<56> Rebirth – Practice Match (8)

Chapter 56: Rebirth – Practice Match (8)

Bottom of the sixth Inning - Seiwa's turn at bat, starting with the sixth spot

"Gotta get on base! Absolutely!" Even though it's the bottom of the lineup, they're showing real determination.

"What?" The batter realizes Akagi's infield is pushed up aggressively, understanding that Akagi is prepared for an all-out showdown.

"A long hit or deep fly ball might be left uncontested, but anything in the infield… they're ready to eliminate it, aren't they? Is that what you're telling me, Sendo? This tactic makes it tough for us to get a clean hit."

Coach Takei understands Sendo's strategy too. The center fielder is positioned just behind second base, giving the impression from the batter's viewpoint that the infield has an extra defender.

So far, not a single ball has made it to the outfield. With the opponent practically ignoring the outfield, the pressure on Seiwa is huge.

"They're forcing us to play in the infield? We need to push their outfielders back," he thinks, and begins signaling.

"Be bold with your pitch calls!" Shin repeats Sendo's advice to himself, positioning his glove for an inside pitch.

"That's the way, Ei-chan. We have no reason to hold back!"

First pitch

"Ball!"

"Phew! Close call! I nearly swung at that one. Is he really that precise with his inside pitches?"

What the batter doesn't know is that Sawamura wasn't pitching at full power, which gave him extra control. The ball drifted slightly, making it look like it just missed the strike zone, though it could have gone wider.

"Ei-chan, don't give them time to breathe or think!" Shin quickly signals, and Sawamura, trusting his teammates, readies his next pitch.

Second pitch

Pop!

"Same pitch again?"

"Strike!"

"That's the way, Ei-chan!"

"Let's go, Yamaguchi! It's only just started!"

"What should I do? If everything's inside, I can't tell the strikes from the balls!"

Third pitch

"Right down the middle?"

Crack!

"Foul!"

"Whew!" All of Seiwa exhales in relief. It's a slow pop-up in foul territory, and although it nearly gets intercepted, it falls out of reach.

"Too bad, almost a catch!"

"Close one. If the glove had touched it but failed to catch, he could've made it on base!"

"Yeah, that was nerve-wracking!"

"Should I follow Coach's instructions?"

While the batter is still weighing his options, the fourth pitch comes flying in!

"Down the middle!"

"Center fielder!"

A weak pop fly barely clears the infield, landing right where the center fielder moved up to cover.

"Got it! ONE OUT!!!" Sawamura shouts excitedly.

"ONE OUT!!!" Everyone responds, rallying each other.

"Five more outs to go till we win!" Sawamura thinks, calming himself.

"What's this?" Sendo notices something off.

"A miss? But it couldn't be helped. Otherwise, their outfield would push forward even more. With someone like Sendo on the other side, it wouldn't be surprising if he positioned eight players, including the pitcher, in the infield."

At this point, Seiwa's seventh batter steps into the box.

"Hmm?" Shin noticed a few signals sent from Sendo.

"Seriously, just how aggressive are you, guy?"

First pitch!

"Right down the middle again?"

Crack!

The next pitches continued to come right down the middle, forcing Seiwa's seventh batter to swing.

"Foul!"

"He's being backed into a corner!"

Then, the batter hit another high fly ball!

Pop!

"OUT!"

"As expected! Were they hoping for a deep fly ball like Aoki's in the first inning to force our outfielders back? But Sawamura's pitches, even in a softball game, aren't that easy to handle. Your batting practice isn't up to par! Still, this means the outfield can't move any closer!"

If Coach Takei knew what Sendo was thinking, he'd probably retort, "Do you really intend to crowd everyone into the infield?"

But even Sendo realized that they couldn't press the outfield forward anymore, nor could they make any risky adjustments.

The next batter might aim for an outfield fly or stick to normal hitting—it's all a guessing game in baseball, predicting each other's tactics and preparing for sudden shifts.

"TWO OUT!!!"

The players on the field didn't have time for these complex thoughts, though; with two outs, they were laser-focused on the game.

Unbeknownst to Sendo, Coach Takei had already decided to abandon the fly ball strategy.

The eighth batter took his shot on the first pitch, forcefully sending it toward third base.

Seiwa's lineup managed to exploit this tactic twice in a row, catching Akagi's relatively inexperienced infielders off guard and allowing the batter to make it to first base with ease.

"Safe!!!"

The runner shouted energetically from first, signaling that their offensive drive wasn't over yet.

"Quit daydreaming! Whether it's a fly ball or a grounder, haven't you all been training for months? Don't assume anything about the next ball—stay alert, it's two outs already! Let's hear some energy!"

Although the inning had started with high spirits, the prolonged intensity was causing a noticeable drop in focus and stamina. Sendo, without many options, shouted loudly to snap his teammates back to attention.

"Oh!!!"

Seeing his teammates regain their spirit, Sendo returned to the dugout.

"You're acting a little different from usual. Gotten a bit more interested in baseball?" Fumino teased him as he sat down.

"What are you talking about? I'm just doing my job. Besides!"

"Besides?"

"I'm simply interested in the psychological battle aspect!"

"Is that all?"

"What else would it be?"

"Oh, nothing! I didn't say anything!" Fumino replied playfully.

"Steal!" The loud call jolted both of them, shifting their attention back to the field!

The runner on first had already reached second!

"We've got a problem!" Sendo knew well that their club-based, amateur team often struggled with handling aggressive steal strategies, with only the coach having a solid grasp of these tactics.

Shin had practiced stepping techniques for throws, but he wasn't as fast as a strong-armed catcher. Nearing the game's end, Shin's focus had begun to waver. As a novice catcher in one of the most grueling positions, he couldn't keep his focus sharp at all times.

And true to Seiwa's assessment, the runner managed to steal again right after that!

------------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21