Capítulo 76: [76] Mutual Offense and Defense
Chapter 76: Mutual Offense and Defense
"Whoosh"
"Pop"
"Great pitch, the batter's out, that's three outs, switch sides!"
"Nice pitch, Sawamura."
"Hmph, if you focus, you can pull it off. Keep it up from here on out."
"Yahaha, that performance was just barely acceptable."
"Hehe, can't afford to get complacent."
As they returned to the dugout, the senior players smiled at Eijun, giving him a pat on the head.
Initially, senior players like Isashiki Jun and Tetsu, as well as Masuko Tooru, were worried since this was Eijun's first time on the main stage.
But it seemed their concerns were unnecessary.
Eijun showed great presence with his performance and pitching.
There was no hesitation, no delay.
With a fast-paced approach, Eijun and Miyuki took down Maimon West's first three batters, achieving three up and three down in the opening inning.
Meanwhile, in the Seido High School dugout, a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere prevailed.
The audience, too, was abuzz, seemingly finding it hard to believe that Seido High's first-year player could deliver such a performance.
"Three up, three down. That pitcher is doing well."
"His measured speed is just in the early 130 KM range, but his control is impressive."
"Indeed, that final strikeout on the third batter was a low outside pitch, right? It's rare for a first-year pitcher to hit inside and outside corners so accurately."
"No wonder Coach Kataoka let this first-year start. Maybe he also wants him to gain experience. The first game is important, but as a seeded school, Seido High won't face strong teams in the early rounds. It's quite suitable to use these games to train a promising first-year."
"Still, it feels like this pitcher's not just good with control, right?"
"Yes."
Due to factors like experience, angles, and perspectives, most spectators could only see the surface of the game. Only those with sharp insights could discern certain nuances.
For instance, Eijun's peculiar pitch and his unique style.
Especially for those sitting directly over home plate, facing the pitcher's mound, they could observe more clearly.
These observers could grasp considerably more of Eijun's true abilities and potential, which substantially surpassed his apparent performance.
"What's up with that? The pitcher's speed is only 130."
"Exactly, even if their control is good, isn't it odd none of you got on base?"
"Is there something strange going on?"
Compared to the spectators and Seido's side, the Maimon West dugout was in slight disarray.
After switching sides, the first three batters who had just played were surrounded by their teammates.
They felt a bit helpless; how could they explain their experiences?
Eijun's pitches were such that they could only be truly understood by stepping into the batter's box. They couldn't be easily described in words or understood from the sidelines.
Only Maimon West's coach, Chiba Junichi, seemed to realize something, his face darkening as he pondered.
"Enough, quiet down! It's our turn to field now. The match has just begun, and the real game is just starting!" Coach Chiba announced loudly, silencing his players' discussions.
"Yes, sir!"
The coach held high status in the team, and with Coach Chiba speaking, the Maimon West players ceased their pointless arguments. Just as he said, the game had only just begun and there was still plenty to come.
Of course, they didn't realize this particular game wouldn't last much longer.
"Bottom of the first inning, Seido High up to bat, leading off, shortstop Kuramochi-kun."
"Go Kuramochi!"
"Get a hit!"
"Let's see you shine here."
"You must get on base!"
Kuramochi approached the batter's box with a casual, almost indifferent demeanor, swinging his bat lightly. As he strolled over, he cast a haughty glance toward the Maimon West pitcher on the mound out of the corner of his eye.
"Hmph, wearing number 10? So, he's not their ace..." A faint glint of determination flashed in Kuramochi's eyes.
There wasn't much data on this pitcher, so Kuramochi decided to probe him first. He glanced back towards the dugout, where Coach Kataoka gave him a slight nod, reaffirming Kuramochi's plan.
"!"
With the umpire's command, the Maimon West catcher set his mitt in position, a strange expression flashing in his eyes.
"Whoosh"
As Kuramochi settled into his batting stance, a cold flash shot forward from the pitcher's mound.
Kuramochi was momentarily surprised.
"Pop"
"Strike!!!"
Kuramochi all but watched that pitch go by. After seeing it land neatly in the catcher's mitt, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. What in the world? So slow? And that pitching motion, the release point is way too low!
With this fastball, and from that angle, it's not exactly easy to make contact.
Having grown accustomed to fastballs, this kind of pitch speed and trajectory was really unusual, especially since the pitch first appeared to rise subtly before diving, making it quite tricky.
Kuramochi furrowed his brows.
Clearly, Maimon West's pitcher and catcher weren't granting Kuramochi much time to think.
In an instant, the second pitch was already speeding towards him.
Hastily, Kuramochi had no choice but to swing. Judging from his estimation, the ball was low but hovered dangerously close to the strike zone's edge. Not swinging might result in a strike call.
It was indeed a nuanced pitch.
Kuramochi decisively chose to swing. Considering the trajectory and release point, he adjusted his stance, lowering his body and leaning slightly forward, swinging his bat in an upward arc.
"Crack"
The bat made contact with the ball, yet Kuramochi couldn't hide the hint of gloom on his face.
"Whoosh"
The ball sailed in a white arc toward third base.
Weariness etched across Kuramochi's expression as the Maimon West third baseman casually shifted position, effortlessly catching the pop-up.
"Pop"
"Out!!!!"
Kuramochi's face darkened like a stormcloud after getting caught out on the second pitch.
Darn it, an inside breaking ball. That sneaky opponent did it on purpose. Kuramochi shot a fierce glance at the Maimon West catcher over at home plate, mindful of the umpire standing nearby. After the glare, he picked up his bat and headed back to the Seido dugout.
"How was it?"
"Sorry, Ryou-san, I swung too quickly and didn't gather much info," Kuramochi said apologetically.
"Hehe, it's okay. Just seeing that breaking ball was enough," Ryosuke Kominato replied with a reassuring smile, already devising his own strategy.
Seeing Ryosuke's assured expression, Kuramochi nodded slightly. After a year and a half as teammates, he was well aware of Ryousuke's skills.
Yet, despite that, the Maimon West battery had managed to deliver a modest yet surprising challenge to the Seido team right at the start of the game.
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