Chapter 8Joe, who looked like a long-ball hitter, wasn’t. In high school his batting average had been excellent because he could place balls where the fielders weren’t. Now, in Higgins, he had become an asset to the Hammers because he was doing the same thing for them. In the home half of the ninth inning of this particular game, he managed a double, scoring Justin Quinn from second and ending the game. Justin, who had slid into home plate, came up, his usual cocky grin gone, grimacing in pain. The catcher from the visiting team, who was angered by something Justin had said when he was at bat, ignored the boy’s pain and strode toward his team’s bench. Thus it was Bailey Stone who got to the plate first. Joe arrived a minute later, having cut across the infield once it was clear that Justin
