uch"----

The game went against the Bears from the start, the break of the luck
seeming always to favor the Panthers. Twice, with runners perched on
second and third, Holleran had hit feeble grounders to the infield, one
resulting in a runner being caught at the home plate and one in an easy
out at first that finished an inning in which the Bears had threatened
to amass a half dozen runs.

The seventh inning started with the Panthers leading 3 to 1, and the
Bears seemingly beaten beyond hope of recovery. An error, followed
quickly by a base on balls and a successful sacrifice bunt put Bear
runners on second and third bases with but one out and Holleran coming
to the bat. Clancy signaled him, and an instant later Umpire Maxwell
announced:

"McCarthy batting for Holleran. McCarthy will play third base,
Pardridge in left field."

McCarthy came to the batter's box quickly, swinging a long, light bat.
He let a fast ball cut across the plate just at his shoulders and only
glanced inquiringly at the umpire when it was called a strike. The
next one was a quick-breaking curve, seemingly coming straight at him.
He stepped slightly forward, snapped the long bat against the ball and
drove it down the left field foul line; two runners sprinted across the
plate, and the score was tied.

"That auburn baby can hit them curves," commented Rice. "He certainly
called the turn and waded into that one."

The game went into the ninth, then the tenth, the pitchers working
harder and harder and the teams batting behind them without a break to
bring the victory that meant so much to them.

Jimmy McCarthy was the first batter for the Bears. From an unknown
recruit he had become the sensation of the game, and thousands were
asking who he was. Twice he had hit Cooke's fast "hook curve," and hit
it hard, and Cooke, remembering, shook his head as his catcher signaled
for another curve. The recruit watched him, and, with a sudden jerk of
his belt, he stepped into position. The first ball was fast and across
his shoulders, as Cooke had placed it twice before. This time instead
of taking the first strike McCarthy met the ball squarely and drove it
on the line over the first baseman's head. He turned first base, going
at top speed, although already McKeever, the Panther's right fielder,
known as one of the greatest throwers in the league, was in position to
field the ball.

The roar that arose from the crowd was chopped short as Mc