The Home Run Kid Races On by Matt Christopher Page B

The coach was busy talking with the
     next batter.
    Syl looked into the outfield and saw that the players there had backed up, just as he had done for the Oriole slugger. He
     shot Mr. Teacy a brief nod and stepped into the box.
    The pitcher leaned in and took the signal. He began his windup.
    Wait for it,
Syl thought, his heart racing.
And… now!
    The pitcher reared back. With a swift motion, Syl squared off, slipped his hands apart, and aimed the end of the bat’s barrel
     toward first.
    “Oh no!” he heard the catcher cry. Then the bat drilled the ball to the ground between home and third, and all Syl heard after
     that was the sound of his own breath as he hightailed it for first.
    He made it!
    “Nice bunt, Syl!” Rod, the first base coach, said with excitement. “You totally fooled the infield, especially their third
     baseman! He practically fell over his feet trying to get to the ball in time!”
    “That so?” Syl said, laughing. “Wish I’d seen it!”
    “It’s just too bad Jim didn’t know it was coming,” Rod said, “or he might have made it home. Instead, he looked kind of confused.
     I think he was hoping you’d clobber the ball. Oh, well. He didn’t have to run, did he? And now the bases are loaded, so we’re
     in good shape!”

16
    S yl was sorry to have confused Jim but saw with satisfaction that his bunt had rattled the Orioles’ pitcher even more. A quick
     conversation with his catcher and his coach calmed him down. He caught A.C. looking on two pitches and then got him to swing
     on the third for the Comets’ second out. That brought up Duane.
    “Come on, Duane, you can do it!” Syl yelled. “Don’t let us die out here!”
    Duane very nearly
did
leave them stranded. He fouled off three pitches to right field before clocking the fourth one fair. The ball flew over the
     first baseman’s outstretched glove and bounced along the fence. The right fielder scrambled to pick it up. When he did get
     it in his hand, however, he seemed uncertain where to throw it.
    Finally, with his teammates screaming at him, he hurled it as hard as he could toward the catcher. But his throw was so wild
     that both Jim and Eddie scored easily. Syl was safe at third and Duane was standing up at first!
    Tie ball game, and Syl was in place for the go-ahead run!
    Unfortunately, the next batter was Bongo. Bongo was a terrific pitcher, but he was lousy at the plate. He took three cuts
     and missed each one to end the Comets’ turn at bat.
    Syl hurried to get his glove and then hustled to center field. He and the other outfielders threw the ball around a few times.
     Then the umpire yelled, “Play ball!” and the second inning began.
    Nothing much happened that inning, or the two after that, however. Syl and his teammates returned to the field for the fifth
     inning with the score still 2–2. It didn’t stay that way for long, because Bongo suddenly seemed tired. He gave up three hits
     in a row to load the bases!
    When the fourth batter strode to the plate, the Orioles’ fans cheered and the Comets’ fans groaned. It was the home run slugger.
    Coach Corbin jogged to the mound to give Bongo a quick pep talk. Syl, meanwhile, gave himself one as he backed up. “Go ahead,
     hit it to me,” he growled. “Your streak ends now!”
    The Oriole did hit it to center field—deep,
deep
center field! Syl faded back until he collided with the fence. But he didn’t give up. As the ball fell to earth, he jumped,
     stretching his right arm as high as he could.
    He might have caught the ball, too, except just as it neared his glove, he felt a sharp sting on his bare skin. Pain shot
     down his arm, making him involuntarily jerk it down.
    Plop!
    Instead of nestling in his webbing, the ball dropped over the fence for a grand slam.
    “No!” Syl cried, hurling his glove to the ground. He looked at his arm and saw a small, red welt—and a yellow-and-black insect
     buzzing away. “
A bee sting?
Are you
kidding
me?” He