Standing on the pitcher's mound, Kōshū could feel the gaze from the batter's box. The pitchers and cleanup hitters of both teams practically represented their teams' strongest fighting power. Last inning, Kōshū had not come out ahead.
So for the first pitch: an inside high straight ball. Hayakawa's plan against this batter was to disrupt his hitting rhythm through changes in speed, so he wanted him to experience that velocity up close right from the start.
"Bang—" The batter in the left batting box felt as though the ball had come straight at his face. "Ball!"
The second pitch was another one far outside, skillfully grazing the edge. "Strike!"
I'm so jealous. This ace's control is incredible. Most pitchers had thoughts like that when facing Kōshū's pitching.
Then came another outside corner ball. Eimei's cleanup hitter did not dare let it go again. It was a ball that barely missed the boundary, and he sent it straight into foul territory.
With two strikes, there was much more room for pitching strategy. Hayakawa considered it, then decided on a changeup, but it had to land on the edge.
"Bang—" Another foul ball. Eimei's cleanup hitter barely managed to nick it away, then tightened his batting gloves again. He looked toward the dugout, but the coach gave no instructions, so he settled back into position.
As long as it grazes the edge, he'll foul it off. Is he afraid the umpire will call it a strike? And this cleanup hitter's hitting techniques were formidable. He had clearly not anticipated the changeup, yet he forcibly adjusted his stance, caught the bottom edge of the ball, and flicked it foul.
Two strikes and one ball. The next pitch was another inside high straight ball. After fouling off three outside pitches in a row, the