Damn it, a double steal! Yamagami's face beneath his helmet darkened and brightened unpredictably, but this was fine too. If they could get one more out, the next batter would be much easier to handle.
Just as Yamagami prepared to throw to third, the batter suddenly swung.
Not good, a hit-and-run!
The baseball flew straight toward right field.
You have to catch it! Yamagami prayed frantically.
The moment Yoshizawa saw the ball coming his way, he took off running. Unfortunately, he was still too slow. Even though he made a final diving attempt, he still failed to catch it. The ball landed right beside his glove.
Carlos arrived at that moment as well. He quickly picked up the ball that had rolled aside and immediately threw it back to home plate.
Carlos's decision to throw home successfully stopped Kamizu from scoring, but the batter took the opportunity to reach second base.
One out, runners on second and third. The second timeout was called immediately.
This time, all the fielders gathered on the pitcher's mound. As usual, Yoshizawa and Yamagami both reflected on their mistakes and apologized for misjudging the play and failing to catch the ball.
At that moment, Harada Masaru, acting as the messenger, also ran up to the mound.
With the captain present, the atmosphere immediately changed. Everyone obediently gathered around Harada and listened to him speak.
"The manager said today's game is for building chemistry and preparing for the coming summer. Winning or losing doesn't matter. Don't put pressure on yourselves. Play freely and enjoy the game. Don't stand around looking like the sky is falling just because you gave up one run. Especially you, Maruse! Every pitcher gives up runs sometimes! Otherwise, what do you need us batters for?"
"Yeah, yeah! It's only one run! We'll hit it right back for you!"
Harada nodded in satisfaction as he watched everyone regain their fighting spirit. Then he threw an arm around Su Qing's shoulders and quietly said to him:
"The manager is very satisfied with how you've performed today. Keep it up."
"Yeah!"
After Harada left the field, everyone dispersed again, leaving Maruse alone on the mound.
With a runner on third, Su Qing had to stay very close to the bag so he could receive any pickoff throw Maruse or Yamagami might send over at any time.
Kamizu was the runner on third. He had an extremely honest-looking face, but Su Qing did not trust him one bit. There was no way a catcher who had become the team's main starter in his second year could be completely innocent. People who played tactics always had dirty minds; Su Qing firmly agreed with that saying.
Yamamori's baserunning coach was incredibly noisy, constantly shouting instructions. Su Qing had not heard the man stop talking once. Kamizu was annoying too, taking such a huge lead that Maruse had to throw over several times.
But Su Qing did not believe for a second that he would steal home. A catcher stealing home? What kind of joke was that? Everyone knew catching put serious wear on the knees. As long as Kamizu had been catching since middle school, there was no way he could be that fast. Stealing second would already be ridiculous, let alone stealing home.
Kamizu also noticed that Su Qing was completely ignoring him, so he asked:
"Aren't you worried I'll steal?"
Su Qing rolled his eyes at him. Unfortunately, Su Qing was wearing sunglasses, so Kamizu could not see a thing. Still, he could read the contempt on Su Qing's face.
Oh? Looking down on him that much? Then he really would try stealing home!
As Maruse began his pitching motion, Kamizu took off.
???
Su Qing's eyes went wide. Was this guy insane?
If Su Qing was completely dumbfounded, then Maruse was downright panicked. He lost control for a moment and threw the ball wildly. Luckily, Yamagami blocked it, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Since Yamamori's ninth batter was right-handed, Yamagami noticed Kamizu the moment he broke for home. After picking up the ball, he immediately turned around and prepared to tag him out.
But when he turned, there was no one rushing toward him at all. Kamizu was standing on third with a grin on his face. As the third baseman, Su Qing naturally saw most clearly what had happened.
Kamizu had indeed taken off, but after Maruse released the ball, he suddenly slammed on the brakes and quickly ran back to third.
Clearly, Kamizu's goal was not to steal home, but to disrupt Maruse's pitching. That ball had given Yamamori's ninth batter a brief chance to breathe. Before Maruse threw it, the count had been two strikes and one ball, and the batter had already been backed into a corner. Yamagami had also intended to press the advantage.
Su Qing gave Kamizu a cold look. He was only bullying Maruse because Maruse lacked experience. If he dared pull this kind of stunt in professional baseball, he would not even know how he died.
Kamizu, that little troublemaker, had ruined Maruse's newly recovered mood again. Maruse began throwing pickoff attempts repeatedly, only stopping once Kamizu no longer dared take too large a lead.
Two strikes, two balls. Yamagami still had no intention of letting up, and with a Curveball that nearly dug into the dirt, he struck the batter out.
Two outs. The order came back around to the leadoff batter, Kaya Hiroshi.
This time, Kaya Hiroshi did not swing at the first pitch, because he believed Inashiro's battery would choose to throw a ball.
"Strike!"
An awkward yet polite smile appeared on Kaya Hiroshi's face. He had just been slapped in the face. He had no choice but to think more highly of Yamagami.
Kaya Hiroshi was actually more of an intelligent batter, like Miyuki. He relied on guessing pitches to get on base. His hitting ability was only average among Yamamori's First String, but combined with his seemingly impressive pitch-guessing success rate and the highest on-base percentage on the team, Taiga Manager had placed him in the leadoff spot.
Throughout Kaya Hiroshi's batting career, he had reached base on walks more often than by hitting. Swinging at the first pitch in his first at-bat had only been meant to leave the catcher with the impression that he liked attacking first pitches. Unfortunately, the catcher had not fallen for it. In his second at-bat, the first pitch was still a strike, which was rather awkward.
But it did not matter. Right now, putting the ball in play was far more valuable than reaching on a walk. So as long as it was a strike, he would definitely swing!
Yamagami, on the other hand, had plenty of options. What he wanted from this at-bat was not a strikeout. As long as he could make the batter hit an infield grounder and force an out, that would count as a victory.
So he had only one demand for Maruse: keep the ball as low as possible. That way, even if the batter made contact, the chances of it becoming a grounder would be much higher. After all, not everyone was like that monster on their team who loved low pitches and turned every one of them into a Home Run.
Kaya Hiroshi did not swing at those extremely low pitches, because he did not know whether he could hit them well.
In the blink of an eye, the count reached Full Count. Kaya Hiroshi would not have minded being walked, but Inashiro's battery clearly could not accept that.
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