there were cries of “Lift it, Hobo!” “Knock it in the nose, Hobo!” as Hugh went to the plate. Walters, showing the strain now, pitched two wild heaves which his catcher barely stopped and then slipped one across in the groove. Hugh swung at it but was too late. A third ball followed and Grafton yelled exultantly. But again Walters made good, Hugh not offering. Everything depended on the next delivery, and as the ball left the pitcher’s hand the three runners on the paths started away. They need not have hurried, though, for the ball went low and wide and Hugh walked, Dud crossing the platter with the second tally for the Scarlet-and-Gray.
By this time Corliss had two pitchers warming up and it was easy to see that Walters’ minutes were numbered. Captain Murtha brought affairs to the crisis by landing on the pitcher’s second delivery and lifting it high and far to right field. It was well over the fielder’s head, and that youth failed to get under it. Two more runs tallied and Guy took second. After that Walters passed Ayer and was promptly derricked. The new twirler, Hoyt, had difficulty in getting under way, and before he succeeded two more hits and as many runs had been scored. Of the hits Boynton contributed one and Brooks one. Star Meyer made the second out and Dud the third, Dud being robbed of a hit by a pretty running catch of a short fly to center.