Frazer had gone to the wall, and would pitch poorly if allowed to go in the box in the next inning.
"I hate to do it, Frazer," he told the other, feeling sorry for him; "but any port in a storm; and it may be possible these sluggers will trip up on that balloon ball of mine, though I haven't much else to offer them." That inning the locals did a little batting on their own account, with the result that the score looked a shade better, for it was three to six when once more Scranton went into the field.
When it was seen that Hugh walked to the box some of the local rooters cheered lustily, for Hugh was a great favorite.

Cat-calls also greeted his appearance, coming principally from Nick Lang and his followers; though they were frowned upon by a crowd of Scranton boys, who threatened to hustle them off the grounds unless they mended their ways.
As Hugh left third one of the substitutes, named Hastings, was placed on that sack.

Thad gave Hugh a queer look on discovering this, and followed it with a peculiarly suggestive grin; so that Hugh understood how his chum was thinking of another Hastings with whose name they had taken undue liberties.
Allandale seemed pleased to know that there was to be a change of slab artists.
"All pitchers look alike to us when we've got our batting clothes on!" one of them sang out blithely, as he swung a couple of bats around, being the next man up, and desirous of making himself feel that he held a willow wand in his hands when throwing one aside and wielding the other.
He was mistaken.
Hugh started in without delay feeding them some of what the boys were pleased to denominate his "teasers." He soon had them hitting at thin air with might and main, and looking surprised because they failed to connect.
One man, then two, went out on strikes, and neither had touched the elusive "fade-away" ball made famous by Christy Matthewson in his prime.
The crowd sat up and began to take notice.

What did it mean?
If Hugh could only keep up his good work by varying his offerings, so as to keep those slugging Allandale fellows guessing, and Scranton began to knock the ball around a little on their own account, why, there might be something like a good game yet.
The third man got a hit which should really have been an out, for "K.K.," reliable "K.K.," out in deep center, misjudged the blow, and started to run back, when he should have shot forward instantly.
He could have scooped it up three feet from the ground had he done so; and while he did manage to keep the ball from getting past, the batter gained first.
However, he died there, for Hugh deceived the next fellow as he had done two previous batters, and the side was out.

When the eighth inning ended the score was four to six, not so very bad.