ST, p ROLLINS, p

Post showed his ability in that first inning. Not a man reached first.
Three strikes and out was the invariable rule, and Ferry Hill went wild
with joy. If Post could serve Hammond's best batters in such fashion
what hope was there for her tail-enders?

But Post was not the only one who could strike out batsmen. In the
second half of the inning Rollins disposed of Chub, Bacon and Thurlow in
just the same fashion, and so far the honors were even. Ferry Hill, who
had loyally cheered each of the warriors as they stepped to the plate,
looked less elated. The game speedily resolved itself into a pitchers'
battle in which Rollins had slightly the better of it. Two innings
passed without a man getting safely to first base. Then Sid, who was
still rather bulky in spite of the hard work he had been through, got in
the way of one of Rollins' in-shoots and trotted to first ruefully
rubbing his hip. He made a valiant effort to profit by Post's scratch
hit to shortstop but was easily thrown out at second. Not satisfied with
this, Hammond played the double, catching Post a foot from the base.
That was in the last of the third. So far the game had dragged along
uninterestingly. But now things began to happen.

O'Meara was the first man up for Hammond. Perhaps Post let down for an
instant. At all events, the Hammond captain lined out the first hit of
the contest, a long, low two-bagger which made the cherry and black
flags wave ecstatically. Then Stone sacrificed and O'Meara sped to
third. Young fouled out to Patten, who made a brilliant catch after a
long run. Hartley hit to Bacon who threw home. O'Meara doubled back to
third and Hartley was safe on first. Hyde, with a record of three
strike-outs against him, managed to find something quite to his liking
and knocked out a sharp grounder between Chub and Bacon. O'Meara came
home for the first run of the day amidst wild cheers from the Hammond
side, and Hartley got to third. The coaching was incessant and Post got
a little bit rattled.

Taft bunted along first base line and Post ran for it, scooped it up and
threw, to Patten. The throw was a little wild, but it seemed that Patten
should have got it. As it was it went over his head and had not Sid been
on the spot to back him up things would have been worse than they were.
Hartley scored, but Hyde was put out at the plate, Sid being the hero of
the play. Two runs to nothing.

Ferry Hill went in with B