CHAPTER XXIII
JOE IN THE BOX
"Well, when are you fellows going to start?" asked Tony Johnson, captainof the Academy nine, as he ceased his catching practice with Ed. Wilson,the pitcher. "The game ought to have been called ten minutes ago."
"Our pitcher isn't here," said Darrell anxiously. "We're expecting himevery minute. If you could wait a little longer----"
"Haven't you any one else you can put in?" asked Ferd Backus, themanager. "I saw some one practicing a while ago."
"He isn't our regular pitcher," said George Rankin, "but if Sam doesn'tcome we'll have to lead off with him."
Joe had been aware that Sam was not on hand. He looked up as car aftercar passed the grounds, thinking to see Sam enter, for the electricvehicles from Riverside ran close to the Academy diamond.
"I suppose they'll put Parnell in at the start," Joe mused, naming thesecond baseman who sometimes acted as pitcher for the Stars. Joe did notdare hope that he himself would be chosen.
"Well, how much longer?" demanded Johnson, when two more cars had passedand Sam was on neither of them. "We want to finish this game beforedark."
"All right," assented Darrell briskly. "Get your men ready, Rankin."
"But who will pitch?"
"Joe Matson, of course. It's the only thing we can do. Take the field,fellows. Joe, take your place in the box!"
"Who--me?" gasped our hero, unable to believe the words.
"Yes, you," and Darrell smiled. "Do your prettiest now. You're going inat the beginning instead of at the end. It's different from what Iplanned, but I guess I can depend on you. Hold 'em down!"
"I will!" cried Joe fiercely and he forgot his injured arm.
"Play ball!" ordered the umpire and Joe took his place as pitcher forthe Silver Stars for the first time. No wonder his heart beat fasterthan usual. The Stars were to bat last, Rankin having won the toss. Itmust be remembered that these boys were amateur players and did notalways follow league rules of having the home team up last.
The usual number of practice balls were allowed between Joe and thecatcher at the plate and Bart noted with satisfaction that Joe was cooland steady and that he did not try for speed.
Then the first man for the Academy--their best hitter--faced our hero.Bart gave the signal for a slow straight ball over the plate at anangle. It was the beginning of a cross-fire which he and Joe had quicklyagreed upon, and, as is well known, the ability of a pitcher to delivera good cross-fire wins many games. Cross-firing is merely sending theball first over one side of the plate then the other and then right overcentre. Joe had done it in practice. Could he do it in the game?
"Strike one!" called the umpire, when the first ball found lodgment inBart's big glove. There was a little gasp of protest from the Academycrowd, but they said nothing. Their man had not struck at the ball, butit had been in the right place and Joe knew he had a fair umpire withwhom to deal.
His next delivery was a ball, but the third was a strike though the manhad not moved his bat.
"Hit it--hit it!" pleaded his friends.
The batter swung fiercely at the next ball and knocked a little pop flywhich Bart gathered in and one man was down.
"Do it again!" called Darrell to his pitcher, and Joe smiled. His armpained him a little, but he gritted his teeth and delivered the next mana strike, for the batter missed it cleanly. He was not so lucky in hisfollowing trial, for the batter got to first mainly because of an errorin the play of Fred Newton, at short, who fumbled the pick-up anddelayed in getting the ball to Darrell.
Joe succeeded in striking out the third man up, though the one who hadgone to first managed to steal second. There were now two out and a manon the middle bag when Joe faced his fourth opponent. He tried for aslow out but something went wrong and the man hit for two sacks,bringing in the run. But that was all, for the next batter fell for someslow, easy balls and fanned the air.
The Academys had one run and it looked a trifle disheartening to theSilver Stars until they came up and found that the pitcher opposed tothem was very weak. They hammered him pretty badly in the last half ofthe first, and three runs were credited to them ere they had to take thefield again.
"Not so bad; eh?" asked Rankin of Darrell.
"Fine, if Joe can only keep it up. How's your arm?" he asked him.
"Fine!" exclaimed our hero, but in truth it pained him considerably inspite of the treatment Tom Davis gave it.
The Academy team didn't get a run in the second inning though Joe wasfound for some short, scattering hits. A man got to second and one tothird, mainly through errors in the outfield force, one bad one beingfurnished by Tom, who was at centre in Joe's place.
"But we'll forgive you for getting Joe's arm in shape," said the managerwith a smile.
In their half of the second the Stars got two runs, and succeeded inforcing another goose egg on their opponents in the home team's half ofthe third. Joe did not do so well this time, for he was beginning totire and only a brace on the part of his supporting players saved himfrom having a number of runs come in on his errors.
One run for the Stars marked their efforts in the third and when thefourth inning began it looked as if it was a foregone conclusion thatthe visiting team would go home with the scalp of their enemy. But Joecould not keep up the pace he had set for himself. No young andinexperienced pitcher could, much less one with a sore arm.
The muscles ached very much in spite of all Tom could do with rubbing inthe liniment, but Joe gritted his teeth and keep his place in thepitcher's box. He knew he dared not give in. Only two runs were earned,however, though he was pretty badly pounded, and this only made thescore three to six in favor of the Stars, when their half of the fourthcame. But they were unable to better it for the Academy lads took abrace after an earnest appeal by their captain and manager.
"Make 'em take a goose egg!" yelled the student lads to their friends,and the Stars were forced to be content with this.
In the fifth inning neither side scored, Joe holding his own well, andonly allowing one hit, which amounted to nothing. And in the sixth when,with only three scattered hits, not a run was chalked up for the hometeam, Darrell ran over to Joe and cried:
"Fine, old man! Can you keep it up?"
"I--I'm going to!" burst out Joe, though he had to grit his teeth tokeep back an expression of pain when he moved his pitching arm.