“He won’t make a run!”
“That’s the way to catch ’em!”
It seemed as if every boy on the grounds was yelling at once. No wonder poor Frank got confused and dropped the ball! For that is exactly what he did, letting it slip through his fingers.
There was a groan of despair from Tommy and his chums, for Will was safe on second base.
“Never mind,” consoled the young captain of the Riverdale Roarers. “They won’t get any more hits, and we’ll get him out soon.”
“Oh, don’t be too sure of that,” came from the runner on second, as he danced about, trying to make Herbert Kress, who was second baseman, get nervous. “I’m going to make the run pretty soon.”
“I guess I didn’t curve that ball very much,” thought Tommy, as he got ready for the next hitter. As soon as he threw the ball, Will, on second base, started for third. At once there was more shouting and confusion, boys jumping up and down and yelling at the top of their voices. It was very clear that the visiting team had had more experience than had Tommy’s nine.
Will got to third, but he did not get home right away, as the boy at the bat was put out on a foul, which the catcher grabbed just in time. Then the next lad up hit a ball that went right between the legs of fat Joie Grubb, who was shortstop. When the inning was over the visitors had two runs.
“But we’ll win!” declared Tommy to his boys, confidently.
It did not look so at first, for when three innings had been played the score stood four runs to six in favor of the Ramblers.