"Don't underestimate us. You actually dared to steal home?"
"Ding!" Aoki's swing left them aghast. He threw down his bat and sprinted at full speed.
"Not stealing home... this is a hit and run?" Because of the steal attempt, the pitcher had no choice but to pitch inside again to Aoki, the left-handed batter. Aoki had anticipated it and forcibly scooped the ball into center field.
A hit-and-run fly ball was normally meaningless, creating the misconception that no one would ever use such a tactic.
But Akagi Middle School was made up entirely of baseball tactical amateurs who only knew a few simple plays, so they did not have that misconception.
With the opposing infield and outfield all playing an infield shift, leaving the outfield open, this otherwise useless tactic worked. Even though middle school outfields were shorter, not just anyone could run back into the outfield and catch the ball before it landed.
"Outfield, get back!" Although the catcher shouted that, he only hoped Aoki would not make it to third.
"It dropped!!!" A huge roar erupted from Akagi Middle School's bench!
"Safe!"
"All right! First run!!!" the bench shouted.
What was more, the opposing outfield made a throwing error from excessive nervousness!
"Safe!"
"Aoki took advantage of their mistake and made it to third!"
"What an interesting idea, that Aoki!" Sendou sighed in admiration at Aoki's flash of inspiration. Thinking back to the stiff, bespectacled boy from a few months ago, he seemed like a completely different person.
Everyone cheered for Aoki as he stood on third with his right arm raised high. Even Coach Takei applauded him.
Baseball was an incredibly complicated sport. If someone tried to memorize every signal, it would probably take one or two years.
And because it was so complicated, there was no