In the bottom of the sixth inning, it was the New Seidou High School baseball team's turn to bat.
"It's time to make your mark. As the starter of the team, it will be sad if you don't get on base." Miyuki said, appearing next to Kuramochi just before he took the plate.
"I already know that, you bastard! Are you trying to piss me off?" Kuramochi shot back angrily.
"No. I'm trying to cheer you on. If you don't appreciate it, that's your problem," Miyuki replied.
"Remove that annoying smug on your face first before saying that," Kuramochi said, waving off Miyuki's comments.
Miyuki turned to Sawamura with a helpless shrug.
It was clear that Miyuki had tried to help, but Kuramochi wasn't listening, leaving Miyuki feeling exasperated.
'What a pair of friends!'
Eijun had to exert a lot of self-control to keep from rolling his eyes. Miyuki and Kuramochi were not only the team's captain and vice-captain but also crucial players from the previous Seidou High team and core members of the new team.
Even though Sawamura was a freshman, he felt they should act more like the seniors they were.
"Could you two at least act like Senpais? You're making our first year look bad!"
Despite the teasing, when Kuramochi stepped into the batter's box, he knew it was time to do something. Up to this point, the new team had only managed three hits.
Sawamura had two of those hits: one single and one home run. Miyuki had a timely hit after Sawamura reached base.
If it were a real game, or if Tanpa-senpai had Walked Sawamura, the score difference might have been much bigger.
' I'm going to get on base!' Kuramochi declared, assuming a bunt stance from the start.
Chris, unfazed, immediately signaled the infielders to move in. To handle Kuramochi's bunts, the defense needed to help.
As one of the team's strategists, Chris had thoroughly studied every key player of Seidou High's baseball team.
What are their characteristics?
How do they handle pressure situations?
How do they overcome difficulties?
Chris knew all of this.
So he looked at Kuramochi with the same intensity as one would observe a trapped beast. The more critical the moment, the more Kuramochi relied on his speed.
'Despite the forward defense, if Kuramochi wanted to run, he would still run.'
Chris calculated that Kuramochi would likely try to use a bunt.
With this in mind, Chris gave a sign to the pitcher, Tanpa Koichiro.
Of course, Chris's pitching strategy was not solely focused on Kuramochi's bunt. He also considered other scenarios, like if Kuramochi tried a fake bunt.
Preventing a successful bunt while being wary of a potential fake bunt was a tough challenge for any pitcher.
Tanpa Koichiro tightened his lips, then made his stride and threw the ball.
Whoosh!
The white ball flew towards Kuramochi. His eyes were sharp as he faced the pitch. The ball's trajectory was tricky, making a successful bunt difficult.
If Kuramochi couldn't control the direction of the bunt, it would be pointless. With the first and third basemen moving in, any poorly placed bunt would likely be fielded easily.
"Chris-senpai, I forgot to mention before—I'm not just a bunting expert," Kuramochi said, pulling back his bat and swinging again.
Ping!
The ball was hit and quickly rolled across the infield.
It wasn't a pretty hit, but it was effective enough as an infield grounder.
"Third baseman!" Chris shouted to Masuko.
In the Seidou freshman team's dugout, Sawamura's eyes lit up. This was a showdown between dorm mates—Kuramochi versus Masuko!
"Ugaah!"
Masuko charged like a tank, rushing to the ball and picking it up to throw to first base.
Stepstepstepstepstepstep!
His speed was impressive, but Kuramochi was even faster.
By the time Masuko retrieved the ball, Kuramochi was a few meters from first base.
'So fast!'
Masuko knew his defense speed was not slow, but Kuramochi seemed even quicker. He threw the ball urgently.
As he threw, Kuramochi's body seemed like a blur, racing against the incoming baseball.
Almost as soon as Kuramochi passed, the ball landed in Yuuki's mitt.
The umpire at first base hesitated before finally raising his hand.
"SAFE!"
Kuramochi forced his way onto base with an infield hit.
Seeing Kuramochi on base, the expressions of all the third-year seniors changed to ones of concern.
They realized they were in serious trouble.
The freshman team's offense hadn't shown its full potential before, and it seemed like a minimal threat. However, everything changed when Kuramochi reached base.
With Kuramochi's speed, his presence on base increased the threat level dramatically.
Moreover, the players behind him were no slouches either.
