Kasuga's third batter stepped into the left side of the batter's box as the stadium roared with noise. Daigo knew about Shun's natural advantage against left-handed batters, and seeing how well Shun's pitches were going this inning, the boy did not hesitate to lead Shun.
With just two pitches, Shun managed to get Kasuga's third batter into a tight spot with two strikes. So, with the count at two strikes, Daigo called for another horizontal slider from Shun, intending for the pitch to move away from the batter's bat.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strikeout! 3 outs, changeover!" - The umpire announced as Kasuga's third batter did exactly what Daigo had planned, failing to connect with the horizontal slider.
"Yeeeahhh!" - For the first time in the game, Shun roared with excitement as he headed back to the dugout. After all, he knew how critical this inning had been.
