The Diamond Champs Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Slowly but surely we're getting there.”
    He seemed extremely pleased, yet Kim noticed that his facial expression hardly changed.
I wish I could see his eyes
, Kim thought. But they were shielded, as always, behind the dark sunglasses.
    The next game was on Wednesdayagainst the Red Arrows. It was the only game the Steelheads had scheduled for that week. Doug was pitching and not doing as
     well as he had in previous games, yielding five hits and four runs in the first two innings.
    The Steelheads, batting in the top of the third, again went through the half inning without a run in spite of Doug's two-base
     hit. But they held the Red Arrows scoreless in the bottom half of the inning. Did that mean anything? Were the Steelheads
     showing some improvement?
I sure hope so
, thought Kim, as Larry Wells stepped to the plate to start off the top of the fourth inning.
    Steve Wolzik, pitching for the Red Arrows, tried to bait Larry with wide and inside pitches, but Larry refused to bite. After
     a three-two count, Larry took another ball and walked.
    “Wait 'em out, Cathy,” advised the coach, as Cathy Andrews strode to theplate, snuggling the helmet down over her locks.
    She took two strikes, then checked her swing from a pitch that turned out to be a ball. Steve missed the strike zone with
     another. Then Cathy socked a knee-high pitch directly to Mick Davis, who was covering second base. Mick flipped the ball to
     second to nab Larry. Joe Fedderson, the Red Arrows' sparkling shortstop, zipped the ball to first for a quick double play.
    Kim, starting for the plate, saw the coach swing around and kick angrily at the sod. But he quickly turned back, apparently
     composed again, and began clapping his hands. “Okay, Kim!” he yelled. “It's never too late! Get your hit!”
    Kim did, smashing a single over second base. Nick followed suit, driving a single through short that advanced Kim to third.
     Kim slid into the bag on the throw in from center, safe by a yard.
    “Drive 'em in, Jo!” yelled Moe Harris, the third-base coach.
    Crack
! It was another single, a high hopping grounder through second. Mick, making a dive for it, almost caught it. The ball bounced
     out to left center field and Kim ran in to score. Nick started for third, but Moe held him back.
    Doug, up next, walked, loading the bases.
    Excitement bubbled among the players on the Steelheads' bench. The top of the batting order was up: Eric, Brad, and A. J.
     They were the best hitters on the club. But there were two outs. Eric, even though he hadn't hit safely yet, had been meeting
     the ball. This could be his right moment.
    It was! He laid into Steve's first pitch and lambasted it for a double between left and center fields! Nick and Jo scored.
    “Keep it up, Brad!” yelled Coach Stag. “Just meet the ball!”
    Brad met the ball, but it was a line drive directly at Joe Fedderson. Three outs.
    “That's all right!” cried Coach Stag happily. “We've picked up three runs! We'll pick up more!”
    Again the Red Arrows failed to score, not even getting a hit as Doug mowed down the batters, one … two … three.
    A. J., leading off in the top of the fifth, pulled a walk, and Kim's heart began to pound.
Is this going to be a repetition of the fourth inning
? he thought excitedly.
    Larry powdered a fly to left field. It was caught.
    “Darn!” said Kim under his breath.
    Cathy took a ball, a strike, then belted a low pitch through the hole between first and second bases. Like a frightened rabbit,
     A. J. bolted to second, then to third.
    “Keep up the rally, Kim!” Moe yelled from his third-base coaching box.
    Kim took two called strikes, then struckout. He returned to the dugout, his heart sick.
    “Chin up, Kim,” said the coach. “We're still in there.”
    Nick dodged a close pitch, falling down to get out of its way. Glaring at the pitcher, he got up and stood with his bat held
     high, waving it like a club.
    “He didn't like that close pitch,” said