RANDALL SCORES FIRST
Holly Cross was up first, and he faced John Allen, the Fairview pitcher,
with a grin of confidence. He swung viciously at the first ball, and
missed it clean.
"Make him give you a nice one," called Bricktop, who was coaching from
third. "We've got all day, Holly. He'll tire in about two innings.
He has no Irish blood in him, as I have," and there was a laugh at
Bricktop's "rigging" while the Fairview pitcher smiled sheepishly.
But though Holly waited, it availed him but little. Three balls were
called for him, after his first strike, though the Fairview crowd wanted
to injure the umpire. Then Allen stiffened, and Holly walked back to the
bench without even swinging the stick again.
"Only one gone. We've got plenty of chances yet," called Bricktop, from
the coaching box, and in his enthusiasm he stepped over the line. The
umpire warned him back. Dan Woodhouse was up next.
"Make kindling wood of your bat," yelled an enthusiastic freshman in the
Randall bleachers, but though Dan sent a nice bingle to center, well
over the pitcher's head, the second baseman pulled it down, and Dan was
out. Bricktop repeated this, save that he flied to Herbert Bower, in
left field, and Randall had a zero to her credit.
In the second and third innings neither side scored, and when the fourth
was half over, with another minus mark for Fairview the crowd began to
sit up and take notice.
"This'll be a hot game before it's through," prophesied Bert Bascome,
who with Ford Fenton, and a crowd of like spirits sat together.
"That's right," agreed Ford. "My uncle says----"
"Sit down! Sit down!" yelled a score of voices about him, though the
unfortunate Ford was not standing. He knew, however, what was meant, and
uttered no protest.
Though Randall did her best when her chance came in the ending of the
fourth, nothing resulted. Backus flied to Sam Soden and Tom Parsons
managed to get to first on a clean hit to right field, but Joe Jackson,
who followed him, struck out, and, as though emulating his brother, the
other Jersey twin did likewise, letting Tom die on second.
"Say, when is something going to happen?" asked Holly Cross of Tom, as
the home team filed out in the field.
"It ought to, pretty soon now," replied Tom, as he kicked a small stone
out of the pitchers' box.
Bean Perkins, with his crowd of "shouters" started the "Wallop 'em" song,
in an endeavor to make things lively, and he very nearly succeeded, for
John Allen, who came up first in the beginning of the fifth, rapped out a
pretty one to left field. It looked as if Joe Jackson would miss it, but
Joe wasn't there for that purpose. He had a long run to the side to get
within reaching distance of the horsehide, but, as though to make up for
striking out, he made a sensational catch, and was roundly applauded,
while Allen walked back disgustedly from first, which he had almost
reached.
"Pretty catch! Lovely catch!" yelled Bean Perkins. "Now a couple more
like that, and things will be all ready for us when our boys come in."
Herbert Bower and Sam Soden, the next two Fairview players who followed
Allen, were both struck out by Tom, who was doing some fine twirling,
having given no player his base on balls yet.
"Now, boys, show 'em what you can do!" pleaded a score of Randall
"fans," as Tom and his men walked in to the bench for their share of
the fifth inning.
Dutch Housenlager was up first, and he selected a bat with care.
"What are you going to do, me son," asked Bricktop solicitously.
"Knock a home run," declared Dutch, and he faced the pitcher with a grim
air. He didn't do that, but he did rap out a single, and got to first.
Then came Phil Clinton, who made a sacrifice bunt. That is, it was
intended for that, but the pitcher fumbled it, and was delayed in
getting it to first. Then the throw was so wild that the Fairview first
baseman had to take his foot off the bag to get it, and, meanwhile Phil
was legging it for the bag for all he was worth, while Dutch went on to
second.
"Batter's out!" howled the umpire, though it seemed to all the Randall
players that Phil was safe. Tom protested hotly at the decision, but it
stood, and, though it looked as if there would be trouble, Mr. Leighton
calmed things down.
"Only one gone," he said, "and Holly Cross is up next. He'll bring in
Dutch, and score himself."
Holly sent out a beautiful hit to center field, and there was a chorus
of joyful cries.
"Go on! Go on!"
"Make a home run!"
"Come on in, Dutch, you old ice wagon!"
Dutch legged it from second to third, and started home, but the ball,
which the center fielder had managed to get sooner than had been
expected, looked dangerous to Dutch, and he ran back to third, after
being halfway home. Holly was safe on second, and amid a storm of
encouraging yells Dan Woodhouse got up.
"Now a home run, Kindlings!" called the crowd, and then Bean and his
cohorts began singing: "We've Got 'em on the Run Now."
Dan got two balls, and the third one was just where he wanted it. He
slammed it out for a three base hit, and Dutch and Holly scored the
first two runs of the game, while Tom did a war dance at third, where he
was coaching. On a single by Bricktop Dan came in, though he was nearly
caught at home, for the ball was quickly relayed in from left field,
where the shortstop had sent it, but old Kindlings slid in through a
cloud of dust, and Charley Simonson, who was catching for Fairview,
dropped the horsehide, so Dan's run counted.
"Three--nothing! Three--nothing!" yelled Tom, wild with joy. "Now, boys,
we've struck our gait! And only one out!"
"Watch his glass arm break!" shouted several in scorn at the Fairview
pitcher, but the latter refused to let them get his "goat" or rattle him
and kept a watchful eye on Bricktop at first, when Pete Backus came up.
"Now, Pete, don't forget what I told you!" shouted Tom, as the lad who
was taking Sid's place stepped up, but poor Pete must have had a poor
memory, for he struck out, and when Tom himself took up his stick,
Bricktop, who had been vainly trying to steal second and who was
somewhat tired out, by the pitcher's efforts to catch him napping on
first, finally did what the Fairview players hoped he would do--he
played off too far, and he couldn't get back, when Allen suddenly
slammed the ball over to the first baseman. Bricktop was out, and the
Randall side was retired, but with three runs to its credit.
"That'll do for a starter," observed Tom, as he put on his pitching
glove. "We'll duplicate that next inning."
But the sixth saw goose eggs in the frames of both nines, though Tom
sent a pretty, low fly out to center, where it was neatly caught by Ted
Puder, who had to jump for it. The Jersey twins struck out in monotonous
succession, thus ending the sixth.
"Now for the lucky seventh!" yelled a crowd of Fairview supporters.
"Everybody stand up!" and the big crowd arose to get some relief from
sitting still so long.
The seventh was destined to be lucky in spite of the efforts of Tom and
his men to hold back Fairview.