The Submarine Pitch by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online Page A

Bernie
     felt relieved now that he could get out there with at least two runs to back him up. “Come on, Chuck!” he yelled. “Bring ’im
     in!”
    But Buzz died on third as Chuck flied out to center fielder Mark Pine.
    The first batter to face Bernie was the skinny kid, Ralph Benz, who looked like the letter Z as he stood bent over the plate.
     Bernie wound up and threw his submarine pitch — even the
Lake Center News
was calling it that — and got Ralph swinging at the air. Ralph went down after four pitches.
    Jim Hayes popped up to Chuck. But Hank Dooley was stubborn. He kept ticking Bernie’s pitches as if he were seeking a record
     for fouls. Finally, after the sixth tick, he flied out to Bill.
    In the top of the second, Fred got on to Petey’s second pitch, belting it for a double between center and left fields. Bernie,
     getting the coach’s signal to bunt, couldn’t latch on to a satisfying pitch, and finally walked. Bill popped out. Then Ed
     came through with a high, rainbow drive over Mark Pine’s head in center field that hit the fence and ricocheted back. It was
     good for a triple and scored Fred and Bernie. Deke tried to kill Petey’s pitches — falling down twice on his rear — then popped
     up to the catcher, Nick Collodino. Buzz grounded out to short to end the hot inning.
    Bernie felt as pleased as he ever had when he picked up his glove and walked out to the mound. The day was like a hot oven,
     but he didn’t mind. His submarine pitch was working.
    He glanced up at the stands and saw Davesitting with Frankie, Mom, and Dad. Dad had the day off, and Bernie was glad to see him there. Dad hadn’t seen a game this
     year yet, so he hadn’t seen Bernie’s new submarine pitch.
    Bernie looked at the batter, Mark Pine. Mark was a big, powerful kid. He had the eyes of a hawk. Bernie wound up, delivered.
     The ball came up from his knees and shot toward the plate. Mark reared back and swung.
Swoosh!
He missed the pitch by six inches. Two more swings and he was out.
    The Ranger fans roared.
    Dick Stone missed with two swings, then popped out to short. Foxy Mattoon waited them out, then laced the three-two pitch
     to Bill, who piped it over to first for the third out.
    4–0, Rangers.
    In the top of the third Tom, leading off, lambasted a triple against the right-fieldfence, then perished on the sack as Petey shot down the next three guys on strikeouts.
    Needle Hall, who was even skinnier than Ralph Benz, led off for the Atoms. He pulled a surprise, bunting Bernie’s first pitch
     down toward third for a base hit. Nick Collodino followed suit with another surprise bunt; then Petey looped a single over
     short, driving in the Atoms’ first run.
    Now the Atom fans let everybody know they were there, too.
    The rally continued, Ralph and Jim both knocking out singles.
    “There goes your submarine pitch, Bernie!” yelled Needle, who was now coaching at third.
    Hank Dooley ticked the ball twice this time, then popped out to short. Mark, up next, tried again to smash the ball out of
     the county and again went down swinging. Dick Stone pounded out a double, scoringtwo runs, then Foxy struck out. Rangers 4, Atoms 5.
    Bernie felt a big lump in his stomach as he walked off the mound. Darn it! The pitch just wasn’t working again. It was too
erratic
. Was that the word?
    “How’s it coming in, Fred?” he asked the catcher in the dugout.
    “It’s too low, I think,” said Fred. “It’s not coming up.”
    “Bernie, you’re up,” said the coach. “Get on, okay?”
    Bernie did, driving a long shot over Hank Dooley’s head that only missed going over the fence by inches. He stopped on third
     for his longest hit of the season.
    The game was delayed a minute as the coach worked an eyelash out of Bill Conley’s left eye. Then the shortstop walked to the
     plate and drilled a single through short, scoring Bernie. Ed got a free pass to first,advancing Bill to second. Petey got Deke out on a change-up,