บท 16: [16] The Limitless Disaster at the Start
Chapter 16: The Limitless Disaster at the Start
"Whoosh"
"Clang!!!"
What!?
Tojo Hideaki, the pitcher on the mound, suddenly turned pale, staring at the flash of white light that shot out.
"Center field!!!"
The first-year catcher at home plate also stood up with a look of shock, shouting loudly towards center field.
"Thud"
The white flash swiftly soared over the infield, landing in the right-center field area before the first-year outfielders could react.
In right field, Eijun had already started moving the moment the ball was hit.
But despite Eijun's respectable defensive skills, there was no way he could reach the ball from where he was positioned. Unless he had been standing much closer to center field from the start, there was nothing he could do.
As expected, Eijun could only watch helplessly as their center fielder fell short by several strides, the ball hitting the ground.
As the ball landed, the upperclassmen on second and third base dashed towards home plate, and the third-year batter seized the opportunity to reach second base.
"Third run!!!"
"Nice one, Kondo!!"
"Crush these rookies!!"
"Force that guy out of the game already!!!"
"Yeah, let these kids learn what it means to face their seniors in baseball!!!"
"Keep it up, keep it up, Asou, show these rookies what real high school baseball is all about!!!"
"Hmph, just watch me." Asou Takeru, the second-year starting left fielder, gripped his metal bat, a fierce expression on his face as he shot a provocative glance towards the dugout at Furuya Satoru.
This action made Tojo clench his teeth, his face growing even paler.
"Three runs already? And we've only managed one out."
In right field, Eijun's eyes narrowed in concern. If this keeps up, things will really spiral out of control. Eijun knew full well that the first-year players were struggling against the upperclassmen, but this slow, inevitable collapse—what was the point of that...
As Eijun watched his fellow first-year players on the field, their heads gradually drooping in dejection, a heavy feeling settled in his chest.
This situation... doesn't look good at all...
"Whoosh"
"Clang"
"Bang"
The ball hit the ground, slightly off-center, making it an imperfect hit. The shortstop, though a bit flustered, managed to stop the ball.
"Whoosh"
"Smack"
"Out, double play, three outs, inning change!"
Taking advantage of an upperclassman's error, the first-year players finally secured two outs after giving up five runs, ending the nightmarish top of the first inning.
The moment the inning change was announced, it was obvious that the eight first-year players on the field, along with most of the first-years on the bench, breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Tojo looked utterly exhausted, as if he was about to collapse.
"Hmph, they got lucky."
"Sorry, I rushed that pitch a bit."
"No worries, it's already five runs. We've got eight innings to go. Let us seniors take good care of our juniors."
"That's the spirit, Tanba. Let's wrap up their offense quickly."
"Tanba-senpai, we're counting on you."
"Yeah, don't worry." Third-year ace Tanba Kouichirou, with a faint hint of menace in his eyes, replied in a deep voice as he jogged towards the pitcher's mound in the center of the field.
"Alright, it's our turn to bat. Let's give it our all. We knew coming in we'd get thrashed by our seniors, right?"
Eijun clapped his hands and flashed a smile, trying to lift the spirits of his teammates. If they kept playing like this, it wouldn't be long before they were utterly crushed.
"Yeah, you're right."
"Yep, it's our turn to bat."
But to Eijun's disappointment, only a few responded. Everyone wore expressions of defeat, some even bordering on despair, especially the eight who had just been on the field.
Didn't you notice? Tojo is on the verge of breaking down.
"Sigh..." Eijun sighed quietly to himself. He realized he might have been too optimistic.
Furuya remained as expressionless as ever, while Haruichi was focused on wiping down his bat, looking similarly indifferent. This gave Eijun the impression that this team might truly be beyond saving.
However, Eijun was also unwilling to goad the first-years into fighting back like in the original story.
It just felt a bit too foolish.
"Whoosh"
"Smack"
"Strike!!!"
"Batter out, three outs, inning change!!!"
As soon as Coach Kataoka's cold voice echoed across the field, the despair in the eyes of the first-year players deepened.
Nine pitches. Without showing any mercy, the third-year battery, both of them from the first string—Tanba Kouichirou and first-string backup catcher Miyauchi Keisuke—struck out three first-year batters in quick succession.
The high-speed, sharply breaking curveballs left the first-year players utterly stunned. It was as if they couldn't muster even the slightest hint of resistance, just a one-sided slaughter.
This made Eijun shake his head even more helplessly. How are they supposed to play this game...
"Geez, Tanba's in great shape today. Look at the break on that curveball."
"Getting kicked off the first string and losing the ace number really hit him hard."
"It's his last summer, no way he's going to hold back."
"Yeah, if he can throw that curveball right into the strike zone, he could compete at the national level."
"Poor first-years, they really don't stand a chance."
After the first inning, the massive gap in skill was laid bare for all to see. A five-run deficit, with the first-year team not even managing to make contact with the ball, let alone get on base or score.
This disparity in skill and the psychological collapse of the first-years became painfully obvious.
In the second inning, Tojo was once again on the mound. After giving up two more runs, he completely fell apart. To give up seven runs in less than two innings was agonizing for him.
His expression on the mound, as if he had lost his spirit, made everyone around him shake their heads in resignation.
This brutal start and the team's relentless breakdown dragged the spirits of most first-years down into an abyss of despair.
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