On the stands.
The second and third-string players of the Seidou High School baseball team, who had specially come to cheer for the team, were now sitting together, giving their support.
Previously, due to the issue of numbers, Lee-Hyun and Yui Kaoru had to temporarily be removed from the first team.
Now, they were observing the performance of their seniors from a new angle.
Before, Kuramochi had specifically approached Yui Kaoru.
"That silly kid has just started playing baseball and doesn't understand some basic theories. For the past six months, he has focused mainly on improving his speed and defense. While he's not completely lacking in other aspects, anything more advanced is still beyond him," Kuramochi had explained.
Yui Kaoru understood that Kuramochi was talking about Lee-Hyun.
He knew the relationship between Lee-Hyun and Kuramochi. In private, Lee-Hyun even called Kuramochi "Sabu" or "Shisho" instead of Senpai.
This title was not just a form of repayment, but also a form of respect.
It was said that Sawamura-senpai had also called the retired Chris-senpai "Shisho" too.
At that moment, Kuramochi was shamelessly asking his Kohai, Yui Kaoru, for help on behalf of his Deshi, Lee-Hyun.
Although the second and third teams now had many tactical theorists, Yui Kaoru, who had once served as the national team Captain, was still considered the best when it came to baseball knowledge.
Even though he was young and not tall, very few in the powerhouse Seidou High School baseball team would dare to claim they understood baseball better than him.
Becoming the national team captain was no small feat.
"I will sit with him and help explain things," Yui Kaoru promised seriously.
"Thank you! Even though I'll be leaving the team soon, Sawamura is still here. I'll talk to him and ensure you all practice at least three times a week together," Kuramochi replied, using a reciprocal approach.
Since Kuramochi couldn't return the favor himself, the task naturally fell to his good friend.
"Then I should be thanking you," Yui Kaoru sincerely replied.
At that moment, a thought suddenly crossed Yui Kaoru's mind.
It was said that when Kuramochi was tutoring Lee-Hyun privately, someone had seen Sawamura-senpai being asked to help as well.
Looking at it now, it seemed like there was some truth to that.
Given Sawamura and Kuramochi's relationship, he would probably help if Kuramochi asked.
If he could help Lee-Hyun, a shortstop, he would certainly help with a catcher as well.
Lee-Hyun hadn't fully recovered from his previous hitting slump and seemed distracted while watching the game.
"If the senpais graduates and you still want to make it back to the first team, I suggest you really focus on the upcoming match," Yui Kaoru told Lee-Hyun seriously.
Lee-Hyun felt a sense of guilt flash across his face. His Shisho was about to play, and yet he had been zoning out at such a time. He felt a bit embarrassed.
He nodded sheepishly at Yui Kaoru, then refocused his attention on the field.
"You've probably noticed by now that every player has their own playing style. This style is based on their eyesight, stamina, physical qualities, and so on, considering all factors to form the best strategy suited to their strengths."
In other words, players who form their own system are generally not easy to deal with.
Whether in offense or defense, having them on the field feels like an invisible trap for the opponent.
If the opponent isn't careful, they could be wiped out.
"You're fast, and you play shortstop. According to the original plan from the Coach, once Kuramochi-senpai and the others retire, you should be able to smoothly transition into the first team. Of course, you still need to work hard to achieve that."
"Since you can't return to the bench, you should watch closely from the stands. Watch how Kuramochi uses his speed to tear through the opponent's defense and help the team gain an advantage."
Speed players.
Although Lee-Hyun had heard of this term before, it was the first time it left such a strong impression on him.
'So, Kuramochi-sabu was a speed-based player.'
The audience was eagerly watching, and the players on the field didn't waste time either.
The Ace pitcher from Nanakyo High School, who bore the number one on his back, quickly decided to make his move and threw the pitch.
During this process, Nanakyo's infielders had no hesitation and immediately began to move forward.
The infielders were advancing.
Kuramochi, at bat, slightly squinted his eyes.
Clearly, Nanakyo High School's players had prepared themselves well before the game.
They were ready to take Kuramochi down.
From the start, they didn't give him a chance to bunt, and their approach didn't seem wrong.
But were they overlooking something?
'Such a big gap—did they think I wouldn't see it?'
Though the first and third basemen were moving forward, the pitcher didn't react.
As a result, the area directly in front of the Batter's Box was wide open.
The Defense of Nanakyo High School
When the Seidou High School baseball team was originally scouting the opposing team's data, Watanabe personally told all the first-string teammates that the opposing team's defense was very strong.
For Watanabe, the scout of Seidou High School's baseball team, to say such a thing, it was easy to see how tight the opponent's defense was.
Regarding this point, the members of Seidou High School's baseball team were mentally prepared beforehand.
Although they didn't have detailed data about the opponent, they knew that Nanakyo High had defeated two top-tier teams from Kyoto.
Even if the opponent had weaknesses, those weaknesses would not be obvious and should be very difficult to detect.
Would a team like this show obvious flaws? The answer is of course no.
If the opponent really had such flaws, they would have been taken down by other top teams long ago.
So, even though the pitcher from Nanakyo High had not made a move yet, Kuramochi was certain that the opponent must be hiding something.
Once they really focused on attacking a gap, the opponent would certainly take action.
This is the logical thing.
Kuramochi believed that since the opponent had defeated top teams, they must have the necessary skills.
But baseball isn't just about making plans and thinking everything through guarantees nothing.
In the end, no matter how good the tactics are, they need to be executed by people.
