Tanba look ahead and concentrate. Miyuki gives sign.
*nodded nodded*
Tanba throw but it's a ball.
'Tanba, just let him hit!'
'We got your back'
'Send it over here'
Words of affirmation and encouragement. Miyuki want to take a timeout but Tanba shook his head. Truthfully he's nervous, but seeing his fellow teammates his worries ease slightly. He need to prove to team and coach that his ability doesn't stop here. Tanba take a deep breath and exhale it.
'Ho! he's completely relax now'
Miyuki exclaimed seeing Tanba's posture, earlier his pitch l have the strength but wild resulting the pitch to be ball. Miyuki smirk, he should warm Tanba properly. Seeing miyuki smile in the field, Mio scoffed slightly, he knew Miyuki is up to something not good. Miyuki sign for an inside pitch, Tanba's pupil shook but seeing Miyuki determined gaze he nodded. The battery can't throw a half-assed pitch considering the batter they're facing.
Tanba throw and the batter jammed the ball. Out on the first base. After that the batter hit grounder to third and fly out to left. A good start for Tanba. Top of the third inning, the seido batter also face the same problem like Yakushi. The ace, Sanada shut out seido bottom lineup. He bounced back after Mio's sudden aggressiveness on the first inning and redeemed himself, showing why he is the ace. When they come back to their dug out, Sanada turn back and gave a provoking look towards seido.
'That! he's taunting us?!'
'THAT BRAT! LET ME TEACH HIM MANNER!'
'Like you to say that Jun-san. Should I hit more foul pitches after this? he didn't crumble that much in this inning'
'Aniki! your face is scary!'
'Okay guys let's g- '
'Sawamura hold Jun-senpai!'
'No how am I supposed to stop him?! Besides we should pay them back!'
'Hmm, Jun-san you should smack them hard'
'We need to- '
'Kyahahah, we should score a ton of run then'
'Interesting, he's a good pitcher'
'..'
Yuki attempt to take back their attention failed miserably.
'W- '
'YOU ALL! RUN TEN LAPS AFTER THIS!'
*flinched*
'HAHAH'
'Fujikawa'
'??'
'Yes you. You also join them'
'But..'
Seeing Yuki scary gaze, Mio gave up the idea of arguing back. When coach kataoka saw his players' interaction with each other he was amused, then he also join the fun.
'If you all let Yakushi scoreless this inning the captain punishment will be invalid and if you let them score a run then the punishment will be doubled'
*jaw dropped*
The captain face twitched slightly. Even Mio relaxed demeanor change. No one want to run that much laps, so when they take the field with fully equipped gear they were fired than usual causing the audience and opponent to misunderstand.
'Woah, Seido isn't fazed by Yakushi's ace!'
'The air around them sent shiver even in this distance'
'tsk! Seido really was the definition of powerhouse'
The yakushi player gaze at them more intently that ever.
***
Tanba take the mound with a mix feelings, he's excited throwing to a good team but then he need to face the top lineup from here on. The first batter, fouled Tanba's fastball. After that the battery choose to throw his forkball. The batter jammed the ball and out. The second batter hit grounder to shortstop. Then the third batter, the one initiated the first hit on seido. Mishima Yuuta. A batter comparable to their clean up hitter, Todoroki Raichi. At first Tanba throw perfectly fine but with the batter constantly fouling his pitches, Tanba start losing his control and this didn't go unnoticed by Mishima. He hit it towards center. The first hit on Tanba. Players and audience excited cheering fill the stadium and what make things worse the next batter is the clean up, Raichi.