Double Play at Short (10 page)

It was the first chance Danny had to take a close look at her this game. Had she gotten his letter, and if so, what was her
reaction?

Then Tammy made contact with the ball, and Danny snapped back to attention. Tammy arrived safely on first, Marsha moved up
to second — and Danny reminded himself that during a game, Tammy was just another player. And a threatening one at that.

With two runners on base and two outs, Al Norris hit a line drive straight into Vern’s waiting glove to end the inning.

Joanne led off for the Bullets in the second.

“Come on, Joanne. We want a hit!”

“Let’s go, Bullets!”

The shouts from the Bullets’ fans rang out as she stepped into the batter’s box.

She didn’t disappoint them. The ball flew into short left field for a stand-up single.

Danny called out to Joel, who was leaving the on-deck circle, “Show ‘em what you’ve got, Joel!”

It could have been that Andy Hooten didn’t want to see what Joel had. He walked the Bullets’ center fielder.

That brought up Larry Chuan, who was also capable of hitting the big one. The outfield stayed deep as he got set at the plate.

Larry let the first pitch go by for a called strike, then went for the next. He hit a line drive, which Marsha caught for
the out. A fast peg to first caught Joel off base for another.

Joanne had advanced to third, where she held up. Her chances of scoring were dimmed by Marc’s arrival in the batter’s box.
It didn’t take many pitches before he struck out to end the inning for the Bullets.

With a one-run lead, the Jaguars didn’t do much better that inning. Drew and Millie got on base with ground ball singles,
but Andy struck out. And then Joey Sands let his team down by hitting into a double play.

Two double plays in one inning made the fans uneasy. As the Jaguars took to the field and the Bullets came in, there were
boos and catcalls mixed with the cheers.

Things got even worse in the top of the third. As Danny squirmed around on the bench, he watched the Bullets put two runners
on with one out — and again hit into a double play,
their
second one that game. He wished he could be out there doing something to help the team. But he knew he’d have to wait until
the coach was ready to make the move. So far Frankie’s fielding had been okay.

But the bottom of the third proved to be a rough one for the Bullets. Marc started off by walking Wally. Marsha then popped
out to Frankie, who tried to pick off Wally on second, but missed. Then, with the runner on second, Roy Feenie suddenly found
the perfect pitch.

Crack!

It sailed over the left field fence for a home run. That made the score Jaguars 3–Bullets 0.

There was no more action on the bases. Her second time at bat, Tammy struck out. She was followed by Al Norris, who hit a
hard one deep into left field. Joel picked it off right next to the fence for the final out.

Frankie was due to lead off, but Coach Lattizori called over to Danny.

“Grab your helmet and get out there,” said the coach. “Let’s get a little action going. All we want is a hit to start things
off, Danny. Just do your stuff.”

Danny’s “stuff” was his reliability. He didn’t disappoint. He let three inside pitches go by for a 3 and 0 count. Andy had
to give him something now.

It was a fastball down the middle. Danny swung and connected with a sizzling line drive that went between short and third.
It was good enough to put him on second base.

He breathed a sigh of relief and glanced over to short. Tammy didn’t even look in his direction. Maybe she doesn’t realize
it’s me here on second, he thought. Or maybe, he added dismally, she knows
but doesn’t care. His heart turned cold at the thought.

Joanne stepped into the batter’s box next. The Jaguars’ outfield backed up a little, and she took advantage of it by belting
a line drive that sent center and right scrambling in. Danny took off the minute he heard bat connect with ball. He beat the
throw home for the Bullets’ first run of the game. He waved his cap triumphantly at Joanne, who had made it to first without
any trouble.

The rally slowed a little when Joel Jackson struck out. But Larry Chuan redeemed himself by hitting a ground ball that almost
reached the right field fence before Millie Albright stopped it. Joanne was on her way home for the Bullets’ second run. The
peg at second was too late, so Larry stretched his hit to a triple.

