The frustrated catcher decided that on the next pitch, he would focus first on his matchup with the batter. But that runner was too fast, so he could only use a fastball.
He stared intently at Seido's two players and saw no unnecessary movements. His suspicions of a hit-and-run were completely replaced by the thought of throwing out the runner at second.
Komizato could more or less guess what the catcher was thinking, and he smiled.
A lot of things on the field were like an invisible wind. If you did not truly play against them yourself, you could not see much just by watching game footage.
He had more or less determined that the opposing pitcher's next pitch would be a fastball. The instant the pitcher released it, he stepped forward, adjusting his swing as he tracked the ball's path. But the next moment, Komizato's scalp tightened with danger—the ball dropped right before Home Plate.
It's a Fast Forkball! The ball bounced directly off Home Plate, dodged the pressing bat, and dove into the catcher's mitt behind it.
But Kuramochi had already taken off. This was a silently initiated hit-and-run.
Yet the other side responded with equally forceful and coordinated teamwork. They could not let Kuramochi get on base; they had to stop him from reaching scoring position!
By then, the catcher had received the ball and thrown it to second, while Kuramochi was still two steps away.
His uniform, spotless when he entered the stadium that morning, once again made intimate contact with the dirt. Kyoma University's catcher threw high, giving Kuramochi a chance to catch his breath. "Safe!"
His second thrilling time getting on base made Kuramochi's heart race like never before. From the very start today, he had faced such an enormous challenge.
In the broadcast