CHAPTER VII--THE BASEBALL GAME
THE CREIGHTONS.
Meelick, ss Creighton, 2b Kenby, 1b Pratt, c Duncan, p Jones, rf Day, 3b Lorrens, lf Smeed, cf
CLEVERDALE.
King, lf Cotton, 2b Gregg, c Biddle, rf Corker, 3b Strange, ss Burton, cf Windle, 1b Johnson, p
Umpire: Mr. Creighton
When the teams lined up for the fray in the big Creighton pasture thenext day, that is the way the line-up looked. Bert's father, who was abaseball enthusiast, and noted for his squareness in all things, waschosen umpire by the mutual consent of both sides, after a shortconference between Bert and Waldy Biddle, the captain of the Cleverdaleteam.
Jones, Day, Lorrens and Smeed, who filled out the Creighton team, wereplayers of no mean merit, but a little light on batting, so Bert putthem at the lower end of the batting list, preferring to bring as muchof the old Winton talent into play at the start as possible.
Both teams showed up well in the preliminary practice, and thespectators from Cleverdale and the surrounding farming country settleddown with an expectant hush, as Mr. Creighton cried:
"Play ball!"
Bert had won the toss for innings, and took the field, sending Chot intothe box, himself going to second, from which point of vantage he couldwatch each move of the game.
King, the Cleverdale left fielder, was the first to face Chot, and heappeared to be confident, for he smiled in a way that made Chot resolveto teach him a few things about pitched balls.
Chot sent over a wide out, which started straight toward King, thencurved over the plate. The batter let it pass and Mr. Creighton called astrike.
This made King smile all the harder. But when Chot sent over a hard,straight ball, fairly sizzling with speed, and he struck at it andmissed, he did not appear so confident.
Chot smiled as he noted the look of amazement on King's face, and with aquick movement he sent over one of his best drops. King then showed hisinexperience with such balls by striking fully a foot over it. Heretired, rather crestfallen, giving place to Cotton.
Cotton appeared fully as confident as the boy who had preceded him, andafter twice fouling the ball, he knocked a little pop-up which Daygathered in off third without trouble.
Gregg tried to bunt, but missed and a strike was called. He then triedto hit it out, and in this, also, he was unsuccessful, for Chot sentover some of his balls, and the Cleverdale player had struck out beforehe realized it.
The farming contingent, which was rooting for the Creightons, cheered asBert's team came in from the field.
"Even in the rural districts the great national game has a strong hold,"said Tom.
"Yes; it seems that the entire country goes out of its way to do homageto baseball and those who play it," said Chot.
Pod felt natural in being the first to bat, for he had led the Wintonbatting list during the entire series of games with Winton's closestrival, Jackson College. The series had been won by Winton, three gamesout of five, and Pod, as well as the Comrades had contributed not alittle toward the victories.
Pod pleased Bert, as well as the other boys by knocking a single betweenfirst and second. The ball was recovered by Captain Biddle, and Johnsonturned to find Bert facing him at the plate.
Not to be outdone by Pod, Bert sent a hot one down the third base line,taking two bases and advancing Pod to third. The little fellow was aboutto try for the plate, when Chot stopped him at the third cushion.
"Don't be greedy," Chot said. "We'll try and get you home somehow."
Pod grinned.
"This suits me," he said.
Fleet was at bat, and after letting two go by, he sent a long fly intocenter field, which Burton caught after a long run. Immediately Poddashed for the plate, and though the fielder made a good throw toCotton, who, in turn, sent the ball to Gregg, he was safe by a goodmargin.
Tom went out on a grounder to Corker, who threw to first. Then Chotpounded out a double into right, Bert scoring the second run for histeam.
Then Jones struck out, retiring the side.
The Cleverdale boys tried hard to score in the first of the second, butBiddle went out on a grounder to Pod, Corker struck out, and Strangeflied out to Lorrens.
The Creightons did not fare much better in the last half of the inning.Day reached first on balls, but was thrown out trying to pilfer second.Lorrens knocked a pretty single into left, but Smeed flied out toBurton, and Pod ended the inning by sending a hot liner straight intothe hands of Windle.
Burton led off for Cleverdale in the first of the third, and succeededin working Chot for a base on balls. Windle, who followed, put him onsecond with a single to center.
Johnson struck out, proving very weak at the bat, as the majority ofpitchers do.
King bunted down the third base line, filling the bases, and a hum ofexcitement ran through the ranks of the Cleverdale rooters. Three men onbases and only one out! It looked good for their team.
