Answer:
"A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game"
Step-by-step explanation:
Something pall is something dark, gloomy, related to sadness and death. This shows conflict as the narrator is describing a match in which everything could be defined by the last inning. "we'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat". "clung to the hope...". That moment will be defined by the outcome of that last inning. That's why a "pall-like" silence fell upon the patrons of the game. Because everything will be defined after.