Chapter 45 Quater-Final (3)

The Seimei section of the stands murmured anxiously, fans shifting uneasily in their seats after Masato's shocking home run off Ryoichi's pitch. A teenage fan with his cap pulled low looked worriedly at his friend. "Will we be okay?"

His friend waved him off dismissively. "Idiot, it's just the first inning. Relax."

Down on the field, Suma Tomogaoka's players celebrated Masato's home run as he rounded the bases, high-fiving his teammates who were waiting for him at home plate. Noboru Hayashi was next in the batting order, and he calmly stepped into the batter's box, adjusting his helmet with a determined look. He knew the momentum was in Suma's favor now, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Noboru took a deep breath as he settled into his stance. His mind raced, trying to calm the nerves that were bubbling up. Just get on base, he thought, reassuring himself. Focus on making contact. I

Ryoichi stood on the mound, trying to regain his composure after the rough start. He stared at Daiki behind the plate, who gave him a signal for a gyroball, a pitch that was still relatively new in Ryoichi's arsenal. Ryoichi hesitated, feeling a twinge of doubt. This pitch? Now? he questioned inwardly. He knew his control wasn't sharp yet, and throwing something so advanced this early could backfire. But Daiki's confidence in the call made Ryoichi adjust his grip. He took a breath, wound up, and let the ball fly.

The pitch hurtled toward the strike zone, spinning in an unusual motion that caught everyone off guard. Noboru watched it sail in, his eyes widening as the ball moved with a distinctive gyro spin that he hadn't seen before. He didn't even swing, stunned by the sudden appearance of this new pitch.

"Strike!" the umpire shouted, breaking the silence.

Noboru blinked, his heart pounding. "What!? He had a pitch like this?" he muttered under his breath. The Suma dugout buzzed with murmurs of confusion. "Did you see that pitch?" one player whispered, unable to contain his disbelief. "What was that?"

Coach Fujimoto stood quietly, arms crossed, observing without revealing his thoughts. His assistant, equally stunned, leaned in and whispered, "Maybe it was just a fluke."

Ryoichi, emboldened by the success of his first pitch, nodded at Daiki's call to throw the gyroball again. The ball spun sharply toward the plate, and this time Noboru managed to get a piece of it, fouling it off into the netting. He gritted his teeth. "Damn it!" Noboru spat, his frustration mounting. He's got more tricks up his sleeve than I thought.

The count was 0-2, and Noboru knew Ryoichi was going to try to finish him off. He braced himself, expecting a low fastball or maybe a splitter to get him to chase out of the zone. I'll get on base no matter what. I have to! Noboru thought, his determination growing stronger.

Ryoichi wound up, and Noboru prepared to swing. But the pitch came in fast and high—higher than Noboru anticipated. He swung a second too late, popping the ball straight up into the air. The ball arced lazily, and Kenji, called out from his spot in center field tracking the ball with precision. "Got it!" he yelled confidently, as the ball descended into his mitt with a satisfying thud.

"Out!" the umpire declared, and Noboru cursed under his breath as he jogged back to the dugout. That wasn't how it was supposed to go.

With two outs, Takeshi Endo stepped up to bat. The third baseman was known for his smart base running, but his batting was average at best. He dug in, adjusting his stance as Daiki watched him carefully from behind the plate. "He's got good instincts but not much power," Daiki mumbled, analyzing Endo's body language. As long as he's not on base, he's not much of a threat.

Daiki called for a fastball down the middle, and Ryoichi nodded, winding up and delivering with all the force he could muster. Endo swung hard, but the pitch was too fast, whizzing past his bat and landing squarely in Daiki's mitt.

"Strike one!" the umpire called out.

Endo took a moment, readjusting his stance, and narrowing his eyes. Daiki observed him carefully. This guy's small, not much muscle on him. But you he can send one deep, Daiki signaled for a low fastball, and Ryoichi followed through, the ball cutting through the zone. Endo swung again, this time fouling the ball.

Ryoichi's confidence was building, the rhythm slowly coming to him as he prepared for the next pitch. Daiki called for another fastball, this time aiming high. Ryoichi's pitch sailed just above the strike zone, and Endo watched it fly past.

"Ball!" the umpire announced, and the count moved to 2-2. Daiki let out a small sigh, feeling the slight tension in Ryoichi's movements. His control is still shaky, but we've got to end this inning strong. Daiki signaled once more, another fastball, trying to keep things simple.

Ryoichi, however, shook his head. He was tired of throwing fastballs and wanted to mix things up, to really throw Endo off his game. Let's finish this with a changeup, he thought, his resolve firm. He adjusted his grip, setting his fingers delicately against the seams of the ball.

Endo's eyes were locked on Ryoichi, his mind screaming at him to anticipate the fastball. He dug his cleats into the dirt, ready to swing. Ryoichi wound up, his motion smooth and deceptive, and released the changeup with finesse. Endo saw the pitch coming and began his swing, expecting the fastball he was certain would be delivered.

But as the ball approached, it dropped suddenly, veering away from his bat. Endo's swing cut through the empty air as the ball plopped into Daiki's glove.

"Strike three!" the umpire bellowed. "Batter out!"

Endo cursed under his breath. "That was way off the strike zone. I was too hasty."

The commentator's voice resounded. "He swings and misses! Ryoichi Kuroda ends the inning with a beautiful changeup. Seimei trails 2-1 and with that first inning is done."

The players jogged back to their respective dugouts, the first inning finally over. In the Seimei dugout, the atmosphere was tense. Shinjiro sat quietly, his hands clasped together, deep in thought. We're one run down. I have to be ready to come on later as a pinch hitter later. Can I really hit Noboru's pitches? I've been trying to visualize them since earlier, but it's hard to picture them clearly.

Emiko, noticed Shinjiro's distant look and smacked him lightly on the head. "Hey! You've been awfully quiet today. Are you really going to keep this up?"

Shinjiro looked up, startled, and laughed nervously. "C'mon, give me a break. I'm still getting used to being benched."

Emiko rolled her eyes, her frustration evident, but she still smiled, trying to lift his spirits. "Here, drink this," she said, handing him a water bottle. "I made it at home, especially for you!"

Shinjiro took a swig, expecting something refreshing, but his eyes widened in horror as he tasted it—a concoction so foul it felt like he was drinking straight from a science experiment gone wrong. He forced a smile, trying not to gag. "It's… really good! What did you put in this?"

Emiko smirked, clearly amused by his reaction. "Oh, it's a secret. But if you're going to play today, you better finish it all."

Shinjiro groaned internally but nodded. He took another sip, grimacing at the taste but determined not to disappoint Emiko.

----

Ryoichi sat down next to Daiki, grabbing a towel and wiping the sweat from his brow. "That last pitch felt good," Ryoichi said, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and determination.

Daiki nodded, slapping him on the back. "Nice job. We got out of the inning, and that's all that matters. Just keep finding your rhythm."

Ryoichi looked out at the field, the weight of the game still heavy on his shoulders. This is far from over he thought.