Chương 22: Worth (5)
Dawson walked off in silence.
Sora took off his gear and handed it to Coach Tatum so he could put it on.
After a few minutes, Coach Tatum squatted down, as Sora walked to the plate and got in the right batter's box.
Rei got in his stance as he started his motion.
He wound up, his arm moving with lightning speed, and released the ball with a fierce snap.
The pitch was a sight to behold.
It started out looking like a forkball, aimed straight for Sora's feet, but then something peculiar happened.
The ball seemed to change direction in mid-air, veering away from Sora like a slider.
Sora's eyes widened as he swung his bat, but it was too late.
The ball sailed past him, leaving him swinging at the air.
While crack of the catcher's mitt echoed across the field, as the ball landed perfectly in the mitt.
Sora looked at the plate his mischievous personality gone, "He can disguise a slider like a forkball?" he mumbled silently, before looking at Rei, his eyes regaining their mischievous personality, while a smile appeared on his lips.
Rei ignored Sora, as he received the ball back, and got in his stance before starting his motion.
As he lifted his leg and leaned back, his pitching arm came whipping forward like a bolt of lightning, unleashing a 94 mph fastball that seemed to explode out of his hand.
The ball sailed towards Sora with a slight, almost imperceptible movement, but it was enough to throw off the batter's timing. Sora swung with all his might, but it was too late. The ball had already sailed past him, leaving him stunned.
Rei's unique form and pitches had done their magic once again.
'His form is weird, even in the catcher's position it's like the ball shoots from behind him.' Coach Tatum thought as he threw the ball back to Rei.
Receiving the ball, Rei slightly tightened his cap, as he took released a small breath, as he stepped on the rubber, and got set once more.
The air was tense with anticipation as Rei began his windup.
Everyone held their breath as his arm flew forward, releasing his pitch.
The ball whizzed through the air with incredible speed, leaving a trail of dust in its wake.
As the ball left Rei's hand, it looked like a fastball down the middle - the perfect pitch for Sora to hit out of the park. His eyes shone with excitement as he started his swing, his muscles coiled and ready to unleash a powerful hit.
Sora realized something was off. His heart started pumping faster as he saw the ball furiously falling toward the ground.
Sora had already committed to his swing, as he swung through the air, the wind rushing past his ears as the ball sailed past him.
Sora stumbled forward, off-balance, as the ball landed with a thud in the catcher's glove
Sora gained his balance, as he looked at Coach Tatum in confusion, "Was that a splitter?"
Coach Tatum threw the ball back to Rei, as he took off his gear while talking to Sora, "No, but it's understandable why you would think that since a splitter and split-finger fastball is often confused for each other.
The splitter is a pitch that is thrown with a grip that splits the fingers, but the ball comes out of the hand as if it were a fastball.
The split-finger fastball, on the other hand, is thrown with a grip that splits the fingers much further apart, and the ball has more movement than the splitter.
The splitter on the other hand is a pitch that is often used by pitchers who want to get a lot of ground balls. It is a pitch that is thrown with a lot of downward movement, and it is difficult for batters to get underneath it.
The split-finger fastball is a pitch that is often used by pitchers who want to get a lot of swings and misses. It is a pitch that is thrown with a lot of movement, and it is difficult for batters to predict where it will end up.
Similar to his forkball, it could either break away or inward.
The one you swung horribly at was a split-finger fastball." Coach Tatum finished when he undid the catcher's gear and helped Sora into it.
"He has a lot of strikeout pitches," Sora admitted.
"Yes, he does." Coach Tatum answered as he finished helping Sora with the gear.
"Okay let's get Minho in there, he'll be the last one before we go to fielding then a race with Dawson if he still wants to." Coach Helios said as he looked at Rei.
Rei nodded as he fiddled with the ball waiting.
After a few seconds, Minho got in the Lefty batter's box.
Rei knew he had to bring his A-game if he wanted to strike Minho out.
With the ball in hand, he took a deep breath, and started his motion, with a flick of his wrist, he threw a forkball that broke away from Minho's view.
Minho stepped in aggressively, thinking he had the pitch figured out, but to his surprise, the ball moved in a way he didn't anticipate, even though he knew it was a forkball.
"Crack~"
Minho swung his bat aggressively, making contact with the ball, the sound of the aluminum bat cracking through the air.
The ball soared down the left field line, leaving everyone on the edge of their seats, but it ultimately went foul.
Rei let out a small smile, as he looked down at Minho once more.
Receiving a ball he took a small breath and started his motion.
The second pitch came in hot, a fastball to the left corner of the zone, but Minho was ready for it and hit it foul.
The third pitch was a split-finger fastball that dropped down and in, but once again, Minho hit it foul.
The fourth pitch was a slider that looked like a forkball, and although Minho managed to make contact, it sailed foul.
Rei didn't let up, and the fifth pitch was a forkball that dropped down and in, but Minho managed to hit it foul once again.
The sixth pitch was a split-finger change-up that fooled Minho, but he managed to get a piece of it and hit it foul.
The seventh pitch was a fastball that came in at 94 mph, but Minho hit it foul once again.
Rei's cold face didn't change, as his cold eyes slowly started devouring Minho.
The eighth pitch was a slider that looked like a fastball, but Minho managed to hit it foul.
The ninth pitch was a forkball that dropped down and away, but Minho managed to hit it foul yet again.
The tenth pitch was a split-finger fastball that came in hot, but Minho managed to hit it foul one more time.
The tension in the field was palpable as Rei prepared to throw his eleventh pitch. It was a fastball that came in at 94 mph and landed in the strike zone, but Minho made contact late, another foul.
Rei's eyes shined for a brief second as he prepared to throw his twelfth pitch.
He released a 94 mph fastball toward Minho's knees.
As Minho stood at the plate, he could feel his heart racing with adrenaline.
He watched as the Rei wound up, his body contorting in a way that seemed almost inhuman. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, the ball shot out of his hand toward Minho's knees.
It was coming in hot, almost as if it was alive.
Minho started his swing, but he was too late.
The ball flew past him with a fierce velocity.
The crack of the ball entering the catcher's mitt echoed through the field, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.
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