Nonchalantly Sam snapped the ball back over-hand.
Princeman smiled with calm superiority.

He wound himself up.
Spat! The ball had cut the plate and was in Sam's hands, while the batsman stood looking earnestly at the path over which it had come.
"Strike two!" called Blackstone.
Sam jerked the ball back with an underwrist toss of great perfection.
Princeman drew himself up with smiling ease and posed a moment for the edification of the on-lookers.

Sam Turner was the very first to detect the unbearable arrogance of that pose.

Princeman eyed the batsman critically, mercilessly even, and delivered the third fatal plate-splitter.
Z-z-z-ing! The sphere slammed right out through Billy Westlake, who made a frantic grab for it.

It bounded down between center and right field, and the players bumped shoulders in trying to stop it.