Although people have criticized the new team's lack of offensive power, one thing is undeniable: there are many star-level players. If they can connect, their destructive power will be formidable!
No Outs, with a runner on first base!
Kominato Haruichi, who had been waiting, stepped into the Batter's Box.
In the dugout:
"Do you have a good Plan?" Miyuki asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at Sawamura. It was clear that Sawamura was feeling a bit uncertain and grappling with a difficult decision.
This was indeed a fantastic scoring opportunity.
After Kuramochi got on base, each batter following him was quite capable. With Tanpa on the mound, the chances of scoring were high. With a bit of luck, a big turnaround could even be possible.
'But facing the experienced third-year Senpais, could we really bet everything on luck?'
"We're Seidou High School," Sawamura said. "Even if our swinging power isn't as strong as before, would we really gamble everything on this one swing at this moment?"
He adjusted his equipment and took his position in the on-deck circle. In professional baseball, there's an unwritten rule: unless you're in a desperate situation, you should always choose the strategy with the highest chance of success.
It's better to secure a score first rather than risk it all for a chance that might not pay off.
As Sawamura took his position, he made a sign to Kuramochi.
Kuramochi, upon seeing the sign, nodded thoughtfully.
Kuramochi was aware that he wasn't the best at certain aspects of the game, so he relied on others who excelled, like Sawamura and Miyuki. Trusting their judgment was essential for teamwork—each person does what they're best at to achieve a collective strength.
Kuramochi was prepared to act on that trust.
As Tanpa prepared to pitch, Kuramochi quietly left first base. Chris, the catcher, frowned slightly. Kuramochi's presence was imposing, and Chris was determined not to let him cause more trouble.
Chris signaled Tanpa to contain Kuramochi. Though Tanpa's pickoff weren't as subtle as Sawamura's, he was quick and precise, making it difficult for Kuramochi to get too far from the base.
Kuramochi, however, was persistent. Every time Tanpa threw a containment, Kuramochi darted back to first base, only to prepare for another steal. His persistence was like a resilient weed—unwavering in the face of a frustrated farmer.
"This annoying guy!" Tanpa muttered, his frustration growing.
Chris began to worry. They were so focused on Kuramochi that they might be overlooking someone else.
Kominato Haruichi!
His batting skills were as good as his brother's, and without careful preparation, Tanpa might struggle to handle him. In fact, if not for excellent defense in previous attempts, Kominato could have gotten hits, which would have changed the score by now.
'We can't keep getting distracted. We need to pitch and find our opportunity.'
Tanpa nodded at Chris's sign. Kuramochi was like a piece of gum—once stuck, he was hard to shake off.
'We couldn't afford to just wait around.'
Tanpa's first attempt at containing Kuramochi was astonishingly quick.
After Kuramochi was back on base, he noticed the quicker returns of the ball from the team.
Kuramochi realized that the third-year seniors had changed their strategy. Their goal was to keep him running back and forth, without actually trying to tag him out.
What exactly their plan was, Kuramochi didn't fully understand. But he knew that Tanpa was about to pitch.
Kuramochi rose more slowly than usual, dusting himself off as if taking a casual stroll.
Seeing his apparent nonchalance, Tanpa, indeed, took the opportunity to pitch.
Kuramochi, who had been moving slowly, suddenly accelerated as Tanpa made his stride.
He ran with all his strength, like a Cheetah on the hunt!
It takes a long time to prepare for a person to go from stillness to running at full strength. (It may only be a few tenths of a second, but on the field, this is a long time.)
But from a stroll to an all-out run, the corresponding process is much shorter.
Chris, catching the ball, found himself missing the days with his former partner. If his partner had been Sawamura, Kuramochi's reckless attempt would have been easily stopped.
But with Tanpa as his partner, there were no such advantages. Sawamura could alter the ball's direction mid-pitch, landing it accurately in the catcher's Mitt.
For now, his partner was Tanpa.
Chris shook off the distractions and focused on the present.
He wasn't just representing Seidou High School; he was also representing his current team—this year's third-year players!
Snap!
After receiving Tanpa's pitch, Chris stood up and threw the ball to second base.
Kusunoki was already stationed at the second base, ready for Kuramochi.
Their defense was quick, but still couldn't quite match Kuramochi's speed.
Snap!
"SAFE!"
Kuramochi slid into second base without a hitch.
…