Game 4: Yamamori

"Su Su, were you sneaking something to eat? Why isn't your mouth moving at all?"

"No, maybe Shirakawa Senpai just saw wrong."

"Open your mouth and let me see."

"Senpai, the game has already started!"

"It's fine. Yoshizawa and the others still have some distance to run to their positions. Hurry up and tell me, what did you sneakily eat?"

To keep Su Qing from running away, Shirakawa directly grabbed his shoulder.

"Let go of me, Senpai!"

"I won't unless you tell me what you ate."

All of Inashiro's players watched their own shortstop and third baseman tugging at each other with dark expressions. In the end, Harada could not stand it any longer. He stepped out of the batter's box and shouted at Su Qing and Shirakawa:

"What are you two doing over there?! The game has already started! Get back to your positions, damn it!"

The captain's authority was indeed imposing. Shirakawa immediately backed down and pulled Su Qing into apologizing with him.

After returning to his spot beside third base, Su Qing let out a breath. That had been close. He had almost been found out. He needed to find a way to get rid of the gum before this half-inning ended. With Shirakawa's personality, he would definitely investigate to the very end.

Because Shirakawa and Su Qing had wasted so much time tussling around, the game quickly resumed. Yamamori's fifth batter, Takayama Kazuo, stepped up to the plate.

This time, Maruse had clearly been a little unlucky. Two borderline fastballs were both called balls by the home plate umpire, and Takayama was walked.

Walking a batter on a Full Count was truly damaging to morale. It was not intentional; it was simply a failed battle of wits.

It would have been nice if Yamagami had called a timeout just now. Su Qing felt that Yamagami had clearly misjudged the home plate umpire's strike zone. This umpire obviously did not call many outside pitches strikes, yet he was still calling for them. Wasn't that just handing the batter balls?

Yamagami was extremely frustrated at the moment. Those two outside pitches had looked practically perfect to him, and the batter had nearly swung at them. But the home plate umpire simply would not call them strikes. What could he do? Stand up and argue with the umpire?! Obviously not. He could only swallow this loss in silence.

Yamamori's sixth batter stepped up and immediately showed bunt. Naturally, Yamagami did not want to let their sacrifice bunt succeed. He called for three consecutive balls, but the other side did not bunt any of them. The situation suddenly became awkward.

For the fourth pitch, Yamagami called for a strike. He had thought the batter still would not make a move and would try to draw a walk, but the moment he saw a strike, he bunted without hesitation.

The instant he felt the ball meet the bat, the batter took off without even looking to see where it had gone.

Maruse came off the mound to field the ball, but he actually fumbled it. He failed to pick it up on the first try, and when he went to grab it again and throw, Su Qing stopped him.

"Maruse Senpai, don't throw it. It's too late."

From the third-base side, Su Qing could clearly see the runner on second itching to move. The moment Maruse chose to throw to first, he would definitely break straight for third. Given the batter's speed, Maruse would certainly not make the force out in time.

If he threw to first now, not only would he fail to get the out, he might also make a wild throw. Then it might not merely be a matter of letting the batter reach base—it could cost them a run.

Seeing Maruse lower his throwing arm, Takayama retreated back to second base.

No outs, runners on first and second. Yamagami called the first timeout of the inning.

"My fault. If I'd picked that ball up just now..."

"Senpai, mistakes are normal. Who hasn't made one before? We haven't given up a run yet, so there's still time."

Su Qing had originally wanted to discuss the home plate umpire's strike zone with Yamagami, but the words would not come out. In what capacity could he teach a catcher how to call pitches? If he were the pitcher, he would have simply shaken his head. But he was not. Right now, he was only a fielder, and Yamagami was also his senior.

I'll talk to him slowly after we get off the field.

"Let's find a way to turn a double play." Carlos was the one who spoke.

Yamagami nodded. If they could get a double play, the situation would improve considerably.

"We're fine over here. What about Su Su's side?"

Shirakawa spoke up.

"No problem. I've got it."

"Try to get the batter to hit it into the gap between second and short. There are two of us here, while Su Su only has one. I might not be able to cover over there."

Yamagami nodded to show that he understood.

"Then we'll play in."

Everyone nodded.

"Not me. If I play in, I'll be too far from the bag. The risk is too high."

Su Qing spoke. If he moved in, he might not be able to stop Takayama if he got an early jump.

"Alright, then that's the plan. Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

"Seventh batter, catcher, Kamizu."

Kamizu turned to look at his team's coach. Yamamori's coach, Okawa, gave a long series of signs. After reading them, Kamizu and the runners on first and second both touched their cap brims.

Yamagami looked at Kamizu in the right-handed batter's box. He held his bat high. Going to hit normally? Then let's start with a breaking ball. Don't you like swinging at the first pitch? Hit it into the defense for me!

What Yamagami had not expected was that after Maruse released the ball, Kamizu immediately pulled the bat back.

"Ping!"

The baseball popped high into the air and dropped into the open space in front of third base.

Maruse immediately wanted to come off the mound to handle it.

"I've got it!"

Su Qing took a few steps forward and caught the bouncing baseball in his glove, only to come face-to-face with Takayama, who had broken early.

Su Qing made an instant decision. Using the glove holding the ball, he tagged Takayama's body before he could dodge, then transferred the ball to his right hand and quickly fired to first base.

But he had been too anxious, and the throw sailed high. Yamaoka had no choice but to jump for it.

Kamizu fought hard as well, diving straight for the base.

The instant Yamaoka leaped, Kamizu threw himself onto the bag.

The first-base umpire dropped to one knee, stretched both arms out level, and shouted:

"Safe!"

The third-base umpire, meanwhile, directly called the runner out.

So there was one out, with runners still on first and second. Su Qing felt somewhat frustrated. If his throw had been just a little lower, it would have been a double play.

Shirakawa seemed to notice Su Qing's regret and immediately shouted:

"One out!"

For Su Qing to nearly force out the batter after tagging the runner was already very impressive. It had made Yamamori give away an out for free, which was excellent.

Besides, this game could not just be Su Qing's personal highlight reel. Back in the day, most of Inashiro's spectacular defensive plays had come from their second baseman and shortstop. Yoshizawa had at most avoided making errors; dazzling plays were basically nonexistent. It seemed Su Su really was good at infield defense.

While Shirakawa was thinking, Maruse had already prepared to pitch.

And somehow, the runner standing beside Shirakawa had already taken off.

"Steal!"

At the same time, the same shout came from first base.