Double Play at Short (8 page)

The word
slugger
reminded him: He’d be seeing Tammy the next day, at the fourth game in the championship series.

“Come on, let’s play some Wiffle ball in the backyard,” he said. “Gotta keep in shape for the game.”

Jennifer followed him out, and for the next hour or so they caroused around the yard, chasing the white plastic ball, which
never went very far.

While waiting for Jennifer to shag a hit, Danny noticed his mother looking out the window. A moment later, his father appeared
at her side and put
his arm around her shoulders. Danny smiled, knowing everything was going to be all right.

At least with
his
family.

The next day, Danny got to the field early. He’d left his camera at home this time because all he wanted to do now was play
baseball. Besides, it wasn’t too late to show what he could do on the diamond. He still had a chance at being picked for the
county All-Stars. All he had to do was play his best. It was up to the whole team to see that the Jaguars didn’t win this
one to end the series as the champs.

Danny had decided to keep the fact that Tammy was his twin sister from his teammates. So far he hadn’t said anything to anyone
about it — not even Joel. The Walkers had agreed at dinner to let him decide for himself how he wanted to handle it. Jennifer
was sworn to secrecy. She didn’t have to lie. She just had to keep her mouth shut about Danny and Tammy.

But she wasn’t keeping her mouth shut about her favorite baseball team.

“Come on, you Bullets!” she shouted from the stands. “You can do it!”

Danny gave her a big smile as he jogged to his spot at short. Then he crouched down to wait for the first pitch. Ike Isaacs
was on the mound for the Bullets, facing Joey Sands, the Jaguars’ usual lead-off batter.

Ike started things off strong with a strikeout. But he followed it up by walking Wally Mills.

Marsha got under an outside pitch and hit a high one. Wally advanced to second before Danny pulled the ball in for the second
out.

Then Ray grounded out to first to end the inning for the Jaguars, with no score yet on the board.

Before the Bullets took their turn in the batter’s box, Coach Lattizori called them into a circle outside their dugout.

“I don’t have to tell you,” he said. “There’s a lot riding on this game. But don’t let that get in your way. Remember what
you’ve learned all season, and use it. If we play hard and smart, we can tie this series up. And who knows? Some of you may
get a chance to play for the All-Stars. But for now, let’s get out there and show them some hitting.”

The team took him at his word. The coach had juggled things around a little for this game so that Mike Worsley would lead
off. He’d be followed by
Bus Thomas, who was playing right field. Frankie Snow, at third base this game, would be the number-three batter. Ken, who
was playing left field, was in the cleanup slot. Danny was in his usual fifth slot, followed by Joanne, then center fielder
Joel. Larry and Ike rounded off the batting order.

Mike let a couple of real low pitches go by before he found one he liked. He belted it out to short left field for a two-bagger.

Bus came up next. He swung hard at the first pitch, which was much too high. The next one was a called strike. Then, with
an 0 and 2 count, he connected with a line drive between second and third. Millie was a bit slow grabbing it, and her throw
home was too late. Mike scored the first run of the game, and Bus held on second.

Eric Swan, the Jaguars’ ace southpaw, threw two strikes on Frankie before he started to unravel. The next three pitches were
all way outside.

“Good eyes, Frankie,” shouted Danny from the dugout. “How to watch ‘em, buddy!”

The next pitch nearly grazed Frankie’s ankles. He dropped his bat for the trip to first, and Ken came up to bat.

With runners on first and second, Ken was a real threat. But to the Jaguars’ great relief, he tipped a half dozen foul balls.
Then he struck out.

With only one out, Danny stepped into the batter’s box. He couldn’t help noticing that the Jaguars’ outfield backed up a little.
It felt good to see them playing him deep.

But he surprised them with a line drive down the third base line. It looked like it might curve and fall outside the marker,
but it didn’t. It was just enough to make Joey Sands, the Jaguars’ third baseman, chase it before he could stop the ball.
By the time Joey was ready to throw, Bus had crossed the plate. Danny had started for second, but wisely beat it back to first
before Roy could tap him out.

“C’mon, Joanne!” Danny yelled. “Send Frankie and me home!” But his hopes of scoring ended when first Joanne and then Joel
popped out to short.

