Bill could see the Plato rooters waving their arms wildly in glee, and his radio picked up their loud cheers. As he crossed the plate with the leading run, he waved to Skippy who was almost out of his wheel chair in his excitement over his big brother’s tingling homer.
The score: Plato 6, Copernicus 5. The game was far from over, though. The Comets still had their last turn at bat.
Bill got the first player to raise a high infield pop-up. In the Moon’s light gravity it seemed as if the ball would never come down. But it finally did, and Dan took it for the first out.
Bill walked the next Comet, to put one on and with one out. The following batter forced the runner at second, making it two out and giving Bill a much more confident feeling.
But then up to the plate walked Jack Brenna!
Bill swallowed hard and began to sweat inside his space suit. He failed to get the ball over the plate on the first two pitches. Jack swung on the next pitch and sent a hard foul ball behind third base.
“Must be careful,” Bill thought. “A homer with the man on base will win the game for the Comets.”
Bill came though with a fast ball. Jack met it squarely and as the ball towered high over the infield, Jack felt all quivery and weak. He turned his head regretfully and saw the ball rising high and far against the midnight black of space. He saw little Pete Irby galloping away from the diamond as fast as he could go.
“Get it, Pete!” Bill pleaded under his breath. “Please get it!”
Everybody in the stands was on his feet. This was the play that would decide the game—and the championship.