<58> Rebirth – Practice Match (10)

Chapter 58: Rebirth – Practice Match (10)

When Seiwa's ninth batter hit the ball again, Sendo and the others on the bench turned their attention to where it was rolling, watching as it stayed close to the infield boundary line.

"Foul ball, right?" Kondou finally judged.

But as the ball seemed to head foul along the baseline, it unexpectedly struck the base—something the defense didn't notice until…

"Fair ball!" the umpire quickly signaled, doing his duty.

"What?"

"Kukukuku!" The sound of the runner on third rushing home pierced the field, and by the time Kondou realized he needed to retrieve the ball, it was too late.

"Run! Hurry up!"

"Safe!"

"Safe!" Thanks to that bit of luck, Seiwa scored a run, and the batter made it to second.

"Don't mind! Just hold them off with the next pitch!" Sawamura encouraged his teammates immediately.

"Let's keep it tight!"

"Yeah!"

"That guy is really reliable!" Sendo admitted that Sawamura's encouragement came at the perfect time.

Yet, now it was the top of Seiwa's batting order again, with two outs, a runner on second, and their leadoff hitter up.

"Are you going to try it? You want to steal?" Sawamura kept glancing back at the runner on second, his eyes like a hawk's.

"Don't worry about the runner; just focus on the batter! We already have two outs, Eijun!" Wakana shouted from the outfield.

"Exactly. This ninth batter isn't fast, and with the pressure on him, we could easily end the inning. Let's settle it here!" Sendo thought, casting a determined look at Shin, who nodded in response.

But everyone was overthinking it. Sawamura wasn't shaken at all; in fact, he was in top form.

"Strike!"

"Ball!"

Ping!

"OUT! Change sides!" With just three pitches, Sawamura got their batter out, caught directly by the third baseman.

"Yosh!" Sawamura yelled as he ran off the field, dragging out the sound triumphantly.

"Nice pitch, Eijun!"

"Right?" Sawamura grinned widely at Sendo's praise.

"Nice pitching, Ei-chan!"

His teammates followed with more cheers as they made their way off the field.

Clap clap clap! Sendo's clapping sounded.

"Alright, everyone, it's a bit early to celebrate. This is the last inning, and we haven't scored since the first! One run, just one, and we can make it easier for our pitcher!"

"Yeah!!!"

"Who's up first in the order?" Sawamura asked excitedly.

"It's… me." Oyama shyly raised his hand.

"Oh… Alright, then. Let's shift our focus and get ready for defense in the bottom of the inning!" Sawamura said, pausing briefly.

"Hey, what was with that moment of silence?" Sendo teased.

...

"Shin, no pressure. Do your best!" Sendo turned to 8th-batter Shin as he headed to the on-deck circle, offering some words of encouragement before whispering a few more things privately.

They'd go over defense strategies before the bottom of the inning.

"Is our offense really seen as so weak?" Fumino wondered aloud, curious about their chances.

"Well, you can't say that. It's the fourth rotation in the lineup, and their ace must be reaching his limit. Oyama's batting isn't weak compared to others. If he gets on base, we still have a chance!"

"Oh?"

"Don't pay attention to that idiot! Sometimes it's hard to understand what that guy is thinking," Sendo said helplessly.

"Why are you smiling?" Sendo asked, noticing Fumino silently giggling.

"It's nothing!"

Ping!

During their conversation, Oyama managed a surprise bunt and safely reached base.

Just as Sendo predicted, the pressure of the final inning was starting to slow down the opposing team.

"Shin! Hit it out! Hit it out!" Sawamura jumped out to cheer with his usual theatrics.

"See what I mean? His actions are unpredictable! Just a moment ago, he was talking about defense, and now he's brimming with confidence again."

"You're right," Fumino agreed, though by now Sendo was already focused on strategizing. He had issued a sign...

First pitch—

"Steal!"

"Wait, is it a hit-and-run?"

"Listen, this is the final inning. The other team's pressure is becoming obvious. Whether Oyama gets on base or not, just remember—don't let it be an easy fly ball to catch. Aim toward third base." Shin recalled Sendo's instructions as he stepped up to bat.

Meanwhile, Oyama received the signal to steal. Shin, although a weak batter, had good contact skills thanks to extensive catcher training and managed to tap the ball.

The ball rolled right toward third base.

"A grounder? Though he's out, we now have someone in scoring position. Not bad," Sendo thought.

However…

"To first!" Ishihara called out, directing the play. But in his focus on throwing to first, the third baseman lost grip on the ball mid-throw.

"Oyama, head to third! Run!"

"Safe!" The umpire declared a few seconds later. Shin made it to first thanks to the error, and Oyama advanced safely to third.

"Oyama!" Sawamura's trademark triangle smile was back in full form.

Unexpectedly, the recently scoring Seiwa team now found themselves in a crisis.

"Time-out!" Ishihara called quickly, and the coach sent a messenger with instructions.

"So, we're preparing to give up a run if necessary," Ishihara confirmed the message.

"Yes. With no outs, and their team always being a hassle once they get on base, we're dealing with a lineup that has good bunters from one through nine. Coach said to pull the infielders in, using their tactics against them since they lack power hitters."

"I got it."

"Stay strong! Giving up one run is manageable. Coach said not to stress too much." With that, the messenger left the field, and the game resumed.

…

"Even if we're prepared to give up a run, that doesn't mean I'll let you score easily!" Seiwa's ace, Morishita, thought with gritted teeth as he threw the first pitch.

Wakana bunted as expected, forcing the play.

Although Wakana was mainly on the roster to make up numbers, her bunting skills weren't bad, even against a close infield defense.

Knowing the importance of advancing runners, Wakana laid down a bunt. Despite everyone knowing it was likely, scoring from third with a bunt remains easy in one-three-base situations, as tag plays are required.

But…

After bouncing, the ball landed directly in the pitcher's glove.

"Ishihara!"

Pop!

"OUT!"

They tagged Oyama out at home plate.

Fortunately, as previously noted, Wakana's bunt moved both Shin and Oyama into scoring position. The attempt to score Oyama failed, but Shin and Wakana advanced safely.

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