Using his peripheral vision, Kuramochi quickly identified the positions of the first baseman, third baseman, and pitcher.
For others, what Kuramochi was about to do might be a very risky move or even something that couldn't succeed at all.
But for Kuramochi, it wasn't necessarily a dead-end.
As long as the opportunity was right, he had a good chance of breaking through.
He knew the positions of all three players clearly.
Then, in front of him, a clear gap appeared.
He was sure that ahead of this gap, the opponent must have set up a trap.
But so what? Even if the opponent set up traps, those traps still needed people to execute them.
As long as his speed could surpass the opponent's defense speed, they could play into his hands.
The next step was to evaluate if there was such an opportunity.
'And there was!'
Experienced Kuramochi instantly made a judgment.
The opponent, in their confidence, had deliberately left a gap, which was just the opportunity Kuramochi needed.
He bent down and, using his bat, softly tapped the incoming baseball for a bunt.
Ping!
After the baseball was knocked, it neither went toward first base nor third base.
It avoided both directions and rolled toward the pitcher's mound.
The pitcher, who had remained still after throwing the ball, saw this play and a flicker of joy flashed in his eyes.
They were very aware of Kuramochi's specialties and knew that his hitting ability was quite extraordinary.
So, before the game, they had specifically devised a strategy to counter him.
It was impossible to completely stop Kuramochi's bunt, and the players of Nanakyo High School were fully aware of this.
Since they couldn't stop him, they chose to lure him into the trap.
By intentionally leaving a gap, they wanted Kuramochi to bunt the ball here.
And it worked!
Seeing the baseball flying straight toward him, the pitcher from Nanakyo High took a big step forward, running wildly toward the baseball.
As he ran, he signaled for the first baseman to hurry back to first base.
"I'll do it!"
The first baseman, who had been moving forward, took three quick steps backward.
The pitcher charged forward, picked up the ball, turned around, and was about to throw it to first base.
Then, it was his time to get shocked.
'How did that guy get there?'
Kuramochi, who had bunted the ball, was already running toward first base at full speed.
The ball had only been bunted about 10 meters, but Kuramochi moved like a blue blur, and at this point, he was only five or six meters from first base.
The pitcher was shocked, very shocked.
At this moment, his brain went blank, and his body was acting on instinct.
Following the routine from previous drills, he turned and stepped to throw.
This slight hesitation cost him a fraction of a second, and Kuramochi was now only three or four meters away from first base.
By the time the ball traveled over ten meters and landed in the first baseman's mitt, Kuramochi had almost simultaneously stepped on the base and sprang away.
Snap!
Kuramochi ran four or five meters and then quickly turned back.
The first baseman from Nanakyo High, their core player, also locked eyes with the first base umpire.
Who was faster just now?
Both were curious and waiting for the umpire's decision.
The umpire didn't hesitate at all and made the safe sign.
"SAFE!"
Compared to the sound, he had seen Kuramochi's foot hit the base much earlier.
Kuramochi successfully reached first base.
No Outs, one on first base.
The offensive engine of Seidou High School's baseball team had reached base.
This excited the teammates in Seidou High's dugout.
Earlier in the game, the big ace, Sawamura Eijun, had struck out three batters in a row, giving Seidou High a strong start.
The pitchers had worked hard, so the batters couldn't slack off either.
Thus, the team had already decided that they had to score in the first inning.
As for how many runs they could score? They weren't too concerned about that.
It mainly depended on the opponent's strength.
If the opponent wasn't too strong, Seidou High's players wouldn't mind scoring a few more runs.
But if the opponent turned out to be one of those legendary dark horses, even just one or two runs would be acceptable to Seidou's players.
Though their strategies varied depending on the opponent's strength, their goal of scoring first was the same.
The second batter, Kominato Haruichi, stepped into the Batter's Box.
After taking his position, he adopted a steady and reliable stance.
This caused a great deal of trouble for the players of Nanakyo High.
Seidou High's first four batters included two national stars and two top-tier players.
Any team facing them would surely be in for a tough time.
No matter which star player they pulled from their roster, it would remain a challenge.
Even star pitchers from top teams were frustrated when facing such a combination.
Let alone a relatively unknown team like Nanakyo High.
If Nanakyo's pitcher had managed to stop Kuramochi earlier, it would've proven that their strategy worked.
Perhaps he could still feel some confidence when facing Kominato Haruichi.
But in reality, that wasn't the case at all.
He hadn't stopped Kuramochi, and he still watched helplessly as Kuramochi reached first base.
That was a huge blow to the pitcher.
Now, he even doubted whether he had the ability to stop Seidou High's lineup.
' 'The pitcher hesitated.' '
Seidou High's first and second batters were incredibly experienced.
When they saw the pitcher hesitate, they instantly realized the opportunity had come.
Now, they would push forward with all they had.
Whoosh!
As the pitcher hesitated and released the baseball from his hand, Kuramochi, who was on first base, immediately took off running for the second!
The catcher from Nanakyo High was furious, his eyes wide in disbelief.
The opponent's audacity was far beyond what he had imagined.
They were not taking them seriously at all!
'Suckers!!'
He made a firm decision to stop them.
At that moment, he prepared to receive the ball and throw it to second base.
But unfortunately, Kominato Haruichi in the Batter's Box didn't give him such an opportunity.
As he saw the baseball coming toward him, Haruichi didn't hesitate and swung his bat.
'He swung on the first pitch?!'
…
T/N: The pace was way too slow, I had to speed things up a little bit.
Anyway, Thank you all for reading!!
Have a good day people!
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