<81> Ruthless Play

Chapter 81: Ruthless Play

"Seriously! Can't anyone just make my life easier?"

Seeing the runner casually extending their lead, Sendo silently calculated his next move.

"And that guy won't be careless either!" he muttered, throwing a quick glance at the batter.

"You're too far off the base! Isn't that too far?" Sawamura shouted from the pitcher's mound.

Having no experience with pickoff moves, all he could do was watch helplessly.

"This idiot!"

"Pop!"

"Balk! Runner advances to second base!"

"…What?" Sawamura stood dumbfounded, staring at the umpire.

Not just him, but most of the Akagi players, and even Sendo himself, were confused by the balk ruling. (As a child, Sendo didn't need such technicalities. Coach Nakani had only taught him practical skills, intending to fill in the gaps later—but that opportunity never came.)

"Huh? When you throw to first base for a pickoff while standing on the pitching rubber, your foot must step toward first base. It's an obvious balk," explained one of the umpire's assistants upon seeing Sawamura's puzzled expression.

"Ah…"

"Unbelievable. Sorry, timeout!" Sendo, noticing Sawamura's confusion, requested a timeout from the umpire and jogged to the mound.

"Timeout!" the umpire signaled.

...

Walking up to Sawamura, Sendo sighed.

"Why are you so shaken up?" he asked helplessly.

"I told you before not to worry about the runner, didn't I?"

"But—"

"But what?"

"…Sorry!" Sawamura stammered, unsure of what else to say.

"Listen carefully. You only need to focus on the batter. Leave everything else to me!" Sendo said firmly.

Seeing Sawamura return to his normal self, Sendo turned to leave, but after a few steps, he stopped, turned back, and added,

"By the way, do you even know what a balk is? Why were you trying to help when you didn't even know the rules?"

"Of course not! What was that anyway?" Sawamura blurted out in frustration.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" Sendo replied, his tone calm but with a hint of teasing.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it. Pickoff moves are complicated. Your brain's too slow; I don't have time to teach you!"

"What do you mean, too slow?!"

"You just need to do what you're good at, alright? There's still plenty of game left, so don't rush."

"And one last thing—your job is to handle the batter. I'll take care of the runner. Got it?"

"…Got it!" Sawamura's face turned serious.

"Good." Satisfied, Sendo walked back to his position.

"Sorry for the delay!" Sendo apologized to the umpire before crouching back into position.

"Play ball!" the umpire signaled, resuming the game.

...

As the pitch signs were exchanged, the runner on second base once again took a large lead.

"This angle is perfect for a play," Sendo noted, deciding to change the signal.

"No outside pitch? Inside? What a pain!" Sawamura grumbled internally.

"Fine, inside it is," he thought, complying with the new call.

"An inside pitch! Is it a strike or a ball? Don't rush to swing. I'll let this one go!"

The batter's mind raced through several thoughts before ultimately deciding to hold back on the swing. As the pitch approached the plate, it suddenly shifted off course and ended up outside the strike zone. Relieved, the batter silently celebrated their decision.

However, the batter failed to notice that Sendo, crouched behind the plate, had already begun his next move. His left foot subtly shifted, preparing for action.

"Pop!"

"Get down!" Sendo shouted.

It was only then that Sawamura realized what was happening. Sendo had already risen into a half-crouched position, his right hand gripping the ball. As he stood fully upright, his left hand smoothly transferred the ball into position for the throw.

Reacting instinctively, Sawamura dove to the ground just as Sendo completed the motion. Without taking a step or using his lower body to build momentum, Sendo relied entirely on his upper body strength to hurl the ball.

The entire sequence was seamless and lightning-fast. By the time Sawamura heard the shout and dropped down, the ball, streaking like a white laser, had already zipped past him. From Sawamura's perspective, the ball seemed so close it almost grazed the brim of his cap.

The runner, who had returned to the base as part of the usual routine to avoid sneaky tricks, saw the ball flying toward second base.

However, by the time she reacted to dive back, it was too late. Before she could even begin her slide, the ball had already landed in the second baseman's glove.

"Out!"

The entire play was as swift as lightning.

"What an arm!" Coach Mitani exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"That catcher… their throw speed is easily in the high 130s, even with that incomplete throwing motion. If they used a full-motion throw, it would probably hit over 140 km/h! What is going on with this team?" Ozawa muttered in frustration after witnessing the play.

"No, I think I'm starting to understand why Sendo-kun doesn't like baseball… Maybe," Coach Mitani replied with a wry smile.

"Out!" Sawamura leapt to his feet, thrusting a triumphant fist into the air.

"Out!" Cheers echoed across the field.

"Phew! Now it's one out with one on base. Back to square one!"

"Let's go on the offensive!"

"Got it!" Sawamura nodded firmly as he received the signal.

"Pop!"

"Another inside pitch? But this one isn't as tricky. I have to swing!"

"Strike!"

A swing and a miss.

"Outside?"

"Pop!"

"Out! Change sides!"

"Yes!" Sawamura shouted as he dashed off the field.

...

Sawamura's inside and outside pitches weren't particularly precise. They were more like central pitches that leaned slightly inside or outside, with no elevation differences. But against wooden bats, they were troublesome enough for most batters.

...

"Alright! Alright!" Coach Mitani laughed. "It's their cleanup batter's turn again this inning. Don't let any runners pile up in front of him! With two outs, their next batters won't be able to bunt."

"To be honest, their pitcher's bunts are surprisingly good—though maybe it's just luck," he joked lightly with his ace pitcher.

"I'll shut him down this inning!" Ozawa responded confidently.

"Actually, walking him isn't the worst idea. Even if he steals third, there's no one who can bring him home."

"I'll take him down!" Ozawa insisted.

"Fine. But if you're going to challenge him, make sure not to let anyone get on base ahead of him. Understood?"

"Got it!" Ozawa strode onto the field.

...

"Hey, do you think I'm too soft as a coach?" Mitani joked with the girls on the bench after Ozawa left.

"They really are not to be underestimated—such strong opponents, such a huge threat, and honestly, so enviable!" Sendo, sitting on the bench and watching a group of girls on the opposing side, spoke in a theatrical tone, as if reciting lines from a dramatic script.

At first, Wakana thought Sendo had noticed something significant. But his final remark left her speechless, even though she knew he was most likely joking.

"Out!"

"Smack!"

"Hey! Helmet!" Wakana, holding a helmet in her hand, gave Sendo a light smack on the head with it.

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