Mystery Coach Read Online Free PDF Page A

base.
    “Let’s get two!” yelled Chris. He moved closer to second base as a right-handed batter stepped into the box.
    Crack
! A hot grounder to short. Jack fielded it, whipped it to Chris and Chris pegged it to first. A double play!
    A high pop-up to Frank Bellows ended the top half of the second inning.
    “He’s got nothing on it,” Steve Herrick said to Jack, referring to Howie Little, the Scorpions’ pitcher. “It’s as straight
     as a string.”
    Jack corked Howie’s second pitch through the second baseman’s legs, then advanced to third on Frank’s double to left centerfield. Abe, batting left-handed, drilled one out to deep right. The ball was caught, but Jack tagged up, then scored.
    Tex knocked Frank in on a single over short, then perished on base when both Wally and Steve flied out.
    Scorpions 0, Blazers 3.
    The Blazers were hot.
    The Scorpions’ leadoff man tagged Abe’s first pitch for a triple, then scored on a two-bagger to deep right field. Chris looked
     at Abe, hoping that the two long hits wouldn’t make him so nervous that he’d lose control and start walking every Scorpion
     coming to bat.
    But that was exactly what was starting to happen. Abe walked the next two Scorpions to fill the bases.
    “Take your time, Abe!” Chris shouted. “Groove ’em!”
    He felt the tension beginning to growamong the Blazers. A long hit could wipe the bases clean and put the Scorpions ahead.
    “Ball!” shouted the ump as Abe breezed in his first pitch.
    A strike followed. Then three consecutive pitches, none of which crossed the plate, sent the batter to first and walked in
     the Scorpions’ second run.
    Chris stared across the diamond at Coach Edson.
Coach! Aren’t you going to do something? Can’t you see that Abe’s completely lost control of his pitches
?
    A hard drive to third! A ball that sailed through the air like a rocket. Tex intercepted it. One out. He touched third—two
     outs. He rifled the ball to first. Three outs!
    A triple play!
    The Blazer fans went wild and cheered Tex as he ran in to the bench.
    “Thanks, Tex,” murmured Abe, relief bright on his face. “You saved my life.”
    Tex laughed. “Anytime, Abe,” he said.
    Mick Antonelli led off in the bottom of the third and dropped a single behind first base. He’d hit the ball at the end of
     his bat. Spike Dunne tagged a long one to left but it wasn’t long enough. The ball was caught and pegged to second to hold
     Mike on first. One out.
    Chris stepped into the box, anxious to redeem himself after that strikeout in the first inning. He let the first pitch go
     by—a called strike—then dropped to the dirt on a close throw.
    He got up, dusted himself off, then belted a waist-high pitch to left center field. The blow was high and it looked for a
     moment as if it might drop over the fence. It didn’t. It struck the fence, bounced back, and the fielder picked it up and
     pegged it in. The shortstop caught it and relayed it to third in an attempt to get Chris. The throw was lateand Chris was on for a triple with an RBI credited to him.
    There, Mr. Herrick
, he thought, looking at Steve.
How do you like those sour apples
? But Steve wasn’t looking at him.
    Jack Davis popped up to the catcher and Frank grounded out to short, ending the half-inning.
    Scorpions 2, Blazers 4.
    The Scorpions came up in the top of the fourth as if their stingers had all been plucked. Chris felt sure that this would
     be the fastest half-inning ever.
    He was wrong.
    The first Scorpion drilled Abe’s first pitch through the mound, almost knocking Abe’s pins from under him. The next cracked
     a double to right center, advancing the runner to third.
    Abe stood off the mound awhile, wiped his sweating forehead, then stepped back on the rubber. He checked the runners on second and third, then delivered.
Smack
! A hard grounder between Chris and second base! Chris sprang for it, but the ball brushed the tip of his glove and bounded
     to the outfield.