As he jogged in from first base, Danny couldn’t help thinking how nice those two outs would look to the All-Star scouts. Two
outs in a row proved that Tammy’s playing was consistent — and that she didn’t crack under pressure.

Wonder if she’d act as cool if she knew the truth
about us, he thought. But just as quickly, he pushed the thought away. We may be alike on the surface, but that could be where
the similarity ends. I’ll find a way to tell her — but not until
after
the series is over.

Tammy was the leadoff hitter for the Jaguars in the second inning. Danny shifted from foot to foot as Tammy approached the
plate. He tried to keep calm as she let the first pitch, a beauty, go by for a called strike. And then —

Crack!

He tried not to feel his heart race as he watched the ball soar into the air and then drop out of sight behind the right field
fence.

A home run! She jogged round the bases without any expression on her face until she reached the plate. But she broke out in
a big smile before she joined her team in their dugout.

“She’s some hot stuff, that shortstop,” said Mike from third base.

“Game’s not over,” mumbled Danny.

She’s just another player. She’s just another player. He’d thought that if he kept saying it to himself, he’d be able to concentrate
on his own game.

After Tammy’s homer, Ike settled down and
retired the next three Jaguar hitters to end the top of the second. The score now read Bullets 2, Jaguars 1.

The Bullets came in and took their shot at putting some more runs on the scoreboard. But they had a dismal inning. Larry was
thrown out at first, Ike struck out, and then Mike hit one into the waiting glove of the Jaguars’ second baseman.

Eric Swan, the Jaguars’ first batter at the top of the third, hadn’t had a hit all series. He did pretty much what everyone
expected of him. He struck out.

Then came the top of the Jaguars’ batting order. Joey Sands approached the plate with a serious look on his face. He seemed
determined to get a hit. And he did. It was a clean single to short right field, a solid hit.

Wally Mills hit the ball deep into center field to put himself on base. A quick peg by Joel kept Joey on second.

“C’mon, let’s put ‘em away!” Danny cried. The team took up the chatter as Marsha came up to the plate. But the chatter died
when Ike gave up a walk. The bases were now loaded. The Jaguars’ fans were screaming for a hit and some scoring.

Roy Feenie was the next batter. He let the count go to 3 and 1 before he took a swing. And then he hit the ball into the waiting
glove of Frankie Snow. Joey Sands managed to slide back just in time to avoid the tag.

With bases still loaded, Tammy came up to bat.

Just another batter, just another batter, said Danny to himself. But in the back of his mind, he could just imagine what would
happen to his chances of being picked county All-Star shortstop if she hit a grand-slam homer right now. How would he feel
about that?

He never got a chance to find out. Tammy let two called strikes go by her before she swung and missed for the third out. With
three runners left on base, the Jaguars went scoreless that inning.

The Bullets didn’t do much better. Bus got a single by putting it between short and second. But Frankie grounded out, and
then Ken hit a pop fly ball that the pitcher relayed to first, catching Bus off base for a double play. The inning ended with
the score still Bullets 2, Jaguars 1.

The game picked up some steam in the fourth inning. Al Norris started things going for the Jaguars with a line drive deep
into right field. It took him to
second base without much trouble. Millie came up next and drove him home with a sweet single into center that Joel had to
run in to grab. Despite a terrific throw home, Al scored to tie the game 2–2.

With Millie on first, Drew came up and found the sweet spot on one of Ike’s breaking pitches. He connected for a solid hit
that took Millie to third while he stayed on first. And there were still no outs for the Jaguars in the inning.

Eric came up to bat and the field came in a little. He woofed the first two pitches, but to everyone’s surprise, connected
with the ball on the third. It sizzled toward short, but Danny was ready. He leapt, caught the ball in the air for the out,
then whirled and pegged it to third. Frankie caught the ball and darted around in time to tag Millie for the double play.

The crowd roared its approval. Danny felt the blood rushing through his veins for the first time in a long while.

Joey Sands struck out to kill the Jaguars’ chances for another score that inning, and the Bullets came off the field.

“What a guy! What a guy! Mr. Double Play!”
shouted Joel, coming in from center field. When he caught up with Danny, he slapped him a high five with his ungloved hand.

