having played on a teambefore, I think that Kim's done very well,” said Cathy.
Thanks, Cathy
, Kim wanted to say, and wondered how many others felt as she did.
“This is our last game, and we still don't know why Coach Stag picked us to play on his team, and why he's been so anxious
to win the championship,” said Larry.
“Well, I know,” said Kim, grinning.
“You do?” Larry's eyebrows shot skyward. The others stared at Kim. “Well—why?”
Suddenly Kim wished he hadn't opened his big mouth. But it was too late now. “We'll all find out at the end of this game,”
he said. “Let's just play our best game ever, that's all.”
“Why are you keeping it a secret, if you know?” asked A. J. curiously. “What's so important about it?”
“I said that we'll all find out. Come on,” he added, breaking for his right-field position.“Let's win this ol' ball game for Coach Stag!”
“Right!” cried Cathy.
The top of the Red Arrows' batting order was up. As Mick Davis walked, Kim feared that another fat inning was in the offing.
But Hank hit into a double play, and Jim flied out.
“Nice going, gang,” said the coach, appearing less tense now than he did after that first grueling half inning.
A. J., leading off in the bottom half of the second inning, earned a walk. Cathy bunted him down to second, sacrificing herself
on a quick throw to first by third baseman Hank Stone. Kim, hoping to score A. J., grounded out to short, and Brad popped
out to the catcher. Three outs.
Ken Dooley led off for the Red Arrows in the top of the third. Doug managed to squeak two strikes by him, then Ken took atoehold on the third pitch and drove it to left center for a double.
Again Kim expected the hit to be the beginning of something big for the Red Arrows, but relief swept over him as Fred Tuttle
flied out to left, and both Joe Fedderson and Duke Pierce struck out.
“Nice pitching, Doug!” Kim praised the right-hander as he came running in.
“He's going to be another Catfish Hunter!” Nick Forson smiled.
Jo, leading off for the Steelheads, waited out Jack Moon's pitches, then flied out to right. Doug, drawing loud applause from
the crowd as he stepped to the batter's box, corked Jack's first pitch for a double. Eric drove him in on a single through
short, then got out as Larry hit into a double play—5 - 1, Red Arrows' favor.
“Come on, gang!” cried the coach. “Just hold 'em!”
The Steelheads did, permitting only one batter, Jack Moon, to reach first base.
Nick Forson led off in the bottom of the fourth with a sharp single through the pitcher's box. A. J., waiting out Jack's pitches,
finally clouted one to deep left for a triple, scoring Nick. The Steelheads' bench sprang to life as the scoring gap narrowed.
“Keep it going, Cathy!” Kim shouted.
Cathy pounded out a fly to right field. It was caught, but A. J. tagged up, then ran in to score. Kim, anxious to get on base,
popped out to third. Brad drew a walk, then advanced to second on Jo's hit through short. Two on, two outs, and Doug was up.
A long drive could tie the score.
Jack stretched, and pitched.
Crack
! It was a solid blow to left field! But not deep enough. Jim Kramer trotted back, leaped, and made a sparkling one-handed
catch to end the threat—5 - 3, Red Arrows.
Applause greeted Jim as he strode to the plate to start off the top of the fifth inning. Cracking no smile, he watched the
firstpitch come in, then belted the next for a clean single.
Ken Dooley, batting for the third time, took a called strike, then two balls, then leaned into a chest-high pitch with apparently
all the power he could muster. The sound of bat meeting ball was like a rifle blast. The ball that rocketed out to deep left
field was like a bullet. It went over the fence for a home run, boosting the Red Arrows' score to 7.
“Oh, no!” Kim moaned, almost hearing the bell of doom for the Steelheads. And for the coach. What chance was
Thanks, Cathy
, Kim wanted to say, and wondered how many others felt as she did.
“This is our last game, and we still don't know why Coach Stag picked us to play on his team, and why he's been so anxious
to win the championship,” said Larry.
“Well, I know,” said Kim, grinning.
“You do?” Larry's eyebrows shot skyward. The others stared at Kim. “Well—why?”
Suddenly Kim wished he hadn't opened his big mouth. But it was too late now. “We'll all find out at the end of this game,”
he said. “Let's just play our best game ever, that's all.”
“Why are you keeping it a secret, if you know?” asked A. J. curiously. “What's so important about it?”
“I said that we'll all find out. Come on,” he added, breaking for his right-field position.“Let's win this ol' ball game for Coach Stag!”
“Right!” cried Cathy.
The top of the Red Arrows' batting order was up. As Mick Davis walked, Kim feared that another fat inning was in the offing.
But Hank hit into a double play, and Jim flied out.
“Nice going, gang,” said the coach, appearing less tense now than he did after that first grueling half inning.
A. J., leading off in the bottom half of the second inning, earned a walk. Cathy bunted him down to second, sacrificing herself
on a quick throw to first by third baseman Hank Stone. Kim, hoping to score A. J., grounded out to short, and Brad popped
out to the catcher. Three outs.
Ken Dooley led off for the Red Arrows in the top of the third. Doug managed to squeak two strikes by him, then Ken took atoehold on the third pitch and drove it to left center for a double.
Again Kim expected the hit to be the beginning of something big for the Red Arrows, but relief swept over him as Fred Tuttle
flied out to left, and both Joe Fedderson and Duke Pierce struck out.
“Nice pitching, Doug!” Kim praised the right-hander as he came running in.
“He's going to be another Catfish Hunter!” Nick Forson smiled.
Jo, leading off for the Steelheads, waited out Jack Moon's pitches, then flied out to right. Doug, drawing loud applause from
the crowd as he stepped to the batter's box, corked Jack's first pitch for a double. Eric drove him in on a single through
short, then got out as Larry hit into a double play—5 - 1, Red Arrows' favor.
“Come on, gang!” cried the coach. “Just hold 'em!”
The Steelheads did, permitting only one batter, Jack Moon, to reach first base.
Nick Forson led off in the bottom of the fourth with a sharp single through the pitcher's box. A. J., waiting out Jack's pitches,
finally clouted one to deep left for a triple, scoring Nick. The Steelheads' bench sprang to life as the scoring gap narrowed.
“Keep it going, Cathy!” Kim shouted.
Cathy pounded out a fly to right field. It was caught, but A. J. tagged up, then ran in to score. Kim, anxious to get on base,
popped out to third. Brad drew a walk, then advanced to second on Jo's hit through short. Two on, two outs, and Doug was up.
A long drive could tie the score.
Jack stretched, and pitched.
Crack
! It was a solid blow to left field! But not deep enough. Jim Kramer trotted back, leaped, and made a sparkling one-handed
catch to end the threat—5 - 3, Red Arrows.
Applause greeted Jim as he strode to the plate to start off the top of the fifth inning. Cracking no smile, he watched the
firstpitch come in, then belted the next for a clean single.
Ken Dooley, batting for the third time, took a called strike, then two balls, then leaned into a chest-high pitch with apparently
all the power he could muster. The sound of bat meeting ball was like a rifle blast. The ball that rocketed out to deep left
field was like a bullet. It went over the fence for a home run, boosting the Red Arrows' score to 7.
“Oh, no!” Kim moaned, almost hearing the bell of doom for the Steelheads. And for the coach. What chance was
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