“Ball one,” called the umpire as the first ball released by Mellen sank into Roger’s big mitt, and the crowd settled itself temporarily to watch the big battle. Mellen had sent up a wide one just for a feeler and Johnny let it go by. The second ball cut the plate in the middle, but Johnny never made a move.

“Strike one,” said the umpire.

Everson struck at the next one only to foul it off over the stand and it was two strikes and one ball. Mellen quickly sent up a good one guessing that Johnny would be looking for a ball, but Everson saw it was going to be good and took a hard swing at it and met it squarely, knocking a very fast grounder over second base which looked good, but La Joy of Jefferson hurried over, made a very graceful reach with his right hand, and turning, threw, without looking, straight to Church, and Johnny was out by a foot. One out. The crowd sat up, for it was a hard ball to field, although Larry made it look easy.

Larke was the second man up. He fouled off the first two balls offered to him, let one pass for a “ball,” and as the next one seemed to be coming where he liked it, swung hard at it and missed.

“Out,” said the umpire and Talkington trotted up to the plate.

He hit the first ball pitched far out to right field but Mellen had motioned the fielders to play back and the ball went straight into Twitchell’s hands for the third out.

The sides now changed places amid the cheers of the crowd, for the game promised to be particularly interesting.

Laird, the first man up, after missing one, hit a pop foul over by the Jefferson bench which Delvin caught after a quick run.

Beach drove a hot grounder to Delvin, who made a fine stop and throw to Case and there were two out.

Captain Church of Jefferson was next up. Miner sent one of his fast inshoots to cut the inside corner of the plate, but it was a little wide and as Church couldn’t get out of the way, the ball grazed his shirt and Church got his base.

Hollins was next at bat, but Gibbie got the idea that Church would try to steal second right away, so he motioned Miner to send up a fast wide one. Church tried it but was caught a dozen feet off the bag by Gibbie’s perfect throw to Everson.

In the second inning Robb was first up. He struck hard at the first ball pitched, and missed. Then he bunted the next ball, but it rolled straight to Mellen and he was an easy out, Mellen to Church.

Then Hagner came up for his first turn at bat. The Lowell crowd began a great noise of cheering, for they had a feeling that something would happen now. They had long been in the habit of expecting action in the game when Hans came to bat. But Hans showed no signs of excitement as he walked to the plate. He stood there in his loose, awkward way, studying Mellen, and Mellen was studying him. Perhaps Mellen had better thoughts than Hans, for he served up a ball that looked good to Hans and he struck at it hard and missed. The second one looked just as good and he missed that one too. When Mellen delivered the next one, Hans thought he would look it over carefully and if it looked like the other two he would let it go by. It did look like the others, coming straight for the plate, and so he waited for it to curve, but it came straight over the plate and Hans didn’t move, but the umpire said, “Three strikes. Batter up,” and Hans had struck out.

Hal now came up. There were two out and he wanted a hit. The second ball looked good, so he hit it for a grounder to the right of Laird and raced to first, but Laird made a stab, got the ball, and without setting himself, made a very quick but low throw to Church. The Jefferson Captain, however, made a beautiful pickup and Hal was out.

Now it was the second turn for Jefferson at bat.

Hollins without waiting drove a hot grounder right over first base that looked like a hit, for Hal was playing about twenty feet off. Somehow or other, however, Hal got over near it, threw himself the last six feet of the way, stopped the ball while falling and then, as he lay on the ground, tossed to Miner, who had covered first, for a put out. The rest of the Lowell team looked pleased, for he had saved a hit and the crowd was excited. The Jefferson boys couldn’t figure how they could get hits when such fielding was possible.

At any rate they all thought this but Larry. He walked up to the plate and stood there swinging his bat carelessly. Wherever Miner pitched a ball, Larry would reach up or down with his bat and touch the ball somehow. He fouled off one after the other until he had lost seven balls over the stand behind him and then he hit the eighth one fair and square for a long liner to center which ought to have been good for a double, only Talkington raced over and by extremely fast fielding held it to a single.

