Free Double Play at Short by Matt Christopher

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 truthabout 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 andretired 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