Scrimmage (6)

Linus sat in the dugout, his eyes still drifting over the system's glowing interface. The upgrade to his fielding stats was unexpected, but welcome. His team had gotten into a decent groove in this inning, and with a runner on base, it felt like they had a good handle on the opposing pitcher. Linus wasn't thinking much about the system upgrades anymore—right now, all that mattered was staying focused on the game.

The opposing team's relief pitcher had been struggling, and Linus's teammates were taking advantage. The third batter in their lineup had managed to hit a single, setting up runners at the corners. 

Linus watched as the next batter came to the plate, gripping the bat tightly. A few pitches later, the batter swung and made solid contact, sending the ball low and hard into right field. Linus jumped to his feet, watching as one of the runners crossed home plate. His team was starting to close the gap.

"Nice!" he muttered, clapping along with his teammates. The dugout buzzed with renewed energy, the mood lightening with every bit of progress. Shortening the opposing team's lead had brought the momentum back to their side, but just as quickly, the inning came to an end when the fifth batter grounded out easily to second base.

It wasn't a huge inning, but it was enough to keep them in the game. The score was now 3-2, with the other team still holding the lead, but the gap felt manageable. Linus grabbed his glove and jogged out to his position. They still had work to do, but the energy in the dugout felt better now. They were hanging in there, and that was all that mattered.

As Linus stood up and prepared to head back to the field, he glanced at the system one last time. Hidden missions? Sure, they could be out there, waiting for him to unlock. But right now, that didn't matter. 

His goal hadn't changed—he just needed to play his best, whether the system rewarded him or not. If there were missions tied to his performance, he'd achieve them by focusing on his game, not worrying about when or how they would pop up. His mind snapped back to the present as he headed out to his position, pushing thoughts of the system aside.

***

As the top of the 7th began, Linus took his spot at shortstop. The first batter of the inning was the opposing team's pitcher, who swung awkwardly at the second pitch and popped it up toward first base. Oliver easily made the catch—one out.

The next batter was their leadoff hitter, and he wasn't going to go down as easily. Linus crouched slightly, ready for anything. The pitcher wound up and threw, and the batter sent a slow grounder toward Linus. It wasn't hit particularly hard, but Linus had to sprint forward to field it. He scooped it cleanly, but the batter was already halfway to first. Feeling the pressure, Linus rushed his throw and tried to throw it hard enough to get him out in time.

The ball flew towards Oliver at first base, but it was off target. Oliver had to step off the bag to catch it, and the runner was safe. Linus sighed and glanced at the pitcher, who was back on the mound, visibly frustrated. Linus gave an apologetic shrug.

"I really need to get my throws on point," Linus muttered to himself, annoyed. Even with the recent system upgrade, He couldn't throw hard enough with enough accuracy yet. The difference between practice and a real game was clear as well, The increased pressure of having to get the out made it harder to get his throw accurate enough.

His throw had been fast enough, but the accuracy wasn't there yet. He could've slowed it down and aimed better, but then the runner would have made it to first easily. Linus thought to add that to his individual drills at home, to focus on being able to make throws as a shortstop while being rushed.

The inning continued without giving Linus another chance to redeem himself. The pitcher seemed rattled after Linus's mistake, and the hits kept coming. Two more runs scored before they could finally end the inning with a strikeout and a routine fly out to left field. By the time the third out was made, the score had shifted to 5-2.

Linus jogged back to the dugout, his mind still on that throw. It felt like the pressure in real games was getting to him, and even with the mid-game upgrade, there were still so many weaknesses he needed to work on. He couldn't let a single bad play derail his focus, but it was hard to shake off the frustration.

As he sat on the bench, adjusting his helmet and grabbing his bat, his attention shifted to the upcoming bottom of the 7th inning. It was his third at-bat of the game, and after two failed attempts earlier, Linus finally hoped he'd get his first hit.

***

The bottom of the 7th started with Linus's team down 5-2, beginning with their 6th batter at the plate. He started off strong, hitting a solid single that landed in front of the center fielder. But Oliver, once again struggling at the plate, got out without advancing the runner.

Then it was Linus's turn. As he approached the plate, he mentally reviewed what he had seen from the pitcher in previous at-bats. The pitcher had two main pitches: a four-seam fastball and a changeup. The fastball wasn't as fast as Lukas's, so Linus figured his biggest challenge would be getting the timing right and not being fooled by the change in speed from the changeup.

He had spent his time in the on-deck circle preparing, timing his swings with the pitches, and now he was ready to execute his plan. Linus stepped into the batter's box, settling into his stance. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but he focused on keeping his hands loose on the bat. His first two at-bats had been frustrating, but he felt more prepared now.

The pitcher wound up and fired the first pitch—a fastball. Linus let it go, watching it sail just outside the strike zone. Ball one. He could hear his teammates clapping from the dugout, encouraging him to stay patient. Linus reset his stance, nodding to himself. He had the advantage now, ahead in the count.

The next pitch was another fastball, this time low and inside. Linus kept his bat still, and the umpire called it ball two. Ahead in the count now, Linus felt a bit of confidence building, since the pressure was on the pitcher not to walk him. Linus crouched a little lower in his stance, anticipating a pitch in the strike zone. Though still ready to keep being patient, to not swing at a ball to give the pitcher help in getting back in the count.

The pitcher glanced at the runner on first before winding up. The ball left the pitcher's hand, and Linus saw the drop in speed. It looked tempting, but it started to fall below the strike zone. Linus held back his swing. 

"Ball three!" the umpire called out.

Linus took a deep breath. He was now in complete control of the at-bat, 3-0. He knew the next pitch had to be a ball inside the strike zone. The pitcher wouldn't want to give up a walk. Linus stepped back into the batter's box, preparing himself mentally. 

He knew he had a good chance of getting on base, but more than anything, he wanted his first hit. He didn't want to settle for a walk.

The pitcher glanced at the runner on first, then fired a fastball right down the middle. It was the pitch Linus had been waiting for. Without hesitation he started generating power through his back leg and swinging his bat through the zone.

Ding!

The bat connected perfectly. Linus barely felt the impact as the ball shot off toward left-center field. He took off sprinting down the line, eyes locked on the ball as it soared through the air. The outfielders chased after it, but Linus could see the ball dropping short, bouncing just in front of the left fielder.

He reached first base safely, standing on the bag as the left fielder threw the ball back in. Linus's heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He glanced toward his dugout and saw his teammates cheering for him.

As the left fielder held the ball, Linus heard the now-familiar system notification chime in his ears, and the glowing interface appeared in front of him.

[*Hidden Mission Completed*]

- Get your first hit in a game

- Reward: Upgrade all Batting attributes by one grade.

Linus grinned to himself, feeling the satisfaction of his first hit washing over him. He had finally broken through, and as he stood on first base, he knew this was just the start of something bigger.