"Such simple-minded little brats." Sendou chuckled wickedly to himself.
"Then keep it inside? The ball speed isn't helping us, so throw a strike!"
This time, Sendou nodded when he saw the signal.
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Strike!"
"Nice ball!" Cheers rose from around them. The opposing batter had swung and missed.
See? He was obviously waiting for an outside pitch! Sendou muttered to himself.
What are this pitcher-catcher pair thinking? Didn't they throw an outside pitch before? Are they trying to get ahead in the strike count? But that last pitch wasn't something I could hit cleanly just because I was aiming for it.
I heard this guy is only a fourth-grader. Xiaoya, the opposing batter Coach Yasuda had called by that name, thought to himself.
"An outside pitch next?"
Sendou shook his head again. Left with no choice, the catcher gave the inside-pitch signal once more.
Sendou began his delivery.
This one should be outside, right? They've thrown enough inside pitches already. An outside pitch will make the batter feel like it's far away. What?
Smack!
"Strike, batter out!"
"Youxia, struck out swinging! They shut them down this inning, and now it's our turn to attack!"
Quite a few substitute players jumped up. They might have been from a prestigious team, but they were still far too young to control their emotions.
After a few simple warm-up pitches, the Wildcats' first batter stepped up.
The Wildcats' first batter was a player who was both fast and highly skilled at hitting. Though the opposing catcher was formidable, he still forced a Push Hit onto a strike meant to build the count and reached base with an Infield Hit.
"Lead! Lead! Lead!" came the First base coach's voice.
"Damn it, are they looking down on us?" the Sailors Team catcher muttered when he saw the first batter take more than five meters off first base.
And the second batter immediately assumed a bunt stance.
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Safe!"
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Safe!" There were consecutive Pickoff Throws, but they were useless against the well-trained Wildcats starters.
"Leave him alone. I'll handle the runner. Those two throws were enough. If we can't disrupt him, continuing to pick off will only hand the rhythm to them. The infield has to stay alert. The real problem is the coordination between the runner and the batter."
The Sailors Team's cleanup catcher signaled for the pitcher to stop throwing pickoffs. Still, seeing him take such a huge lead was really infuriating!
The real showdown officially began.
"Throw one off the plate first and see what he wants to do."
The Sailors' ace nodded lightly.
Whoosh!
"Steal!"
Smack!
The Wildcats' second batter judged it to be a ball and instantly pulled back his bat.
Just as the Sailors catcher prepared to throw at top speed, the runner attempting to steal had already returned to first base.
"A fake steal!"
"Damn it!" Taking a deep breath, the catcher crouched back down.
"Lead! Lead! Lead!" At that moment, the kid on first base looked especially detestable to their young catcher!
Keep throwing balls? If we don't, the count will only work against us. What Kanto Champions? They're about the same age as us. Decisive victory! After an internal struggle, he finally made up his mind.
But he noticed that the Wildcats' second batter had already returned to a normal batting stance.
Xiaoya, who had just made up his mind, immediately began second-guessing himself.
The first batter's fake steal disrupts the infield defense and looks for an opening. The second batter uses a bunt stance to select pitches precisely and disrupt the pitcher and catcher. Their aggressive offensive coordination puts pressure on the defense, creating opportunities for each other. Every player is thinking, and on top of that, they have this well-trained chemistry.
Like a pack of wildcats hunting together—this is the Kanto Champions, the Wildcats! Every time I watch the Wildcats play, I wonder if they really are just elementary school kids.
Even I can't be sure what this first-and-second-batter combination is trying to do. The likeliest possibility is simply to apply pressure and wait for us to make a mistake because of it! Coach Yasuda thought, then gave the signal.
"Don't let them fool you. Do what you need to do, Xiaoya!"
At the same time, the Wildcats' first and second batters exchanged a simple glance.
Whoosh!
"Steal!"
Smack!
"Strike!"
It was a beautiful outside pitch. The catcher quickly looked up and saw the first batter return to his original position once again.
So they really are just putting pressure on us? This batter didn't swing at all. The first pitch was the first and second batters working together to pressure us.
Then the runner on first used a fake steal to interfere with our defense, allowing the second batter to pick his pitch. If he makes contact, it'll be at least a Double Hit. We need to be careful. But if it comes down to a head-on decisive victory, we won't surrender so easily. The count is one and one now! Then let's settle this. The heart of their lineup is coming up after him.
However, as he passed the ball back, he completely failed to notice the faint smile curling at the corner of the runner's mouth on first base. The runner glanced at the second batter, who took a deep breath when he saw it.
We won't go easy on you, Sailors Team! the Wildcats' second batter thought.
"Lead! Lead! Lead!"
Along with those shouts, the second batter assumed a bunt stance again.
"No matter how you change, we'll just stick to our own baseball."
Whoosh!
"Steal!"
An inside pitch? The thought flashed through the second batter's mind, and he began pulling back his bat.
He pulled the bat back after all! That makes it two good strikes! But just as the second half of that thought appeared in his mind—
Crack! It was neither a particularly loud nor a particularly soft sound.
"Hit and Run!?" The cry was filled with shock and anger. They were only elementary school kids, yet they could execute such an advanced tactic?
Not only did the runner on first show no intention of turning back, but the second batter forcefully swung and completed a beautiful Hit and Run.
The ball struck the ground, bounced high, and cleared the infield defense. After all the repeated disruptions, the infield's Backup Positions fell into chaos.
"Safe!"
"Safe!"
"Youxia! A Double Hit. Our offense is only getting started!" The Wildcats' bench instantly erupted.
"This is the Kanto Champions!!!"
At that moment, Harada Masakatsu had only those words in his mind.
Relentless attacks, probing, pressure, real and fake tactical combinations, then crushing their opponent head-on. Even after being crushed, they still had no idea how to respond!
This was the Kanto Champions, the Tokyo Wildcats Little League!!!
"A Hit and Run... I'm afraid they're the only team in the country capable of executing such a coordinated advanced tactic." Coach Yasuda sighed.
The third batter was also the former third batter, while the former cleanup hitter had been moved to fifth. This third batter had always had a high batting average, but his Long Hit ability was inferior to the previous cleanup hitter's.
Taking advantage of the other side's confusion, he easily hit a Double Hit. That made it no outs with a runner on second, the score 2–0, and Sendou, the cleanup hitter, came up next.
"A fourth-grade ace cleanup hitter! Could this guy also keep up with this team's coordination? Impossible. Going by the time, he could only have joined the team three weeks ago." As he thought this, he saw the third batter standing motionless on second base.
"Just as I thought, this guy is completely out of place on this team!"
"Get your heads in the game. The next one is just a newcomer. Infield, move back!" Harada began directing them. Since he was the cleanup hitter, he definitely had Long Hit power, but his technique could not be that refined. So the outfield stayed put while the infield positioned itself deeper.
Since it was a Practice Match, Coach Nakanishi let the players perform on their own, even though many of their victories had depended on the coach's tactical guidance at crucial moments.
But after seeing so many tactical arrangements, coupled with Coach Nakanishi encouraging them to think for themselves, frequently teaching them lessons, and exchanging ideas with the team, the Wildcats were simply far too strong for an ordinary prestigious little league team.
I didn't expect it to be past three after finishing this. Spare my life—I've always wanted to adjust my schedule and go to bed early...
Before you continue