there now for
the Steelheads to win the game? A 7 - 3 lead was almost too much to expect to overcome.
Poor coach. He'll never get over this if we lose
, Kim told himself sadly.
Fred Tuttle, up next, flied out. Then Joe grounded out to short and Duke struck out on three pitches. Relieved, Kim sprinted
off the field.
“Let's get those runs back!” he cried spiritedly. “Come on, guys! We're as good as they are!”
“We've got to be better,” said Nick, removing his catcher's gear.
Eric said nothing as he picked up a bat and stepped to the plate. In five pitches he was granted a walk. Larry, up next, got
hit by a pitch, dropped his bat, and trotted to first. Eric advanced to second.
Nick, the back of his shirt damp with sweat, belted a high, sky-reaching fly to center. Duke Pierce moved back four steps
and caught it.
Then A. J. stepped to the plate, drawing loud applause from the crowd. He had walked and tripled his first two times up.
This time he managed only to pop up to
Two outs, and Cathy was up. She had bunted the first time at bat, and flied out the second time. What was she going to do
now? The Steelheads' bench was silent as a morgue.
“Come on, gang!” cried the coach. “A little life! How about it?”
At once the bench came alive. “Get a hit, Cath!”
“Drive 'em in, Cath!”
Jack Moon stretched, pitched, and Cathy swung.
Crack
! The blow, a solid blast to left center field, went for a double! Eric scored. But Larry, guided by the third-base coach,
clung to third.
Kim strode to the plate, his ears still ringing from the cheers the fans were giving Cathy.
“Okay, Kim!” they yelled to him. “Keep up the merry-go-round! Hit that apple!”
He did, a long, smashing blow to deep left field! He could tell by the sound and the feel of his bat striking the ball that
it was the best hit he had connected with so far this year. Dropping his bat, he ran to first, then looked toward left field
and sawthe hall sailing out of sight over the fence.
The cheers that rose from the fans brought a lump to his throat that didn't leave until after he had crossed home plate.
Brad kept up the spree with a single, gaining second as Jo walked. But Doug's caught fly to right field ended the fat inning.
Red Arrows 7, Steelheads 7.
“Nice hit, Kim,” said the coach proudly. “We needed that badly.”
Kim smiled. “Thanks, Coach,” he said warmly.
Eddie Noles, leading off for the Red Arrows in the top of the sixth, flied out to center. Jack fouled two pitches, then grounded
out to short. Mick, after looking over two over-the-inside-corner strikes, belted a long drive to right center that looked
as if it might turn into an inside-the-park home run. But Kim's quick throw to Jo, and her snap to Nick, forced Mick back
to third after he tried to make a dash for home.
Nervousness began to spread among the Steelheads. All the Red Arrows needed now was a hit to break the tie and possibly win
the ball game.
Crack
! A long, sharp blow to center field! Cathy ran forward, reached for the ball by her shoelaces—and caught it! Three outs!
Kim let out a sigh of relief as a thunder of applause rose from the Steelheads' fans for Cathy.
Eric, leading off in the bottom of the sixth inning, flied out to right.
“Come on, Larry!” Kim cried. “Get on!”
Larry smashed a single through the pitcher's box, then advanced to second as Joe Fedderson missed Nick's grass-scorching grounder.
One out, two runners on, and A. J. was up.
He took a called strike, then two balls, then laced a pitch to right center. Acrossthe plate raced Larry, and the ball game was over!
The Steelheads won the game, 8 - 7, and the championship was theirs!
An hour later the Steelheads, including Coach Stag and Professor Reese, were at the city park, celebrating their victory.
A huge white cake sat on the middle of a picnic table. On it was a statue of a baseball coach, and in his hands was a rolled-up
scroll. A bakery
the Steelheads to win the game? A 7 - 3 lead was almost too much to expect to overcome.
Poor coach. He'll never get over this if we lose
, Kim told himself sadly.
Fred Tuttle, up next, flied out. Then Joe grounded out to short and Duke struck out on three pitches. Relieved, Kim sprinted
off the field.
“Let's get those runs back!” he cried spiritedly. “Come on, guys! We're as good as they are!”
“We've got to be better,” said Nick, removing his catcher's gear.
Eric said nothing as he picked up a bat and stepped to the plate. In five pitches he was granted a walk. Larry, up next, got
hit by a pitch, dropped his bat, and trotted to first. Eric advanced to second.
Nick, the back of his shirt damp with sweat, belted a high, sky-reaching fly to center. Duke Pierce moved back four steps
and caught it.
Then A. J. stepped to the plate, drawing loud applause from the crowd. He had walked and tripled his first two times up.
This time he managed only to pop up to
Two outs, and Cathy was up. She had bunted the first time at bat, and flied out the second time. What was she going to do
now? The Steelheads' bench was silent as a morgue.
“Come on, gang!” cried the coach. “A little life! How about it?”
At once the bench came alive. “Get a hit, Cath!”
“Drive 'em in, Cath!”
Jack Moon stretched, pitched, and Cathy swung.
Crack
! The blow, a solid blast to left center field, went for a double! Eric scored. But Larry, guided by the third-base coach,
clung to third.
Kim strode to the plate, his ears still ringing from the cheers the fans were giving Cathy.
“Okay, Kim!” they yelled to him. “Keep up the merry-go-round! Hit that apple!”
He did, a long, smashing blow to deep left field! He could tell by the sound and the feel of his bat striking the ball that
it was the best hit he had connected with so far this year. Dropping his bat, he ran to first, then looked toward left field
and sawthe hall sailing out of sight over the fence.
The cheers that rose from the fans brought a lump to his throat that didn't leave until after he had crossed home plate.
Brad kept up the spree with a single, gaining second as Jo walked. But Doug's caught fly to right field ended the fat inning.
Red Arrows 7, Steelheads 7.
“Nice hit, Kim,” said the coach proudly. “We needed that badly.”
Kim smiled. “Thanks, Coach,” he said warmly.
Eddie Noles, leading off for the Red Arrows in the top of the sixth, flied out to center. Jack fouled two pitches, then grounded
out to short. Mick, after looking over two over-the-inside-corner strikes, belted a long drive to right center that looked
as if it might turn into an inside-the-park home run. But Kim's quick throw to Jo, and her snap to Nick, forced Mick back
to third after he tried to make a dash for home.
Nervousness began to spread among the Steelheads. All the Red Arrows needed now was a hit to break the tie and possibly win
the ball game.
Crack
! A long, sharp blow to center field! Cathy ran forward, reached for the ball by her shoelaces—and caught it! Three outs!
Kim let out a sigh of relief as a thunder of applause rose from the Steelheads' fans for Cathy.
Eric, leading off in the bottom of the sixth inning, flied out to right.
“Come on, Larry!” Kim cried. “Get on!”
Larry smashed a single through the pitcher's box, then advanced to second as Joe Fedderson missed Nick's grass-scorching grounder.
One out, two runners on, and A. J. was up.
He took a called strike, then two balls, then laced a pitch to right center. Acrossthe plate raced Larry, and the ball game was over!
The Steelheads won the game, 8 - 7, and the championship was theirs!
An hour later the Steelheads, including Coach Stag and Professor Reese, were at the city park, celebrating their victory.
A huge white cake sat on the middle of a picnic table. On it was a statue of a baseball coach, and in his hands was a rolled-up
scroll. A bakery
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