T.V. said. “Sparrow pitched the last game, but Coach will put him in again if he has to.” “At least let them hit,” advised Turtleneck. “Right,” agreed Nicky. “We could get them out if they hit the ball.” The ump came halfway out to the mound to break up the gathering. The guys split and returned to their positions. Zero turned and faced Luke Bonelle at the mound. Luke was the Bearcats’ strongest hitter. Zero really wanted to try something tricky to outsmart Luke. But with the bases loaded, he realized he should play it safe for now. Zero streaked in a fastball. Crack! The ball zoomed to deep right field, drawing a cheer from the Bearcats fans. As Zero watched, the ball arced down and landed about ten feet beyond the right-field foul line. “Just a long strike, Zero!” Uncle Pete yelled from the stands.