Then Marc hit an easy grounder to first and was tagged out. Larry held tight at third. Vern Labar came up to bat, looking
to make his mark on the game. He let two outside balls go by, then reached for one that was a little closer in. He connected
with a line drive that sailed over short and landed him
safe on first. Larry crossed the plate for the Bullets’ third run of the inning.

That run turned out to be their last. Elaine struck out, and the top of the fourth was over with the score now tied, 3–3.

Danny felt sharp and alert as he headed out to the field for the bottom of the inning. It was a brand-new ball game to him,
and he was determined to make the most of it.

He got his wish right off when Drew Ferris, leading off for the Jaguars, hit one straight into his mitt for the first out.
Then Millie came up to the plate. Marc had her number, too, giving her nothing great to swing at. She finally took an inside
ball for a grounder straight down the first base line. Joanne pulled it in and made the tag for out number two.

Having hit the ball in the second inning, Andy Hooten was all set to do it again. But he went down swinging, and the fourth
inning ended with the score still tied.

“Okay, you Bullets, take it away!” shouted Jennifer from the stands. Danny could always make out her voice.

Mike Worsley was hoping to start a rally, but he
ended up waiting out four bad pitches for a walk. Ken popped one to the pitcher for out number one.

Then Danny came up to bat. The noise from the stands made it clear that he was a great favorite with the Bullets’ fans.

He cleared his mind of everything. The round white horsehide with the red stitching shot toward him from the pitcher’s mound.

The first pitch was high. Ball one. The second was low. Ball two. The third was right down the middle.

He swung hard and hit the ball deep into center field. It sailed way over the head of Al Norris, who hadn’t played him deep
enough. But Al recovered the ball quickly and pegged it all the way home. That kept Mike on third and Danny on second with
only one out.

The Bullets would take the lead if Joanne could send Mike home. But she lobbed a high foul ball that the Jaguars’ catcher,
Drew Ferris, put away on the third base line. Mike hugged close to the third base bag.

Joel Jackson came up to bat and tried to do the job but failed. He popped one out to short, and Tammy put it away for the
final out.

She’s playing a real steady game, Danny thought as he ran out to the field. He wasn’t positive, but he thought he caught her
glance in his direction as she came in. She looked away before he had a chance to react.

The top of the Jaguars’ batting order led off in the bottom of the fifth inning. Still smarting from hitting into a double
play, Joey Sands looked ready to redeem himself. But he went for a low pitch that bobbled down the first base line for the
first out.

Wally didn’t do much better, hitting a grounder that Mike captured for the second out.

Then Marsha started a rally with a double that Danny almost tagged out but missed by a hair. With a runner on second base,
Marc walked the next batter, Roy Feenie, which brought up Tammy.

Danny suddenly found himself praying that she wouldn’t hit the ball his way. I’d hate to ruin it for my own twin sister, he
thought, whether she knows it or not. But I will if I have to.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Tammy belted the ball into deep right field. She made it to first as Marsha slid into home.

Marc managed to put Al Norris away with three
straight called strikes. Still, the inning had ended with the score now Jaguars 4–Bullets 3.

It was the last inning and the last chance for the Bullets to run up a big enough score to win the game.

Can we do it? Danny wondered as he watched Larry go to the plate. Can Larry get on base and come home for the tying run?

He got part of an answer when Larry took his base on a walk.

Marc provided a little more excitement. The Bullets’ pitcher surprised his teammates by hitting a clean single into left field.
Larry stretched his run to third. He was now in scoring position.

But Andy Hooten wasn’t about to give up right then and there. He struck out Vern and Elaine one after the other with a series
of dazzling pitches.

And that’s when he started his downslide. He walked Mike to load the bases — and then walked the next batter, Ken Hunter,
to tie the game.

The fans went wild cheering for both sides as the Jaguars’ coach walked out to the mound for a talk with Andy. After a moment
of discussion, the coach walked back and Andy stayed in to face Danny.

Danny had gotten hits his two previous times at
bat. Now he faced a field with the bases loaded, two outs, and the game tied in the sixth and final inning.

Just do your best, he said to himself. Forget everything else and just do your best.

