The Homerun Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

He swung his arm, then threw the ball. The girl’s bat contacted the ball. It arced over the diamond. Wham! The ball hit the wooden fence. A home run for the Eagles!
    The girl high-fived her other teammates.
    â€œWow!” exclaimed Benny. “She’s good!”
    Henry frowned. “Maybe she just got lucky.”
    But he couldn’t say that about the second and third and fourth home runs. Player after player hit line drives right into the fence! They couldn’t all be lucky, he realized.
    â€œThey’re either a really good team,” said Henry, “or there’s something going on. I just can’t tell what it is.”
    The next batter who came up seemed reluctant. From her seat in the grandstand, Violet watched the sandy-haired boy carefully. He took the bat that the coach handed him. Why was the coach handing out the bats instead of the batboy? she wondered.
    The boy took an open stance and waited for Brandon’s pitch. He let the first ball go by. And the second. On the third pitch, he swung and missed. Violet could see Coach Jenkins frown.
    On Brandon’s next pitch, the boy stepped into the swing, and crack! the ball went flying into center field. The ball slammed into the boards.
    The sandy-haired boy ran the bases rather halfheartedly, Violet thought. When he reached home, he walked up to the coach. They talked, then the boy gathered his things and left the park.
    â€œHe just quit the game,” said Violet, surprised.
    â€œLooks like it,” Mr. Soper agreed. “Maybe he’s sick. Why else would a player quit when his team is winning?”
    At the beginning of the next inning, Coach Jenkins came into the bleachers to where Violet was sitting.
    â€œAre you Violet Alden?” he asked her.
    â€œYes,” she replied, wondering what the man wanted.
    â€œYour sister, Jessie, said you are a good ballplayer. Our left fielder just went home sick. And we don’t have any substitutes. Would you like to play with us?” He grinned, adding, “We’re winning, you know.”
    â€œWell …” Then Violet realized this was a good opportunity. With two Aldens working on the inside, there was a better chance to find out if the Eagles were cheating. “Yes,” she said. “It sounds like fan.”
    As she put on an Eagles T-shirt, Violet noticed it was Jessie’s turn to bat. Once more Coach Jenkins took a bat from the batboy and gave it to Jessie to test.
    Jessie swung the bat tentatively, then held it out straight. The bat seemed fine, not too heavy. She hit a good one deep in the outfield, but it was not a home run.
    During a time-out, Jessie murmured to Violet, “I’m glad you’re on the team. I can’t tell what the Eagles are doing to cheat. Or even if they are cheating. You can help.”
    â€œI’ll try,” said Violet.
    It was her turn to bat. She hit a single. It was funny, but only she and Jessie hadn’t hit home runs. Were the other players that good?

    All too soon, the game was over. The hard-hitting Eagles had won.
    After the Eagles had left, Emily jogged over to Jessie. “The last game on Friday is the tie breaker. If we lose that game, we lose the championship.”
    â€œBut if you win, you’ll win the championship,” Jessie said.
    Henry and Benny joined them.
    Brandon walked up, his glove hanging off the end of a bat. “It’s important for us to go out winning,” he said. “Because after Friday we can’t play anymore.”
    â€œWe still have two days,” Henry reminded everyone. “The ballpark could be saved in two days. It’s not impossible.”
    Two days isn’t much time , Violet thought.
    As she turned, she saw a familiar face behind the batting cage. It was the sandy-haired boy who had quit the team. He motioned for her to come over.
    â€œI thought you went home sick,” Violet said to him.
    â€œI was supposed to,” said the