The seven fouls and the hit by Larry had made hard work for Miner and so when Warcford came up for his first time at bat he hit a Texas leaguer to short left which fell safe and he took first while Larry reached second.

It looked as though Jefferson would score surely, and especially with Twitchell at the bat and runners like Larry and Warcford on the bases. It looked even more dangerous when Twitchell hit the first ball Miner pitched for a very fast grounder right over second, but Everson raced over, made an almost impossible stop, tossed the ball to Hans on second who relayed it to Case at first completing a fast double play and letting Miner out of a dangerous hole.

It was the beginning of the third inning. So far Jefferson had the better of it, two hits, while Lowell hadn’t had a man on base.

Arthur came to bat and struck out. So did Gibbie and when Black came up Mellen made it a strike out for the side, for he got Miner, too.

Lowell took the field for the second half of the third and Miner proceeded to repeat Mellen’s stunt.

Brest was the first up and Black undertook to fool Roger, who, however, while pretending that he was going to strike by running out to meet the ball, completely fooled Black, and so Roger got his base. Big Mellen, the pitcher, tried to bunt, but Hal who was expecting this had started for the plate on the run the moment Black started to pitch. The bunt started for the first-base line and Roger started for second, but before the ball had rolled three feet Hal had it. He tagged Mellen out and whirling quickly threw to Everson who almost missed because it was done so swiftly. However, he caught the ball and tagged out Brest as he started to slide. The play saved a run, for Laird, the next man, drove a single to left and Brest could easily have scored from second but for the wonderful double play started by Hal. Of course Laird got to first, but the players all relaxed a little after the exciting play and Laird walked a few feet off the base, when Gibbie caught him napping by a quick throw to Case, and there were three out.

Jefferson had come a little closer to scoring in the third. Lowell was fielding all right but they had not gotten a hit.

Everson came up first in the fourth, and you could see by his expression that he meant to change things. He got a near hit. But for Hollins it would have been a single, but Hollins robbed him by a great stop on his left side and threw to Church, and Johnny was out. Larke also got a near hit, a two-bagger had not that big Twitchell turned it into an out after a long chase. Then Talkington hit a dandy liner about five feet over La Joy’s head, apparently, but Larry leaped up and caught it and Lowell again went to the field without a hit.

In their half, Jefferson broke the ice. Little Tommy Beach opened the inning with his regular two-base hit past third, the kind no fielder can get. Captain Church didn’t wait for more than one ball to be pitched. He hit the first one hard—a bounder to Hans, who threw to Delvin, and Beach was out. With Church on first and Hollins to help him they worked the hit and run, Church getting to third and Hollins to first. One out and men on first and third.

A run was almost certain, especially with Larry up. He made good with a long fly to Talkington, who made a great catch and a fine throw to the plate, but a perfect slide by Church made it impossible for Gibbie to tag him, and the score was 1 to 0 and two out, with Hollins on second and Warcford at bat. Sam drove a long liner to left center, and Larke starting with the crack of the bat got it after a hard run and the inning was over.

In the fifth inning Lowell didn’t get a hit, but did get two on base. Robb first hit a grounder to Church but was out, Church unassisted. Hans, taking time to study Mellen’s curves, walked. Hal hit a grounder to Hollins, who fumbled and both runners were safe. Lowell now had men on bases for the first time and were where Jefferson was in the fourth inning, but Delvin hit a fly to Beach and Gibbie struck out, so Lowell did no better than Jefferson in their first effort with men on the bases.

In the Jefferson half, Twitchell bunted, and Delvin, just to even up things, fumbled the ball. Brest bunted toward first, but Hal again fielded perfectly and throwing to Hagner, forced Twitchell. Then Mellen singled to center and Talkington’s throwing arm came into play, for he caught Roger trying to get to third by a fine throw to Delvin. Laird rolled an easy one to Hagner and was out at first.

In the sixth, Hughie told the boys they would have to show something or their chances would dwindle. He told Black to get on if possible but the best Black could do was to hit an easy roller to Mellen, who threw him out at first.

