<8> Practice Game (2)
Chapter 8: Practice Game (2)
"They're just a bunch of naive kids," Sendo thought with a wicked grin.
"Shall we stick with inside pitches? Our speed isn't great, but let's focus on throwing strikes!"
Sendo nodded when he saw the signal.
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Strike!"
"Nice ball!" Cheers erupted from the crowd as the batter swung and missed.
"See? They're clearly waiting for an outside pitch!" Sendo muttered to himself.
"What are these pitcher and catcher thinking? They haven't thrown outside yet? Are they just building up strikes? But that last pitch wasn't something I could hit with a single swing even if I aimed for it."
"I heard this guy's a fourth-year." The batter, referred to as "Harada" by Coach Yasuda, thought to himself.
"Will the next one be an outside pitch?"
Sendo shook his head again. Reluctantly, the catcher signaled for another inside pitch.
Sendo began his windup.
"This time it should be outside, right? They've thrown enough inside pitches already, so an outside one would seem far away to the batter. What?"
"Smack!"
"Strike! Batter out!"
"Strikeout swinging! They've shut down this inning, now it's our turn to bat!"
Several of the substitutes jumped up in excitement. Though they were from a prestigious team, they were so young they couldn't hide their emotions.
After a simple warm-up, the Wildcat team's leadoff hitter stepped up.
The Wildcats' leadoff hitter was not only quick but also skilled at hitting. Despite the opposing catcher's reputation, he managed to push-bunt a good pitch and got on base with an infield single.
"Lead off, lead off!" The first-base coach called out.
"Are you mocking us?" The Mariners' catcher muttered under his breath when he saw the leadoff hitter take a lead over 5 meters.
The second batter squared for a bunt as soon as he stepped up.
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Safe!"
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Safe!" Continuous pickoff attempts, but they didn't faze the well-trained Wildcats.
"Forget about him, I'll take care of the runner. Those two throws were enough. If we can't disrupt him, continuing with the pickoff will only hand them the rhythm. Infield, be on alert—the real challenge is their coordination between the runner and the batter."
The Mariners' cleanup catcher signaled to the pitcher to stop the pickoff attempts, though he was fuming inside seeing how far the runner was leading off!
Now, the real showdown began.
"Let's throw a ball outside first and see what he's up to."
The Mariners' ace pitcher nodded slightly.
"Whoosh!"
"Steal!"
"Smack!"
The Wildcats' second batter, recognizing the pitch as a ball, quickly pulled back his bunt.
The Mariners' catcher, preparing to make the quickest throw possible, saw the runner return to first base just in time.
"A fake steal!"
"Damn it!" He took a deep breath and crouched down again.
"Lead off, lead off!" That kid on first base was starting to get under the little catcher's skin!
"Do we keep throwing balls? No, doing that will just put us behind in the count. 'Kings of Kanto'? They're just like us—let's settle this fair and square!" After an internal struggle, the catcher made up his mind.
But he noticed the Wildcats' second batter had returned to a normal batting stance.
His newfound resolve quickly gave way to doubt.
"The leadoff batter's fake steal is messing with the infield's defense, looking for an opening. The second batter, using his bunting stance to carefully select pitches, is throwing off the pitcher and catcher, putting pressure on the defense. They're creating opportunities for each other. Every player is thinking, working in sync like a well-oiled machine."
"It's like a pack of wildcats hunting together—this is the Kanto Kings, the Wildcats! Every time I watch them play, I can't help but wonder, are these really just elementary school kids?'
"Even I can't predict what this one-two punch will do."
"Most likely, they're just piling on the pressure, waiting for us to make a mistake under the strain!" Coach Yasuda thought to himself, signaling instructions.
"Don't let them fool you. Do what you're supposed to, Harada!"
At the same time, the Wildcats' first and second batters exchanged a simple glance.
"Whoosh!"
"Steal!"
"Smack!"
"Strike!"
A beautiful outside pitch, and the catcher quickly noticed that the leadoff hitter had returned to his position.
"So, it really was just pressure? The batter didn't swing at all. That first pitch was just the one-two combo working together to put the squeeze on us."
"Then, the runner on first used a fake steal to mess with our defense, leaving the second batter to choose his pitch. If he connects, it'll likely be a double. We need to be careful, but if it's a head-to-head contest, we won't give up so easily. The count is now one-and-one. Let's settle this—after this, it's the heart of their lineup."
However, while giving the next pitch, the catcher failed to notice the subtle smirk forming on the first-base runner's face as he glanced at the second batter, who took a deep breath.
"We're not going to go easy on you, Mariners!" the Wildcats' second batter thought to himself.
"Lead off, lead off!"
Amid the calls, the second batter once again squared up for a bunt.
"No matter what tricks you pull, we'll stick to our baseball."
"Whoosh!"
"Steal!"
"Inside pitch?" The thought flashed through the second batter's mind as he began to pull back his bat.
"As expected, he's pulling back the bat! That makes it two balls!" But just as that thought crossed his mind—
Crack! A soft yet sharp sound rang out.
"Hit-and-run!?" came a cry of shock and anger. Elementary school kids, executing such an advanced play?
Not only did the first-base runner make no move to look back, but the second batter executed a flawless swing, completing the hit-and-run perfectly.
The ball hit the ground, bounced high, and sailed over the infield. The continuous disruption of the infield's positioning had caused total chaos.
"Safe!"
"Safe!"
"Two-base hit! Our offense is just getting started!" The Wildcats' bench exploded with excitement.
"This is the King of Kanto!!!"
At that moment, Harada's mind echoed with just that one thought.
Relentless attacks, probing, applying pressure, fake and real strategies in perfect coordination, followed by a direct clash that crushed their opponents. Even after being overwhelmed, their rivals still had no idea how to respond!
This is the King of Kanto, the Tokyo Wildcats Little League!!!
"A hit-and-run! Probably the only team in the country that can execute such a perfectly coordinated and advanced strategy," Coach Yasuda remarked with admiration.
The third batter was the same as always, while the original cleanup hitter had been moved to the fifth spot. The third batter had a high batting average, but his power wasn't as strong as the former cleanup.
Taking advantage of the confusion on the other team, he easily hit a double, leaving no outs with a runner on second. The score was now 2-0, and it was Sendo, the cleanup hitter's, turn.
"A fourth-year ace and cleanup hitter? Could he really fit in with the team's coordination? Impossible. Based on the time, he's only been on the team for three weeks at most." As he thought this, he noticed the third batter standing motionless on second base.
"Just as I thought, this guy doesn't fit in with the team at all!"
"Stay focused! Up next is just a newcomer. Infield, back up!" Harada began directing. Since he's the cleanup hitter, he's bound to have power, but his technique probably isn't that great, so the outfield stays put, while the infield shifts back.
Since it was a practice game, Coach Nakani allowed his players to make their own decisions, even though many of them were used to winning games thanks to the coach's key tactical guidance.
But the Wildcats were far too strong for an ordinary elite little league team, given their experience with constant tactical planning and Coach Nakani's encouragement to think for themselves, along with regular lessons and strategy discussions.
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