He swung his stick idly, watching Teall.

Along came the ball.

Tom judged it and hit at it.
"Strike one!" called Tozier, shifting a pebble to his left hand.
Ted grinned derisively as he twisted the leather for the next throw.
"Ball one!" and a bean followed the pebble into the umpire's left hand.
"Strike two! Ball two! Ball three!" Ted Teall began to feel angry over the growing pile of called balls.

He delivered one with great care.
Whack! Tom never waited to see whether the ball was headed inside or outside of foul lines.

He simply dropped his willow, then gave his best exhibition of the sprinting that he had learned in the spring.
It was a fair ball that struck inside of left field.