Okay, here goes, he thought. He stepped into the batter’s box, choked up on the bat, and crouched into a comfortable hitting
position. Oh, for a good one, he begged silently.

He got his wish on the first pitch. It was a little bit outside and just above the middle. He swung hard and connected.

The ball went bounding down the field toward second and short. Danny dropped the bat and started to run. Out of the corner
of his eye, he saw Tammy move to stop the ball.

But as he charged toward first, Danny heard the crowd gasp in astonishment. His own eyes widened in disbelief when he saw
the first baseman make a desperate leap to try to catch a wild throw. The next thing he knew, he was safe. A run had scored,
and only a great stop and throw by Roy Feenie kept a second runner from crossing the plate.

“What happened?” Danny asked the first base coach as the umpire tried to quiet the crowd down.

“The shortstop flubbed the pickup and then threw a wild one to first!” was the reply.

“You don’t know how lucky you are to be standing here,” growled the first baseman. “Tammy’s
never
done that before.”

The officials ruled it an error, but the run scored, and the Bullets were now ahead, 5–4.

As Danny stood on base, he had to wonder: Was it an error? Was she just nervous? Or was it something she did on purpose to
make him look good?

He planned on getting a good look at Tammy’s face when he got closer to see if he could tell. But Joanne popped one out to
right field to end the inning, and he didn’t get a chance.

Before taking the field for the bottom of the sixth, the Bullets huddled near their bench. They joined hands in the center
of a circle and let out a loud war cry. Then they ran off to their positions.

This is it, Danny realized, heart thumping. If we hold them now, we win the championship. If I don’t mess up, I have a great
shot at county All-Star now that Tammy’s blown it with that error.

He forced himself to take it one batter at a time. That started off with Drew, who hit one deep into
center field. Joel was under it and put it away for the first out.

Then Millie came up and got her first hit of the game, a ground ball to third that she outran for a single.

With time running out and a run behind, a pinch hitter went in for Andy Hooten. Again it was Barney Gold who stepped into
the batter’s box. Danny could practically feel Barney’s hunger as the burly outfielder stared down the line at Marc on the
mound.

Marc’s first pitch was a fastball that went for a called strike. The next one was a little slower, and Barney saw it coming.
He belted it into deep left field. Ken stopped it on a bounce and pegged it to third. The runners held on first and second.

Then Joey Sands came up to bat. Joey hadn’t looked all that sharp since hitting into a double play in the third inning. He
never was much of a power hitter, so the Bullets’ infield came in a little for the play.

The first pitch was a little low, but he swung at it — and missed. The next two were high and outside for a 2–1 count.

And then a breaking pitch came his way and Joey gave it everything he had.

Crack!

The ball sailed high into the air, out toward left field. It kept on going, going, and was gone — over the fence for a three-run
home run!

The Jaguars streamed out of the dugout, cheering and whooping as each of the runners cross the plate. Danny watched as the
scoreboard changed one last time. The final score read Jaguars 7, Bullets 5. The Jaguars had taken the series, 3–2.

Danny knew that there was a good chance that his baseball season would get an extension. Tammy’s error all but sealed his
spot on the All-Star team. But the end of the series meant that he and Tammy would no longer be forced together. Would that
be the end of it?

The crowd spilled onto the field and crowded around the players on both teams. But before they could go off to their respective
dugout areas, the Jaguars and the Bullets met on the mount to exchange handshakes.

When they came to each other, Danny and Tammy lowered their eyes. They put out their hands
and withdrew them after a brief touch. Danny started to move on. But then he realized that Tammy hadn’t budged. She continued
to stare at the ground with her hands hanging at her sides. He stepped back. She raised her head and met his eyes. There was
a moment of stony silence. Then they both broke out in identical wide smiles. In the next second, they had wrapped their arms
around each other in a warm and loving hug.

Of course, they tripped up half the team on each side as they stood there. Jaguars and Bullets stumbled all over them. Joel
Jackson bumped into them and cried out, “Looks like double trouble at short to me!”