Ichidai Third High School's private tryouts turned into a slaughter.
Due to the addition of experts like Manaka, Omae, and Takahiro, it became a one-sided, peculiar trial. The players originally participated hoping to impress Coach Tahara, hoping he would choose them. With the current result, they no longer held such extravagant hopes.
Although the situation changed significantly after Amahisa took the mound, and it was no longer easy for the first-years to score, the reverse was also true. For the tryout team, breaking through the first-years' defense to score was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Manaka Kaname was an extremely formidable Ace in middle school. Now that he had entered Ichidai Third, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. The middle schoolers felt immense pressure facing him. His pitches were sharp, and the angles were tricky. His low-angle Changeup was nearly impossible to guard against.
In the summer, he was already a rotational pitcher for Ichidai San. Dealing with a group of middle schoolers now was a piece of cake.
Even if the genius pitcher Amahisa could hold the score, the middle school team lacked the means to win. Amahisa couldn't completely suppress Ichidai San forever. Judging from the recent innings, the high schoolers still had a good chance to hit the ball and score.
In this context, the pressure on the middle school team was immense. The players still on the field were those with the most hope of being selected, but their situation was not optimistic. Based on their performance, they couldn't even justify it to themselves. If they were the coach, they wouldn't give a spot to guys playing like this.
Morale was rock bottom.
Zhang Han keenly noticed this. The gap between the two sides was too great. Trying to fool these players with passionate slogans was unrealistic. Firstly, no one would believe it. Secondly, Zhang Han would question the intelligence of anyone who did.
"Everyone, come here for a moment. Amahisa has already stopped the upperclassmen's offensive. Now it's time for our hitting lineup to show our strength."
At a moment like this, shouting empty cheers was useless.
The reason the middle school team was in such a sorry state wasn't entirely due to a lack of skill. Their strength couldn't compete with the first-years, but Zhang Han believed the gap wasn't as large as the score suggested. As long as everyone performed like Amahisa, the situation shouldn't be so passive.
The players were being bullied too badly. They were like headless flies, having lost their goal, not knowing what to do next. When Zhang Han stepped forward, they didn't wonder why he was giving orders. They just instinctively followed.
"Amahisa's pitching will definitely make the upperclassmen wary. Now is precisely when they are hesitant. Let's score a run first and tell these arrogant guys that we are not to be trifled with."
No words could be more pleasant to hear. It was time to let the players of Ichidai Third see that they weren't weak.
Those participating were excellent players, and excellent players were generally temperamental. When dealing with them, one had to be careful not to provoke their rebellious streak. According to Zhang Han's experience, these guys weren't that difficult. They were like donkeys that liked to be stroked. You just had to use the right method and not touch their fragile egos.
The first player to step up was the third batter, Amahisa.
The young man walked to the batter's box with particular swagger. He seemed ready to make a big impact.
Zhang Han, the fourth batter, started wiping his bat. The upcoming confrontation was crucial, allowing no room for carelessness.
In the corner of the baseball field, the Assistant Coach and Coach Tahara exchanged shocked glances. As seasoned veterans, they sensed the middle school team had undergone a change. Before, they were on the verge of collapse. Now, they had come to terms with the pressure. Was it merely because of Amahisa's pitching? A change in mindset wasn't that simple.
"Ping!"
"Pa!"
"Out!!"
Amahisa's stance was cool, and his swing was fluid. His out was also like that—quick and clean.
"Couldn't a genius like you see such an obvious bait pitch?"
When Amahisa walked back from the box, Zhang Han couldn't help but comment.
"This genius is a pitcher, not a gorilla. Scoring runs is your responsibility."
Amahisa showed no shame.
Zhang Han was left speechless. If he couldn't score, he was incompetent; if he scored, he was a gorilla? This guy really didn't leave any room for others to live.
Although annoyed with Amahisa, Zhang Han dared not be careless. This at-bat directly related to whether he could stay at Ichidai Third.
Zhang Han's goal was different from his companions. For them, staying at the school was the prize. For Zhang Han, getting a spot was easy; he could pass the entrance exam or use Ono Binchi's recommendation.
His purpose was to make the Coach and the admissions staff look at him differently. He needed to reduce his school selection fees.
So he had to be outstanding.
Originally, Zhang Han was confident, but now the difficulty had increased. His time was limited. He had to use these few chances to prove his worth.