“All right,” said Hughie, “we don’t expect pitchers to tire themselves out running.” Then he signaled Everson to try to get a base on balls.

Johnny let the first one go by. “Strike one,” announced the umpire. “Ball one,” he said as the next one came over. The third ball looked good, but Johnny had been told to wait it out and the umpire announced “Strike two.” The next one sent up by Mellen was intended to fool Johnny. It was all but over the plate but Johnny didn’t move. “Ball two,” said Lafflin. The fifth one was just like the last one, and the umpire shouted “Ball three” and the Lowell rooters began to hope. It was now three balls and two strikes. The next ball would be the important one. On it came, almost waist high. It looked like a strike, sure, and Johnny was about to hit at it when suddenly it began to drop downward and before it had hit the ground in front of the plate (which it did do) Johnny was off to first for he knew it was a ball.

Captain Larke walked up to the plate with a confident air.

“Now’s the time,” shouted Hughie from the coaching line. “You can do it, Fred,” he continued. “Make it a two-bagger while you’re at it and we’ll only need one more.”

Fred nodded in reply and then as the ball sped toward him he swung hard for a two-bagger to left center that brought Johnny home with the tying run. Talkington had the fever by this time. He came to bat and let two go by, but the third he hit for a mighty drive to center.

With the crack of the bat Little Tommy Beach started for the fence, running as fast as he could and never once looking back at the ball. When he got to the fence he turned quickly, raised his hands about as high as his head and caught the ball as easily as though he had been standing there watching it all the time. He himself couldn’t tell how he knew just where that ball would drop, but everybody knew he had robbed Talkington of a home run, and Larke had to hustle back to second for he had been so sure that it wouldn’t be caught that he hadn’t waited. That catch by Beach was enough to stop any one from trying to knock the ball over the fielders’ heads.

Robb must have thought so, anyhow, for he hit one on the ground to La Joy, who made easy work of getting it to first ahead of Ty. The score was tied, and it had looked a moment ago as though one run would win the game.

Now it was Jefferson’s turn to go out in one, two, three order. Beach fouled out to Gibbie, Church struck out and the best Hollins could do was to drive a long fly to Ty, out in right field, of which he made an easy catch.

In the seventh inning Hans drove one to Hollins and was retired on an easy throw to Church. Hal bunted and was again thrown out by Mellen, and Delvin flew out to Twitchell, so there was little chance for Hughie to get excited on the coaching lines. For Jefferson it was almost the same, La Joy went out, Hagner to Case. Warcford hit a high one which Johnny got easily. Twitchell’s was an easy grounder to the box and he was thrown out at first.

When the eighth inning started, however, there was a feeling throughout the crowded stands as though something were going to break. One felt it in the air. The Lowell players were mildly excited. The feeling was shared by Gibbie, who was first to bat. Hughie felt it was then or never and said: “It’s up to you, Gibbie,” and Gibbie stood up to the plate as though he meant business. The first ball pitched he hit for a foul. The next one was called a strike, the third was a ball and the fourth Gibbie rapped for a clean single to right.

Black came up and immediately sacrificed Gibbie to second. By this time the players on the beach were jumping up and down, much excited, picking out bats. They had sensed the break and they each hoped the fun would last until it came their turn at bat. But it was hardly a real break, and the enthusiasm died down some when Everson stepped to the plate and knocked a high foul which Laird held after a wonderful catch close up to the stands, but Larke again came to the rescue of the base runner and on a long single to left along the foul line brought Gibbie home. Talkington then tried again to put one over Tommy Beach’s head but Tommy made another of those circus catches and the side was out.

Then for Jefferson it began to look like defeat, for Black tightened up and struck out Roger on three pitched balls only one of which the latter struck at; Mellen hit one but Delvin stopped it nicely and threw wide to Case, who made a one hand stop, and Black got Laird on three strikes.

