The Newtown bee., 1894-08-10

the battle was renewed. Three men in succession sent the ball away between the outposts occupied by the Hopsites and each took bases in orderly success sion. The next striker, though a re- nowned batter and safe hitter, sent the ball to grass midway between pitchers box and first base and scooted for first. The pitcher bounded for the ball, the men on bases moved forward, the coach CTS yelled, the catcher shouted "home" and the excitement was intense. The pitcher grabbed in the grass for the ball, missed it, stumbled and fell. He arose, hesitated moment, threw the ball home and tried to head off the man running for first. This hesitation gave the latter an instant of time, which he improved, and got to first safe. Seeing the pitcher run
 ming wild as he thought he put for sec ond base closely pursued by the pitcher,
 whose hand was extended as if clutching
 the ball. His predecessors on bases, be- lieving the ball was with the pitcher, forgot their missions and the man on
 third base was only halfway home
 when he was overtaken by his two im-
 mediate followers, while he was lost in
 watching events in the lower end of the diamond, and all three came in together only to be tagged out with the ball by
 
 or two to the front of the home plate. | ''Three out, side out" yelled Fanny, the scorer, whose sympathies by this time | had been transferred to the Hops, and the excitement grew intenser. Unmind- full of what was going on at the strikers 1 circle the two contestants at second base
 seemed interested only in their own af-
 fairs. Then some one shouted ''FouF'
 and the runner heard it, or thought he
 heard it, turned suddenly in his tracks
 and received the full force Of bald head
 below the belt that sent him to earth | breathiess and speeches., while the pur-
 suer, slightly dazed by the blow, turned
 in his tracks and started on again, but
 towards first base. The man, or rather youth, on the base, seeing staring, l bulging white face approaching, got 1 frightened and ran away, closely pur-
 sued by the Hopsite pitcher who thought
 it was another contestant trying to score
 and thinking it was good double play, l in his excitement he grabbed up round
 Cobble and sent it direct for the group
 around the bat as though it were the ball
 and he wanted the catcher to prevent
 another scoring.
 Fortunately, or unfortunately as you like it, the ball passed over all the heads l in the group, which dodged invOluntari-
 ally as it passed, and struck the log up
 on which sat the scorer, and on the rebound strucc the ankle joint of the latter with pre- l ceptible force. There was roar of pain from l the injured man, which quickly brought the I players from the field, all but the one that had l gone down at second base.
 | While the foregoing events had been trans
 piring, the latter had arisen, and still thinking l the ball was lost, resumed his onward run foI l tally. Past JhiId he flew and down the home l stretch he came like courser, only to be met l with a tag from the ball in the pitchers hand I at tine same spot where three before him had met their Waterloo in this short but eventful l inning. The pitcher had arrived at home l plate in the nick of time as it appeared tc l him, siezed the ball lying by the plate and ef | fectually performed what he verify believes l was a very remarkably clever exhibition o1 1 double, nay triple play. And you can't con i vince him to the contrary. He looked hurt l made three inexcusable errors in thai short play. But according to the umpire's l decision, he terminated their opponents score I as he certainly did the game, for after this l there was hopeless tangle, which the scribe I was called upon to unite. The frayed and l tattered Peck < Snyder baseballi rules was | put in his hands to help out, but it's withered | cabbage-leaf like appearance made him Sus picious of it's age if not it's authenticity. 4 I fly leaf, showed an edition of the early 'S0's I and the initials Ot "Cap" who owned it in tht | days when he earned his soubriquet as tht leader of the O'Conne1l Street Colts.
 I It is needless to add that the tangle nevel was strengthened out, nor the score either but soon the cheerful sound of the bung- start CT made everyone forget his disappointment I and h1s pains. But it was most uniqus game of ball.-I**f