CLEARFIELD PLAYS THE POINT
Clearfield boarded the two-fifteen trolley car on Wednesday and set out
for Rutter's Point in high spirits. They had intended taking the
two-o'clock car, but Harry Bryan and Fudge had failed to arrive at the
starting point on time. Harry claimed business affairs as his reason for
tardiness, but Fudge's excuse was both vague and involved, and Gordon
informed him that the next time he failed to be on time he would be left
behind. Fudge smiled dreamily.
The team in their gray uniforms with purple stockings presented a very
natty appearance. To be sure, some of the stockings were pretty well
faded and several of the suits were somewhat stained, but on the whole
the players passed muster very well. They took possession of the first
two seats on the car and had a very happy and fairly noisy time of it.
Dick and Gordon got their heads together over the batting order and
rearranged it for the third time. When it was finally fixed to their
liking it was as follows: Bryan, 2b; Scott, 3b; Merrick, 1b; Wayland, l.
f.; Tappen, r. f.; Robey, ss.; White, c.; Shaw, c. f.; Haley, p.
"We'll try it that way," said Gordon, "and see how it goes. Maybe we'd
better put Jack after me, though. What do you think?"
"We had it that way, and you thought we'd better change it," answered
Dick patiently.
"I know, but--but I guess he ought to follow me, Dick."
"Look here," said Dick, with a smile, "who's manager here?"
"You are," replied Gordon, a trifle sheepishly.
"All right. I just wanted to know."
"Then--you think----"
"I think the batting order is going to stay just as it is!"
They reached the field shortly after half-past two, and found a handful
of spectators from the hotel and cottages already seated in the shade of
the little row of trees behind the third-base line. The Point team was
not in evidence, and Gordon quickly distributed his players over the
diamond and started warming up. Five minutes later the rival team
appeared by ones and twos, and Caspar Billings sought Dick where he was
watching the performance of his charges. When Gordon came in from first
base, Dick introduced the rival captains and they shook hands. Other
introductions followed, but several of the Point fellows were already
known to the Clearfield members. Clearfield gave up the diamond to her
opponents at ten minutes to three, and watched their practice. The Point
team was not in agreement, it appeared, as to a uniform. Every player
wore togs of some sort, but at least a half-dozen schools were
represented, and there were stockings of about every color in the solar
spectrum in evidence. The umpire was named Vokes, and was a college man
who was serving as a clerk at the hotel. Gordon decided that while Mr.
Vokes' sympathies might be with Rutter's Point he was not the sort to
let them affect his decisions. Also, Gordon reflected, unless he was
very much mistaken, Vokes knew baseball from A to Z. As it turned out,
Gordon was not mistaken, and Mr. Vokes' umpiring was perhaps the most
perfect feature of that far from perfect contest.
Clearfield, as the visiting team, went to bat first. Dick, who had been
given the Point batting list by a youth who was to score for the home
team, was relieved to find that Mason was not set down as a pitcher.
Dick didn't know a thing about Mason, but he somehow had got the
impression that Mason was something a bit unusual. Evidently he had not
arrived in time for to-day's game. The pitcher whom the Point presented
was named Porter. He looked capable and wore a Lawrenceville cap with
what Dick took to be the second team insignia over the visor.
The Point team averaged perhaps a year and a half more than the visiting
nine, and was almost entirely composed of players from well-known
preparatory schools. As, however, they had never performed together
before as a team, save in one or two desultory practice games with a
nine made up of hotel employees, Dick had hopes of taking their measure
to-day.
Some seventy or eighty onlookers were gathered together on the grass
behind the third base line, prepared to root for the Pointers, when
Porter delivered the first ball to Harry Bryan. It was a pretty hot
afternoon, for what breeze there was came from the landward side of the
sun-smitten field. Two settees had been placed on the first-base side of
the plate for the accommodation of the visitors, and here Dick and the
others sat in the full glare of the afternoon sun, Dick perspiring over
his score book and the rest watching interestedly the behavior of the
rival pitcher. The field was fairly level about the infield, but further
out it rolled a good deal and was covered with rough, bunchy grass.
Porter disposed of Harry Bryan without trouble, and Will Scott took his
place at the plate. Will beat out a slow grounder to shortstop and went
to second on Gordon's bunt down third base line. But Gordon was out at
first and Curtis Wayland let the third strike get by him.
Rutter's Point led off with a clean two-base hit by Caspar Billings and
followed it with a neat sacrifice bunt that placed the captain on third.
But he died there a few minutes later, for Tom Haley struck out Morris
Brent easily and made the next man pop up a fly to Pete Robey.