“Easy there,” said Danny. “I’m up at bat now.”

“I tell you, there’s just no rest for you superstars,” said Joel with a big smile on his face. Danny knew his buddy was really
pleased that he’d had a good inning out on the field. Now it was time to get the Bullets going in the hitting department.

He did just that. He went to a 3 and 0 count before he found the pitch he was waiting for, but then he walloped the ball.
It soared into deep left field and hit the fence before it bounced hard toward the center of the outfield.

With his legs pumping for all they were worth, Danny sped around the bases as the Jaguars’ outfield scrambled for the ball.
Center fielder Al Norris finally stopped it in time to throw to third. But Danny managed to slide under the peg and touch
the base safely before he was tagged. It was a nice, clean triple.

Now,
that
should help, Danny thought as he dusted off his pants. Both the team
and
my stats!

Joanne helped her stats, too, with a solid hit.
Danny crossed the plate at the same time she landed on second with a double. The score was now Bullets 3–Jaguars 2.

Things slowed down a little when Joel Jackson, up at bat next, took three called strikes.

“Tough luck, buddy,” said Danny. “Plenty more chances, though. You’ll show ‘em.”

With one away, Eric gave up a walk to Larry Chuan. Then Ike came up to bat. Danny could hardly believe it when the Bullets’
pitcher clobbered the ball deep into right field. It was enough to bring Joanne home. Larry wisely stopped at second. Ike
was out at first, but he was a happy guy as he flopped down on the bench. The Bullets’ lead had increased to two runs.

“An RBI for Ike,” said Frankie. “Dynamite!”

Up at bat next, Mike tapped a ground ball that hit the mound and bounced off toward third. Joey stopped it and threw it to
second, but he was too late to catch Larry. Larry held where he was as Mike stood up on first.

Then Bus Thomas socked a line drive straight into Tammy’s mitt to end the inning. The score was Bullets 4–Jaguars 2.

In the fifth inning, the Jaguars put two players on base before their first out. Then Ike walked Tammy before striking out
the next two batters. It looked as though the Jaguars were starting to run out of steam.

The Bullets, however, were just getting started. Frankie walked, Ken struck out for the second time in the game, but Danny
got a clean stand-up double by hitting the ball deep into right field. It was enough to send Frankie home. The Bullets’ score
went to 5 runs against the Jaguars’ 2.

Then Joanne popped one up to short for the second out. Tammy spun to toss the ball to the second baseman for the double play,
but Danny wasn’t taking chances and had stayed right where he was. Their eyes met briefly, then Tammy turned and threw the
ball back to the pitcher.

Joel came up and got his first hit of the game. He arrived safely on first, and Danny held up at third. With two men on base,
the Bullets stood a chance of scoring another run. But it didn’t happen. Larry struck out to end the fifth inning with the
Bullets three runs up on the Jaguars.

As Danny ran off to his field position, he felt good. He’d hit a single, a double, and a triple all in the
same game. That didn’t happen often. Even if he didn’t get up to bat again, his series average was looking good.

But the Bullets still had their work cut out for them. They could end the game if they contained the Jaguars in the top of
the sixth inning.

Drew Ferris led off. He put one by Mike to arrive safe on first. Next up was Eric, but the Jaguars put in a pinch hitter for
him. Barney Gold, their substitute outfielder, came up and faced Ike. The Bullets’ outfield played him deep.

The first two pitches were low and inside, and Barney let them go by. The next two were down the middle for called strikes.
He swung at the fifth pitch and connected. It was a high fly ball into center field, and Joel was ready for it. He put it
away for the first out and pegged the ball to third. Drew held up at second.

The shouting from the Bullets’ fans began in the stands: “We want a win! We want a win!”

The ump signaled for them to quiet down.

Next up was Joey Sands. Ike walked him. There were runners on first and second.

Wally Mills stepped into the batter’s box and took
a few practice swings. He settled down to try for a hit, but Ike walked him, too. The bases were now loaded with only one
out.

Danny could feel the tension all around him. His own heart was pounding madly. Got to remain cool, he thought. He took a deep
breath and settled down for the next pitch.