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Kim. “If Steve puts one in there, it's good-bye.”
    Steve put one in there. And it was goodbye. The long, solid drive carried far over the left field fence for a home run, and
     Nick trotted around the bases with an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
    The whole team met him at the plate and shook his hand.
    “What power, man!” Kim smiled at him.
    Jo flied out to center to end the half inning—6 - 4, Steelheads.
    Mick Davis, leading off for the Red Arrows in the bottom of the fifth, latched onto a high pitch to deep right. The ball bounced
     in front of Kim, slipped through his legs, and rolled to the fence.

    “Rats!” he fumed, spinning on his heels and sprinting after the ball. By the time he whipped it to the infield, Mick was safe
     on third.
    Doug struck out Hank Stone, then walked Jim Kramer, who had already accumulated two safe hits. Fred singled, scoring Mick,
     putting the Red Arrows just one run behind.
    Then Duke Pierce popped out to short and Ken Dooley fanned, bringing the threatening half inning to an end—6 - 5, Steelheads.
    “Our last time up,” reminded Coach Stag. “Let's chalk up a few more runs, shall we?”
    Doug waited out Steve's pitches, finally flying out to center field.
    Again the top of the batting order was up.
    “Don't get too anxious now, Eric,” cautioned the coach calmly as the left-handed third baseman and hitter stepped to the plate.
     “Wait for the one you like.”
    Eric nonetheless seemed nervous as he waved the bat back and forth, his legs spread wide, his attention riveted on the pitcher.
     He took two called strikes, fouled a pitch—and then blasted a line drive over short for a clean single!
    The whole team shouted their approval, then shouted even louder as Brad stepped to the plate and lambasted a fence-hitting
     triple, scoring Eric.
    A. J., with just a walk to his credit so far, cracked a streaking single through the mound. Steve made a vain effort to catch
     it, but the hit was clean, and another run scored.
    Larry lifted a long fly to left that Jim Kramer pocketed in his glove. Two outs.But that didn't seem to dim Cathy's hopes as she swung at a waist-high pitch and rocketed it for a long double to right center,
     scoring A. J.
    Kim, hoping he could continue the hitting spree, managed to make first all right, but it was due to an error by shortstop
     Joe Fedderson. Cathy advanced to third on the play, but perished there as Nick flied out to left.
    Trailing 9 - 5, the Red Arrows made a bold attempt to catch up as Eddie Noles cracked Doug's first pitch for a double. Joe
     flied out to left, but Larry's strong arm kept Eddie from advancing.
    Steve, considered to be one of the league's best hitting pitchers, proved his worth as he laced an outside corner pitch for
     a single, scoring Eddie.
    The Red Arrows were closing the gap, 9 - 6. And the top of their batting order was up.

9
    M ICK DAVIS, THE RED ARROWS '
leadoff batter, stood at the plate and watched three pitches zip by him without taking the bat off his shoulder. All three
     pitches were balls.
    Nick called time and ran out to the mound. He talked with Doug a bit, then returned to his position behind the plate.
    Doug removed his cap, brushed hack his hair, pulled his cap back on, and stepped on the rubber. He stretched, checked therunner on first, then breezed in the pitch.
    “Strike!” cried the ump.
    “Nice pitch, Doug!” Nick shouted.
    Doug pitched again. “Strike two!”
    Doug put the next one in there too, and Mick swung.
Crack
! It was a blazing shot to right field, curving toward the foul line!
    Kim bolted after it. At the last instant he stretched out his gloved hand to catch it, but the ball hit the tip of his glove
     and bounced to the outfield. Kim chased after it, realizing that it was the second time he had missed a ball in this game.
     He picked it up near the fence, turned, and heaved it in. Steve was running in to score, and Mick was sprinting to third.
    Slapping his fist disgustedly into the