The second inning passed without a score, but in the first of the third,
after Tom Haley had struck out, Harry Bryan drove a long fly into right
field and reached second when the fielder misjudged it. Will Scott
walked and Gordon hit clean past third, Harry scoring the first run and
leaving third and second occupied. Way went out, second to first. Jack
Tappen put himself in a hole and then emerged brilliantly with a smash
that was too hot for the pitcher. Will scored and Jack reached first
safely. With Gordon on third, Jack tried a steal. To his surprise the
Point catcher slammed the ball down to shortstop and Jack was caught a
yard away from base. Gordon scored too late.
But with a lead of two runs things looked bright for Clearfield. The
Point again failed to cross the platter, although Loring Townsend got as
far as second. Tom's shoots were too much for the home team. Neither
side scored in the fourth. When the first half of the fifth began Pete
Robey was up, and Pete, contrary to expectations, delivered a scratch
hit and reached the first bag. Lanny flied out to left fielder and Pete
reached second ahead of the throw-in. Fudge went out on strikes and,
with Tom Haley up, the inning seemed over. But Tom made his one hit of
the game, a Texas Leaguer that fell safely behind first baseman, and
Pete legged it for the plate and arose from the dust triumphant with a
tally. Tom got to second on the throw to the plate, but Harry was out,
third baseman to first.
So far Clearfield had played a clean game in the field, but in the last
of the fifth luck deserted her. A hard smash down the first base line
put a runner on second. A slow hit to Will Scott should have been an
easy out, but Will booted the ball and the runner was safe. The next man
went out on a foul to Gordon, but the following batsman cracked a liner
between Peter and Harry and the Point scored its first run. With a man
on third, Lanny declined to throw to second and the runner on first
worked an easy steal. Then a batsman found one of Tom's straight ones
and sent it into short center. Fudge made a fine running catch, but the
best he could do was to field the ball to Harry and Harry's throw to the
plate was too late to keep the Point from tying the score. Tom settled
down then and struck out the next batter and the inning was over, with
the score three to two.
The spectators warmed up then and there was plenty of noise during the
rest of the game. The sixth inning was uneventful, although both sides
got men on bases. The Point pitcher was by no means remarkable, and, as
Gordon complained, his deliveries would have been easy for Clearfield
had the latter's batsmen been in any sort of condition. As it was,
though, they found him puzzling when hits meant runs and by the end of
the sixth he had seven strike-outs to his credit. It was during the last
half of that inning that a small youth detached himself from the group
of spectators across the field and walked around to the Clearfield bench
and seated himself beside Dick. He was a good-looking youngster, as
brown as a berry, with a pair of big and rather impudent gray eyes.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello," responded Dick, glancing up from his score. "How are you
to-day, Harold?"
"Fine and dandy," replied that youth easily. "Keeping score?"
"Yes," answered Dick, crediting Harry Bryan with an assist and Gordon
with a put-out and penciling the mystic characters "2-1 1" in the square
opposite Pink Northrop's name. "Enjoying the game, Harold?"
Harold Townsend yawned. "I guess so. We're going to beat you fellows."
"Think so?" asked Dick amiably.
"Sure thing. Our pitcher's just getting good now. Bede Porter never
begins to pitch till the middle of the game. He will have you fellows
eating out of his hand pretty soon."
"Well, he's pitched a pretty good game so far. Hello!" Dick was gazing
in surprise at the boy beside him. "What have you done to your hair?"
Harold grinned. "Had it clipped. Mother's so angry she can't see
straight. She said I wasn't to, but I went down to the barber shop this
morning before breakfast. Gee, it's fine and cool!"
"Hardly the right thing to do, though, was it?"
"Oh, she'll get over it. Other fellows have their heads clipped in
summer, don't they?"
Dick evaded the question. "How are you getting on with your lessons?" he
asked. "Going to be all ready for me Monday morning?"
"I guess so," replied Harold without enthusiasm. "Who's the fellow
catching for your team, Lovering?"
"Lansing White."
"Gee, that's a good name for him, White. He's a regular tow-head, isn't
he?"
"Is he? He's a fine chap, though."
"He don't catch as well as Billy Houghton. Look at the way Gil Chase
stole on him last inning. Say, you keep score dandy, don't you? Isn't it
hard?"
"Not very, when you're used to it. Would you like to learn how?"
"No, I can do it well enough. It's too much trouble, anyhow. I'd rather
play. My brother's the best player on our team."
"Better than Caspar Billings?" asked Dick idly.
"Aw, go on! He can't play! Why, Loring's been first baseman on his
school team for two years. He could be captain if he wanted to."
"That's very nice," said Dick. "Now you'd better scoot along and make
room for the fellows. That's three out. I'll see you Monday, Harold."
"All right. Don't come if it's too much trouble," replied the boy with a
grin. "I shan't mind."
"That your pupil?" asked Lanny, sinking on to the bench beside Dick.
"Looks like a fresh kid."
"He is, rather," replied Dick dryly. "Will, you'd better play further
in. That fellow House has laid three bunts down the base line and made
them good twice. You're up, Jack. Pete on deck. Let's have a couple of
runs this inning, fellows."