Then there was a groan from the Maple Ridge partisans and a yell of joy from the enemy, and Jack was picking the ball from the turf and heaving it despairingly to second, while the man from third was trotting across the plate with the first tally. Jack had forgotten his injured hand, and when the ball had struck the involuntary flinch that followed had let it trickle out of his grasp. How he hated himself! He had had his chance to make good and lost it! How they must be reviling him up there on the stand. Gus Turnbull, though, was calling to him hearteningly:
But there was no cheering up for Jack just then. It had been the worst muff he had ever made. Even in the first days of learning he had never done anything quite so atrocious. He glowered at his raw palm and deliberately struck it with his clenched mitt. The pain was bad for a moment, and almost brought the tears to his eyes, but he told himself he deserved far more than that. Of course they would pull him out now and put Watkins back. Well, it was his own fault. To drop an easy fly like that!
Meanwhile the next batsman was up and the man on second was dancing up and down and back and forth, daring Sam to throw to the base. But Sam refused to pay any attention to him. Instead he set to work to strike out Clifford, the Chase pitcher, and soon succeeded.
Jack trotted back to the bench feeling like a murderer, but strangely enough he met only amused smiles or sympathetic grins as he squeezed into retirement between Sam and Tyler Wicks, and if Shay meant to take him out he said nothing about it then nor later. But Will Watkins, seated further along amongst the substitutes, looked hopeful.
That one run lead Chase maintained for inning after inning. Maple Ridge got men on bases several times, and only Ted got to third, but always the hit needed to bring in a run was lacking. Clifford was pitching good ball, for, although Maple Ridge got as many hits as her adversary, they were scattered, and the Chase fielders refused to make errors. In the fourth inning Chase again looked dangerous when Gibson singled to right, took second on a sacrifice hit and third on an infield out. But he died there, for Sam fanned the next batsman. Again, in the eighth, Chase threatened to add to that single tally of hers. Sam passed the first man up, the second was safe when Smythe fumbled a fast grounder, and both moved up on a sacrifice. But again Sam settled down and pitched perfect ball and Gibson and Brothers struck out.