In the first half of the ninth Lowell tried hard to add another run and came near doing so. Robb drove a single far out to left center which Warcford fielded beautifully after a long run and threw to La Joy in time to catch Ty sliding while trying to stretch it into a two-bagger. Hans drove a single to right and then Hal came up for his last time at bat. On the hit and run he drove a grounder between short and third which Hollins fielded beautifully but threw poorly to Church, and Hans continued on to third while Hal remained on first and Delvin came to bat. The hit and run had worked so beautifully that Hughie decided on a double steal. Hal started for second and drew the throw, and Hans led off third, but big Mellen intercepted the throw and Hans was caught after practically the whole Jefferson team had chased him up and down the line between third and home, while Hal got around to third.

It was now up to Delvin to make a hit if the run was to count and he made a good try with a long liner to left center, which both Beach and Warcford went after. Warcford being taller was just able to touch the ball by leaping as it went over his head. It looked good for a muff, but Beach, near at hand by this time, made a quick jump to the right as the ball was partly stopped and deflected in its flight by Warcford and turned a sure error into an assist for Sam and an out for himself by his quick catch for the third out.

Lowell was through and the game was theirs if they could hold Jefferson for another inning.

The Jefferson crowd started their continuous cheers as Beach came to the bat for the final half. Black studied him carefully. Beach’s fielding had been wonderful and all of the Lowell boys were calling “get this first fellow; if you can stop him the game’s ours.” Black determined to make a supreme effort to strike him out. The first ball Tommy let go by and the umpire called “strike one.” The next one he struck at and fouled off. “Strike two.” The next two were balls and the fifth was wide of the plate, but Tommy struck at it and he was out. Church came up and hit the second ball. It was a fast grounder to the left of Everson. He made one of his famous stops and tossed to Case for the second out.

Hollins came up and hit the second one far out over Talkington’s head and it would have been a homer but for Tris’ fast recovery and fine throw. Church, coaching now at third grabbed Eddie as he was going past third in an effort to get home and pushed him back to the base or he would have been out. He thought Larry, who was next up, would be likely to get a hit—at least it was the better chance to take.

It looked as though the score might be tied, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that Warcford and Twitchell both followed La Joy, it might have resulted in a deliberate present of a base on balls to Larry. Black, indeed, did pitch two wide ones to tempt Larry to strike, but he didn’t bite. The next one Larry was also going to let go past, but as it came straight over he struck at it and went out in Ty’s territory far over his head.

It looked like a sure home run also, and Larry was on his way to first when the ball struck foul by not more than two feet, so he had to come back and Hollins returned to third. Miner sent up another wide one, but Larry reached out with his bat and sent it out to left field along the foul line and was again near first when the ball hit the ground foul by not more than a foot. So he had to come back again. By this time Black had decided Larry’s eye was too good and undertook to give him a base on balls. He did give him another ball, and tried to send up a fourth one, but Larry reached out again, gave it a quick tap, and it was a foul fly which came down in Hal’s mitt very close to the bag, and the game was over.

BOX SCORE

It had been a hard game to win and might easily have been won by either side.

Almost every man on the Lowell team had saved the game by excellent work at one stage or the other, and the boys knew that the luck of the game had as much to do with their victory as anything. They knew now that they were up against one of the best teams of ball players that could possibly be brought together, and no one could say which was the stronger of the two. If the luck of the game should desert them in the next two, the result might easily be in favor of Jefferson. The championship was really in danger.

Hughie congratulated all of the boys on their excellent playing, and while none of them had done very much with the bat for they had been opposed by a wonderful pitcher, it was satisfaction to know that Jefferson had just as hard a time trying to hit Miner.

He was particularly pleased with the fine fielding displayed by the youngsters Hans, Hal, Ty, and Tris, who had stood staunch under the first big firing, but what pleased him more than anything was that the old stand-bys like Larke and Everson and Gibbie had been responsible for the actual runs and he felt pretty confident of the final outcome.

Church, of Jefferson, on the other hand, got his encouragement out of the fact that his team had played fully as well as Lowell, and with a little luck would have won. A little less wind when Larry got a foul instead of a homer in the ninth would have given them the game, and he told the boys he felt sure the luck would average up, and that the championship would be won this time.