But they had never seen Chot Duncan work himself out of a tight place,so they were treated to a little exhibition of real baseball that madethem open their eyes in wonder, and which made Bert Creighton, from hisposition on second, chuckle with delight. Bert was furnishing a realbaseball game for his friends on Lake George, and he wanted them to haveoccasion to remember the boys from Winton Hall.
Chot eyed Cotton calmly, then signals not noticeable to anyone passedbetween he and Tom. It was the same old battery of Duncan and Prattusing their brains when the occasion demanded sensational work, and theyhad never yet failed to pull off a play planned in this manner.
Chot raised his arm in a leisurely way, and to all appearances the ballwas to be an easy one; but when it flashed over the plate it went withthe speed of the wind, and Cotton let it pass because he had no time tostrike at it. The umpire called a strike.
Tom took his time about returning the ball to the diamond, and when heraised his arm to throw he snapped it down to Fleet with such speed thatFleet caught King several feet off the bag and put the ball on him in ahurry. This was an old trick worked on many occasions by the Comrades,and especially with teams which were not familiar with their mode ofplaying.
Two men were out, King walking back among the other Cleverdale playerswith an expression of disgust on his face.
The Cleverdale coachers were yelling loudly now trying to rattle Chot,and Burton was told to take a big lead toward home. Two were out and hemust run on anything. It never occurred to the Cleverdale boys that theComrades would try the same trick two times in succession, but on thenext ball thrown Tom sent it like a shot to Day, at third and the lattermade a pretty catch and put Burton out before the Cleverdale manrealized what had happened.
The Creighton rooters fairly made the welkin ring with their cheers asBert's team came in for their turn at bat.
Then the Creightons got busy. Bert, himself, led off for his team, andthe last of the third will probably be long remembered by the players ofthe Cleverdale team. Bert smashed out a corking single to right.
Fleet, who followed, hit the ball a resounding crack and put it into thefarther end of the pasture, far over Burton's head. It was a clean homerun, and he circled the bases, sending Bert in before him.
Tom followed this with a two-bagger over King's head in left, and Chothit the ball between right and center for another homer, sending Tom inahead of him.
Then Johnson was taken out of the box and another boy, Nibbins,substituted. Nibbins threw over two or three to warm up, then facedJones in a confident manner.
Jones, however, singled to right, and easily made first. Day was given abase on balls, Lorrens advanced both runners with a bunt down the firstbase line and the bases were full.
Smeed was up, and Nibbins, in trying to fool him with some swift ins,hit him lightly on the shoulder, forcing Jones in from third.
"Oh, my, what a picnic!" cried someone.
Then Pod knocked a single o
ver first and Day and Lorrens scored.
Then to show the uncertainty of baseball, with Bert, Fleet and Tom up insuccession, and no one out, Bert popped up a little fly which Nibbinscaught, Fleet struck out in trying to slam out another extra base hit,and Tom knocked a weak grounder to Strange who threw him out at first.
The Creightons had scored seven runs and the score now stood 9 to 0 intheir favor.
Far from being discouraged, the Cleverdale boys started the fourthinning as if they meant to tie the score in a hurry.
"All together, now, boys," cried Captain Biddle, "No game is lost tillthe last man is out in the ninth, so let's get busy."
But Chot Duncan was in too good form to allow the Cleverdale boysanything he did not see fit to, and he retired Cotton, Gregg and Biddlein one two three order, striking out Gregg and causing Cotton and Biddleto knock little grounders that were easily handled.
Chot led off for Winton in the last of the fourth. He knocked a prettysingle, but succeeded only in reaching first that inning, for Jonesflied out to Cotton, Day went out on a little fly to Nibbins and Lorrensstruck out.
"What's the use?" queried Fleet, as he went out to his position in thefirst of the fifth. "Too hot to play baseball. I'd rather lie down underthat old oak again. It's hard to keep awake out here."
But he was awakened in a manner that put him on his mettle a momentlater, for Corker struck the first ball Chot offered him and sent it ona bee line for the Creighton first baseman. Fleet had hardly beenprepared for such a swift one, and he was late in jumping into the air,with the result that the ball touched his fingers, bounded off and wentshooting down the right foul line. Jones chased it, but was unable tokeep Corker from taking second.
Then Chot issued a pass to Strange, who grinned as he trotted down tofirst.
Burton did not look dangerous, but he bunted unexpectedly and Day, whotried to field the ball, fumbled it until it was too late for a throw.The bases were full with no one out.
"Watch them now, boys," cried Captain Biddle. "We know the tricks of theCreighton battery, and they'll never be able to work us again. Here'swhere we start to even things."
Which shows that they did not know the reputation of the Winton boys,and when Bert Creighton saw Tom deliberately wink at Chot, he knew thathis chums had something up their sleeves and he waited in anxiousexpectancy to see just what it was.