Chapter 43: Mistakes and Errors

Ping!

The white ball was hit and drifted like a kite with a broken string, eventually landing in front of first base.

Isashiki clearly wasn't fully prepared, and the speed and force of his hit were quite average.

"Leave it to me!"

Maezono rushed forward, aiming to stop the ball.

"Don't fall there! Don't fall there!!!" Isashiki charged toward first base using all his power while shouting at the ball.

Seeing his desperate effort, Maezono momentarily lost focus.

'Jun-san's spirit is so strong!'

Facing Isashiki who didn't give up after hitting a bad hit, Maezono felt that the gap was not just in skills but also in spirit.

'No, I can't be like this!'

'We are opponents now. We are Seidou High's top players.'

'I cannot afford to lose here.'

"I can't lose!"

Shouting loudly, Maezono fiercely charged toward where the ball would fall.

The ball, after hitting the ground, did not bounce towards Maezono but rather veered to the side.

'An irregular grounder!'

Maezono was stunned but quickly chased the ball in its new direction.

Meanwhile, Isashiki took this opportunity to reach first base.

With one Out and runners on first and second base, Kominato Ryosuke also reached second base ahead of time.

From the catcher's position, Miyuki felt a deep sense of helplessness.

The previous irregular bounce was unavoidable, but it meant that with one Out and runners on first and second, they had to face Tetsu-san.

"It was impossible to avoid that irregular, don't mind!" Miyuki comforted Maezono, though his heart was full of helplessness.

"Phew!" Maezono did not take Miyuki's comfort to heart.

Irregular grounders are not an excuse. If he had been mentally prepared and not intimidated by Isashiki's spirit, he could have handled the ball.

'Not enough!'

'Still not enough!'

Maezono still blamed himself.

At this moment, the core hitter from the third year, Yuuki Tetsuya, was up.

Against Tetsu-san, Miyuki actually didn't want to use inside pitches. With Tetsu-san's level of skills, inside and middle pitches were likely to be hit hard.

'But outside pitches!'

Outside pitches are likely to go in Maezono's area if they were hit. Given the recent error and Tetsu-san's lightning-like swing, placing the ball on the outside could potentially shatter Maezono's confidence.

"Don't be timid. You're the team's first baseman now."

Seeing the frustration in Maezono's eyes, Isashiki Jun, who had just joined, spoke angrily.

"Yes, Jun-san," Maezono replied submissively.

'This frustrating guy.'

Isashiki was both helpless and angry at Maezono's self-blame.

Mistakes and errors are part of the game.

After all, people are not machines, and no one can claim to be free of mistakes.

Given this reality, mistakes are inevitable.

What matters is how one reacts after making a mistake. That's the mark of a mature player.

Maezono valued his spot on the first team so much and was eager to perform well, which in turn led him to overlook some aspects.

This fact did not escape Miyuki's notice.

'As a Senpai, the best way to educate a Kohai is to break his fake confidence completely and then help him rebuild a steady one.'

"Let me show you what a true first baseman should be."

Ping!

Facing an inside course breaking ball, Tetsu's swing was delayed.

It was indeed late!

Miyuki was both shocked and delighted at this scene.

'A late swing means a poor hit. Especially for Captain Tetsu-san, with such a delay, the ball should bounce into foul territory.'

'Foul territory on the first base side!'

'Wait…'

Suddenly, Miyuki seemed to realize something and felt it was unbelievable.

What happened next unfolded in the direction he least wanted.

It looked like Tetsu-san's swing was late, but in reality, it was not. After the delay, he managed to pull the ball back into the field.

Whoosh!

The ball flew out faster than it came in, arcing close to the first base.

"Maezono!"

Miyuki gasped in surprise.

Before his voice could reach, the ball was already flying out!

Maezono didn't even have time to react.

So fast, incredibly fast.

The ball passed by the first baseman and became a super long hit.

Isashiki laughed heartily and ran toward second base.

Tetsuya, tossing aside his bat, sprinted toward first base.

Kominato Ryosuke, on second base, jogged past third and headed for home plate.

This offensive sequence was identical to their previous scoring.

And indeed, the plot unfolded just as before.

By the time the right fielder, Shiratsu, retrieved the ball, Kominato Ryosuke had already successfully crossed home plate.

"SAFE!"

Meanwhile, Isashiki reached third base, and Tetsu reached second base.

With one Out, runners on second and third base.

And now, the third year scored another run.

The score was now 3:1!

The freshmen from the first and second years were not lacking in effort.

But the third-year seniors' offense was simply too destructive; they couldn't stop them.

"Yeah, really terrifying guys!"

Though the process was different, the pattern was almost the same.

The third-year Senpais used a nearly identical approach to score twice in a row.

It was as if they were demonstrating the gap in strength through their actions.

They are unstoppable! Like a mighty river, flowing down with unstoppable force, crushing all obstacles in its path.

One Out, runners on second and third.

"What a good luck!"

Chris walked into the batter's box with a deadpan expression.

From his face, you couldn't tell if he was genuinely happy or somewhat disappointed.

In this game, Chris wasn't just the team's starting catcher and fifth in the batting order; he was also a coach for the third-year players.

Up until now, he had orchestrated all of the third-year team's offensive tactics. Under his guidance, the third-year seniors were demonstrating their full capability, suppressing the freshmen of Seidou High.

At this moment, if the third-year team managed to score additional runs, making it 4:1 or even 5:1, the game would completely tilt in their favor. Even if Sawamura, the Ace pitcher, were to come up later and try to turn things around, it would become very difficult.

A pitcher could only ensure that the team didn't concede runs; they couldn't guarantee scoring them. Sawamura's effectiveness after taking the mound would also depend on the game's situation.

With a gap of one or two runs, based on Sawamura and Miyuki's previous performances, there was still hope for Seidou High's New team to make a comeback.

But once the gap widened to three runs, the situation would be entirely different! It wouldn't be a matter of luck and timely hits to recover those points.

They needed to approach the batter's box with determination against Tanpa and Chris's combination to have any chance.

Though Tanpa and Chris's combination might not be as formidable as Sawamura's on the pitcher's mound, their partnership was well-known throughout Koshien Stadium. Confronting powerful opponents head-on without any hesitation was their specialty.

To defeat them head-on, Seidou High's New team would find it no simple task.

In his position as catcher, Miyuki understood this very well.

He knew very clearly that if the team conceded more runs now, it would be challenging to turn the tide.

Therefore, no matter what, Miyuki had to deal with Chris!

As Miyuki resolved himself, Chris in the batter's box shamelessly took a stance for a bunt.

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