Damn it!
Shida Shota threw down his bat and rushed to First Base; he had chosen the right ball but still couldn't hit it well.
That guy's Fast Forkball had an unbelievably sharp drop in speed and range.
The third baseman caught the baseball and immediately threw it towards Shida Shota's running direction.
The baseball flew past his side and smacked into the first baseman's glove, and Shida Shota failed to get on base.
As he walked off the field, Shida Shota brushed past Kominato Ryosuke.
"Sorry, I couldn't probe much."
"It's alright, I'll hit it."
Kominato Ryosuke squinted his eyes and walked to the batter's box.
They were all vertical breaking balls.
Persistent? Simple-minded? Either way, it made choosing a pitch easier.
Soon, Kominato Ryosuke stepped into the batter's box.
Two pitches went by, and he didn't swing once.
On the third pitch, Kominato Ryosuke's mouth curved into a smile. He lowered his center of gravity and swung his bat, hitting the vertical Slider thrown by Suzuki Yu out of bounds.
Then came the fourth pitch… the fifth pitch… three consecutive foul balls that irritated Suzuki Yu.
What was wrong with this short, pink-haired guy? Was he doing it on purpose? Coincidence?
Even though he had Seido's batter data, Kominato Ryosuke hadn't played much before, so his style and habits were unclear.
Now, with three straight fouls, Suzuki Yu started doubting himself.
In contrast, Kominato Ryosuke began revealing a devilish smile. Tormenting his opponent's mentality brought him immense satisfaction.
It's time.
The next pitch, a vertically dropping Curveball, came flying in.
Kominato Ryosuke, whose feel for the bat had grown sharper, swung and sent the baseball between second and third.
The ball pierced through the infield defense and hit the ground, allowing Kominato Ryosuke to get safely to First Base.
He felt slightly regretful.
If he had swung with just a bit more power, he might've hit a long drive.
"That damn shorty!" Suzuki Yu cursed under his breath.
That pink-haired guy was messing with his mentality.
Calm down…
At home plate, the catcher signaled Suzuki Yu with his eyes. Suzuki Yu took a deep breath and looked toward his next opponent—
Seido's third batter, Yuuki Tetsuya.
He couldn't afford to be careless.
"Niceball!"
"Niceball!"
"Bang!"
He wasn't careless… but on the third pitch, Yuuki still made contact.
The landing spot wasn't good—an infield hit—but the power behind the ball remained.
The ball bounced sharply off the ground and shot past the third baseman, who failed to stop it.
Because Yuuki was batting, the outfield was positioned deeper, fearing a long hit.
No one filled in the gap, and the ball landed in no man's land.
Kominato and Yuuki advanced one base each before stopping.
"Senior Azuma! Blast it out!"
"Let's get one!"
As Azuma Kiyokuni stepped into the batter's box, cheers erupted from the stands.
Azuma turned his head with a sneer, locking eyes with Ishihi Yohei in Takasaki High's dugout.
"Ha!"
Azuma roared, his beast-like aura crashing toward Suzuki Yu on the mound.
With runners on first and second, as Seido's cleanup hitter, his mission wasn't merely to get on base—
It was to bring them home.
The opportunity was here. All that mattered was whether Azuma could seize it.
The catcher bit down on his lip.
Azuma Kiyokuni… a monstrous batter on the same level as their own captain, Ishihi Yohei.
In terms of raw numbers, Azuma was even above Ishihi.
This situation was bad—dangerously bad.
The catcher extended his palm downward.
Keep the ball low.
If Suzuki Yu left even a sliver of an opening, Azuma would swing without hesitation.
Suzuki Yu nodded.
First pitch—outside Fast Forkball.
Azuma sneered.
That weak pitch posed no threat. Slow, predictable.
He swung—
Bang!
He didn't hit it squarely, but his raw power launched it straight toward First Base—
Slap!
The first baseman snatched the ball directly out of the air.
Oh no.
The hearts of Seido fans dropped.
The ball flew to second—
Then to third—
Kominato Ryosuke and Yuuki were both forced out.
Plus Azuma…
Triple play.
Takasaki High executed a perfect triple kill.
The stadium exploded in shock.
A moment ago, Takasaki High had been in deep danger—
Now the entire inning flipped.
Azuma clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
Which god did that first baseman pray to this morning!?
"What a waste."
"Just lucky!"
"What do you know? Luck's part of strength."
"Nonsense. Baseball is strength. Luck doesn't last."
Whispers filled the stands.
Seido players walked off silently, especially Azuma, whose face was pitch black with frustration.
"Well… Senior, nothing we can do." Kanzaki Ryou said.
"Just wait. I'm smashing that guy next time!" Azuma growled.
Back in the dugout, Coach Kataoka said nothing.
This was pure luck. The players performed correctly.
Next came defense.
Nanjo Taishi went all out. One batter reached base, but he secured three outs quickly.
Bottom of the second—
Tanaka Wataru struck out.
Isashiki Jun hit a single.
Nanjo Taishi grounded out.
Araki Keita, after a 2–2 battle, fell for a bad pitch.
Third inning.
Still 0–0.
Both teams had chances early, but unexpected twists erased everything.
Top of the third—
Nanjo Taishi's pitching became sharper.
After retiring the ninth batter, he faced the leadoff—Kundi Galka.
No chances this time.
Nanjo Taishi struck him out cleanly.