Curveball by Rich Wallace Page B

and a little low, just over the outside of the plate. Eddie made a nice smooth swing and felt the bat crush the ball, sending it zinging in the air toward the gap between the right and center fielders.
    Jared had been running on the pitch and was nearly to third by the time Eddie turned for second. The shortstop was on second base waiting for the throw. Eddie dove with his hands outstretched, reaching for the bag. He tasted dirt, but he grabbed the base just before he felt the tag. He was safe, and Jared had scored to tie the game!
    Eddie stood up and looked toward the dugout, where his teammates were yelling his name and pointing. He blushed and bit down on his lip. The front of his jersey was a nice reddish brown.
    He looked toward the bleachers this time and saw his parents and Irene and Lenny, standing and cheering. He’d never had a moment like this one.
    The Liberty coach was back on the mound now. That pitcher was history. The big guy with the scowl was on his way in from left field.
    It seemed premature to Eddie that they’d be changing pitchers already. After all, the starter had been unhittable until this inning. But then again, this was the playoffs. Whichever team lost was finished.
    Spencer grounded the first pitch to first, advancing Eddie to third. Now he could see his friends in the dugout close up. Lamont—so charged up from that home run—was banging on the fence with his mitt and yelling for Miguel to bring Eddie home. Willie had his hands cupped around his mouth and was shouting for a hit. Jared and Ryan were both hollering, too.
    And when Miguel hit a deep fly ball to right, Eddie tagged up and waited. As soon as the catch was made, he put his head down and sprinted toward home plate, sliding for the second time in the inning and scoring the go-ahead run.
    The entire team mobbed Eddie as he jogged back to the dugout.
    â€œWe got the lead, man!” shouted Spencer. “We got the lead.”
    â€œSomebody get Eddie a new uniform!” Willie joked. “He’s brown from head to toe.”
    Eddie picked up his mitt and tried to catch his breath. David struck out to end the inning, but the Hornets suddenly looked like a very tough team to beat.
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    David continued pitching well, but Liberty made the most of its few opportunities. After yielding an infield single in the fifth, David struck out two batters and then issued a walk on a very close 3–2 pitch.
    Liberty stunned everyone by attempting a double steal on the next pitch. Jared hesitated as he stood with the ball, not sure whether to throw to second or third. That split second cost him, as the throw to Miguel at third base was late by a couple of inches.
    Coming through in the clutch, Jamal made up for his earlier pitching lapse and stroked a neat single into center. Both runners scored, and Liberty had regained the lead, 4–3.
    David seemed to lose his nerve after that. He walked the next batter. And it took a great play by Spencer on a grounder up the middle to finally end the inning.
    Coach gave David a firm pat on the back as the team came off the field. But Ramiro and Jimmy were already warming up. David threw his mitt onto the bench and sat down.
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    Eddie walked to lead off the sixth and reached third when Miguel doubled. But the brief rally went nowhere as David struck out again and Rico Cabrera hit a weak grounder to first.
    Jimmy Fleming came on to pitch a perfect inning in the bottom of the sixth, keeping Hudson City just one run behind.
    â€œLast ups,” Spencer said as they reached the dugout. “Let’s make it count.”
    The bottom of the order was coming to bat for Hudson City—Ryan and then Willie. The Hornets would need two base runners or Eddie wouldn’t bat. It might not happen.
    Ryan grounded out, but Willie knocked a single up the middle, and the Hornets’ spectators came to life again.
    Lamont stepped up to the plate with plenty of confidence. He’d homered