"What a pity!"
"Hmm, but this first-year's performance is already quite good! To be able to make Tanba and Miyauchi pitch this well!"
"Yeah, overall, he's a promising talent worth cultivating."
"That depends on how Coach Kataoka sees it!"
The spectators outside the field were discussing animatedly. Personally, those people really hoped to see Aj hit a base hit, but they also knew that the possibility wasn't high. Even though Tanba wasn't considered a famous Pitcher in Japan, or rather, in Tokyo, he was still a Pitcher who had undergone two years of high school Baseball training after all!
He was Seido High School's Ace, and it was certainly not a base hit that a mere first-year student could easily hit.
"Safe!"
"Bang!"
After Aj was out, it was the bottom of the third inning, the main offensive ground for the upperclassmen. Just like a repeat of the first two innings, even with a different Pitcher for the first-years, they were still heavily suppressed. Aj really wanted to do his part, but what could he do in the outfield?
Those upperclassmen knew that his catching was the most stable among the first-years, so there was a one hundred percent chance they wouldn't hit the ball in his direction.
As for becoming a Pitcher or catcher? Don't even mention that the rhythm of substitutions was controlled by Coach Kataoka. Even if Coach Kataoka agreed, Aj had the will but not the strength. Asking him to be a Pitcher or catcher was a joke...
Unlike other defensive positions, the Pitcher and catcher establish the team's first line of defense. The requirements for these two positions are completely different from other defensive positions; specifically, they have more stringent requirements, or rather, talent requirements!
Not everyone can squat in the batter's box, and not everyone can step onto the pitcher's mound to pitch!
Helplessly, he could only watch from Left Field as base hit after base hit came. It might even be because of Aj's performance in the top of the inning that the second and third-years' tempers flared up completely. Kusunoki Fumiya, a third-year, actually hit a Home Run with the bases loaded!
That guy, who Aj had previously thought was just Seido's representative of good looks, could actually hit a Home Run?
Well, it just goes to show that Aj was still too naive. Anyone who could be a member of the first team at Seido, even a first-team substitute, was not to be underestimated. Besides, well, the first-year Pitcher's pitches were really too soft and powerless...
senpai Kusuki's four RBIs!
Which, on top of the two runs already given up, directly put a clear "Seven" on the scoreboard in this inning, and it was still with no outs!
In just three innings, the score difference reached fourteen runs! Five runs in the opening, and in the second inning, due to Aj's catch, there were fewer base hits, but they still gave up two runs!
And this inning? It was directly the sum of the first two innings! Seven runs given up with no outs!
The Pitcher on the pitcher's mound, whose name Aj didn't know, stared blankly at the upperclassmen running the bases, his face pale. Even Aj in the outfield could see the Pitcher's body on the pitcher's mound trembling slightly!
Aj shook his head and sighed helplessly. What could he do at this moment? The only thing he could do was to do his part. He even expanded his defensive range, encompassing a portion of the center fielder's defensive area, just to try and reduce the opportunities for long hits for these bloodthirsty upperclassmen, because if it was just an infield hit...
No matter what, getting an out was relatively simple, and the chance of a lucky catch was also higher...
But upperclassmen are upperclassmen, and it was also because the first-year Pitcher's skill level was too low. After seeing Aj expand his defensive range, those second and third-year upperclassmen more consciously hit the ball towards Right field...
This made Aj very helpless. With things like this, what else could he do...
Immediately after, the second and third-year upperclassmen quickly seized the opportunity of the Pitcher's wavering, expanding their chances. In an instant, there were runners on First Base and Second Base again! And still no outs!
The batting order had already gone through a full cycle, wasn't it? In one inning, the batting order had gone through a full cycle without any outs. This wasn't what the original story said, hey! Aj stared dumbfounded at the situation on the field...
This situation was too unexpected for Aj, but his memories from his previous life seemed to have undergone a fundamental shift in the third inning. Gradually, this game seemed to be becoming somewhat different...
But this wasn't over yet!
When the next batter hit a long ball, Aj realized that the upperclassmen had no intention of holding back, and they were even more relentless, because the ball was flying towards Left Field...
An extremely swift penetration, a tricky angle. Even though Aj had determined the ball's landing spot was Left Field the moment it flew out, the speed was too fast. Aj didn't even have time to react before it landed near the Left Field line...
The runner on Second Base quickly returned to Home Base!
The eighth run!
And, no outs, runners on Second Base and Third Base!
Third-year, Masuko Toru stood on Second Base, glancing at Aj in Left Field with an extremely calm but purposeful gaze. Aj gritted his teeth, knowing this was a deterrence against him!
Don't think your catching ability is really that good, and that the second and third-years wouldn't dare to hit the ball to Left Field!
This was Masuko Toru's answer! Old students are not to be underestimated by you!
Coach Kataoka looked at the situation on the field and shook his head. These first-year students, almost none of them had the corresponding spirit.
"Alright, player change!"
"Sawamura Eijun, you...."
"Yosh! Finally, it's my chance to shine!" Sawamura, upon hearing Coach Kataoka call his name, quickly jumped up, grabbed his glove, and happily ran towards the pitcher's mound!
"Hmph, where are you going!" Coach Kataoka's cold words rang out, and his piercing gaze made Sawamura's breathing momentarily stall, a look of embarrassment appearing on his face...
"Eh? Aren't I going to the pitcher's mound?"
"Go play Right field!" Coach Kataoka's voice was still cold and eerie, leaving Sawamura with a completely bewildered expression. After moving his lips, he could only grudgingly walk towards the outfield....
Aj shook his head. Sure enough, it was still this plot. Sawamura playing outfield? Oh my god, the score difference in this inning is going to continue to widen. It seems that double digits won't be stopped...
Immediately after, Coach Kataoka's voice rang out. "Eh? Furuya is on?" Aj was slightly startled. This, the script seems to be a bit different, doesn't it? It seems Furuya was supposed to come on in the fourth or fifth inning?
However, Aj glanced at the field. Well, the script was already different. Originally, it seemed that not so many runs were scored in the third inning...
Aj watched from afar as the tall, thin, and indifferent-looking Furuya Satoru walked out of the dugout and headed towards the pitcher's mound, while the replaced first-year Pitcher seemed to let out a sigh of relief, collapsing the moment he returned to the dugout.
Furuya Satoru! Sawamura Eijun!
One generation, two Aces, in the end, who will be the true Ace!