The top of the fourth inning began.
"Sixth batter, third baseman, Masuko."
"Ugaah!"
The first batter up was Masuko, who exuded a powerful and aggressive presence while walking to the Box.
Dealing with such an opponent required extreme caution. Masuko was known for his full swing. Even if he didn't hit the ball perfectly, he could still send it out of the park.
'So, the pitch had to be tricky, as challenging as possible. Using a Ball to lure him into a swing would be ideal.'
They were all familiar with each other's styles, having been old teammates who knew each other well.
As soon as Masuko stepped up to the plate, Miyuki's mind raced with the best tactics to deal with him.
'For this type of full-swing batter, Nori was well-equipped to handle him.'
'Come on, believe in yourself, and pitch your best ball here.'
Miyuki's resolute attitude greatly inspired Kawakami.
'You can do it! You must do it!'
Silently boosting his own confidence, Kawakami threw the pitch he was most proud of.
He threw a Slider!
Kawakami was a right-handed pitcher, but he used a sidearm delivery, meaning his arm swung his arm sideways.
This sidearm motion created a dramatic horizontal movement in the ball's trajectory.
When pitching from his right side to the outer corner, the breaking angle of the ball was even more intimidating.
Kawakami pitched with confidence. The white ball whizzed through the air, heading straight for the outer edge of the strike zone.
'What an incredible break!' Masuko thought looking at the ball.
And this wasn't just any ball; it was a sharp Slider.
In the batter's box, Masuko faced this tricky breaking ball without hesitation, choosing to swing.
With his strength, even a normal swing could send the ball flying out of the park.
Masuko didn't use a full swing; his grip and swing were surprisingly small. But it was this unremarkable swing that helped him connect with the ball.
By giving up the long swing, Masuko's hitting accuracy improved, allowing him to connect with even tricky pitches.
And now, he did just that!
Buzz!
The bat made precise contact with the white ball.
Ping!
The ball flew off awkwardly, lacking power.
"Outfield!"
"Shiratsu!"
The freshman Seidou High School team shouted loudly to Shiratsu, alerting him to track the high-flying ball.
Although the ball was high and a bit distant, Shiratsu's skills ensured it wouldn't hit the ground.
Shiratsu focused intently, backing up steadily.
The ball wobbled but kept soaring forward, refusing to fall.
As Shiratsu neared the fence, the ball still didn't come down but soared over.
Home run!!!!
The ball, which had seemed like it might drop at any moment, flew out of the park for a home run.
Before Sawamura Eijun even took the mound, the score increased to a three-point lead.
The freshman Seidou High School baseball team now faced an unprecedented crisis.
"It's only the fourth inning, and the gap is already so wide!"
The total score was 4:1.
In baseball, it's quite common to see a team score one or two runs in an inning, but scoring higher than that the rarer it becomes.
How many opportunities will the third-year battery duo, Tanpa and Chris, give the freshman Seidou High School players? Will it be one, two, or maybe three?
And how many of these opportunities can the players actually capitalize on?
The answers are unknown, and making up the score within five innings will be extremely challenging.
What's even more terrifying is that the third-year seniors' offensive surge in the fourth inning shows no signs of stopping.
After facing a major crisis in the first inning and conceding a home run in the second, it's hard to imagine what Kawakami, the pitcher, is feeling right now.
Miyuki is contemplating whether to call a timeout. As the catcher, he should be comforting Kawakami and helping him adjust his state.
The pitch that was just hit wasn't faulty, neither Kawakami's pitch nor the game calling were at fault. The fact that Masuko hit a home run under these conditions only shows that he's an exceptional power.
If this were an official game, Miyuki would have stepped in immediately to help Kawakami adjust. But since this is a practice game meant to test the players' abilities, intervening wouldn't be of help.
'You have to handle this on your own, Nori!' Miyuki silently hoped.
Now, it's Sakai's turn to bat.
Sakai, Kadota, and Tanpa are the next three opponents for Kawakami. Compared to the previous batters, these three seem less impressive and less powerful.
In reality, their strength is indeed less compared to the previous hitters. The third-year seniors, from the second to the sixth holes, are the core of the Champion Team. While they may not be invincible individually, together, they are undeniably the strongest lineup in high school!
Add Sawamura to the mix, and they would unquestionably be the top team in the nation.
Compared to these players, the next three batters are just average. Of course, "average" here still means they are among the best in the country, surpassing most players. After all, being part of a top team like the Giants is no small feat.
Under normal circumstances, Kawakami would have no trouble getting these three out. After all, he only needs to pitch one inning against them.
But with the recent home run, it's not impossible for Kawakami to struggle.
On the mound, Kawakami's eyes showed no emotion. When he saw Miyuki's signal, he gave a barely perceptible nod, then set his stance and threw the pitch.
Whoosh!
The white ball whizzed through the air and landed perfectly in Miyuki's Mitt.
SNAP!
The sound of the ball hitting the Mitt was clear and strong, indicating a powerful pitch.
Miyuki, catching the ball, felt the impact more deeply. He looked up at Kawakami in surprise. The pitch was stronger than expected.
'Was Nori unaffected by the previous home run, or had he resolved to give it his all?'
Whatever the reason, Miyuki was very satisfied with Kawakami's performance.
'Let's work together and deal with the opponents in front of us.'
Ping!
The ball, once hit, bounced sharply in front of the third baseman.
"Shu Shuu!"
Higasa rushed in, caught the ball in his mitt, and threw it to first base.
Snap!
"OUT!!"
Without any surprises, the first Out was here.
The eighth and ninth batters also followed suit and were Out—one with a Pop-fly and the other was struck out with a nasty Sinker.
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange!
"Nice pitching!! Nori!"
"I always knew you could do it!!"
"Well done!"
"Nice pitching!"
The teammates started cheering for Kawakami, seeing him keep his cool and pitch steadily.
After giving up the home run, Kawakami didn't let it dishearten him. Instead, he rallied and pitched with increasing intensity.
Although Kawakami's performance and Furuya's seem similar—both allowing two runs—Kawakami's performance still slightly surpasses Furuya's.
Kawakami's strength lies in his stability. He may struggle against top opponents, but he handles the games he's given efficiently, managing to keep runs within a reasonable range.
In contrast, Furuya can have excellent or poor performances, which can make him unreliable in critical situations.
If Furuya allows too many runs, even Sawamura might struggle to hold the game.
Kawakami, however, offers stability and reliability. Even under significant pressure, he only conceded one run, proving his worth.
With Seidou High's current offensive capability reduced, they can only score a few runs per game. If the team makes a major mistake and falls behind, catching up will become a daunting task.
Thus, during the autumn competitions, unless victory is guaranteed, Furuya…may struggle to get playtime.
The game moves to the bottom of the fourth inning.
The New Seidou Team is up to bat.
Their next batter: outfielder Sawamura Eijun.
…