Creighton Cup Finals, Game 3

I won't bury the lede: The Blue Legs are cursed no more! Here's how it went down...

For Game 3, the series shifted to the Resolutes' park. Down two games to none, their backs were to the wall. In a rematch of Game 1, they sent Christy Mathewson to face Tim Keefe.

This time, it was the Legs who scored first. Keeler led off the game with a single and promptly stole second. He later scored on King Kelly's two-out single. 

It was clear that Keefe wouldn't need much run support. He cruised through the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters in order. Pete Hill drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth, but Kelly threw him out on an attempted steal. Kelly would throw Hill out again in the sixth, and throughout the series was actually better at nabbing would-be base thieves than his more accomplished rival, Connie Mack.

In the top of the sixth, Dan Brouthers, Kelly, and Sam Crawford hit three consecutive singles, giving the Legs a vital insurance run. They got another one in the seventh, when shortstop Monte Ward drew a walk and made it to second on Keefe's sacrifice. A two-out single from Nap Lajoie brought Ward home to make it 3-0. 

As the end of their championship hopes drew nearer, the Resolutes continued to battle. Fred Clarke led off the bottom of the seventh with a double. He scored several batters later on a single by pinch-hitter Jim O'Rourke to cut the deficit to two. 

Joe McGinnity took over for Mathewson in the eighth. With his team down 3-1, he was tasked with holding the line and preventing any further damage. The veteran closer threw two innings of scoreless relief to do his part. His teammates, however, were unable to mount a comeback. 

Keefe cruised through the eighth and then turned the ball over to Vic Willis. It was the star reliever's first appearance in the series, and he was shaky. A single to Clarke and a walk to Grant put two runners on with nobody out. Now with the winning run at the plate, the Resolutes sought to deliver the knockout blow. John McGraw popped out, however, and then Mack bounced a lazy grounder to short. Ward to Lajoie to Brouthers for a 6-4-3 double play. Game over, curse over. The Blue Legs are champions once more!