"Clang!"
What a beautiful and moving melody it is for a Baseball batter.
If you were to ask what the most exciting moment for a batter is, then a walk-off Home Run should be the most thrilling and blissful moment, right?
As Aj's first appearance in a formal regular game, he should undoubtedly be extremely excited at this moment, because he hit his first career hit, and also his first Home Run!
But his heart was very calm, as if he wasn't the one who made that hit.
The moment the bat and the Baseball collided, Aj no longer thought about whether he could hit it, or whether he could live up to others' expectations.
He simply, as a batter, fulfilled his duty!
So, the ball flew!
It seemed to fly towards the distant sky!
"Whoosh!" The white dot gradually moved away, eventually crossing the boundary and disappearing into the woods behind the stadium.
"It…it…it's out!"
"Home Run!"
The spectators outside the field immediately burst into an uproar. The second and third-year students, including the main players of the first string, all had disbelieving expressions. Isashiki Jun's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.
Even Yuuki Tetsuya, the stable-as-a-mountain captain and fourth batter, showed a slight change in expression.
Three RBIs!
Aj raised his right arm high, as if proclaiming something, but his expression was very calm!
"Oh oh oh oh oh!!!!" All the first-year students roared like mad!
"This kid actually did it!" Miyuki Kazuya showed a shocked expression and muttered to himself. He originally thought he had a high opinion of this kid, but he didn't expect that he had still underestimated Aj.
Home Run? The length and width of a high school Baseball field also have strict regulations; it's not like the child's play of junior high. This is because some excellent players go directly into professional Baseball after graduating from high school!
The shortest distance on a high school Baseball field is nearly one hundred meters, and the Home Run wall in center field, not to mention, is as high as 120 meters! Even if the Home Run hit by Aj was not the longest one.
However, in high school, only a few players can hit a Home Run! Plus, this is a first-year rookie against second and third-year veterans, and this first-year is a guy who has never participated in a regular game before!
It shows how terrifying Aj's hit was!
Kawakami on the pitcher's mound tremblingly pulled down the brim of his cap. Whether it's a formal game or a Red and White Battle, for a Pitcher, a Home Run is an unspeakable pain!
Pitchers who give up a Home Run can sometimes have their mentality instantly collapse at that moment, leading to a series of subsequent performance breakdowns.
Keisuke Miyauchi also sighed slightly. Kawakami's pitch just now was already quite good. If he had to say, it was that the angle of the inside pitch wasn't inside enough.
But even so, that first-year kid could still hit a single? And not just a single, but a Home Run! Even though Keisuke Miyauchi had a vague feeling that this inning might give up runs, after all, it was a situation with runners on first and Third Base. A sacrifice fly, or a bunt to force a run, were all possible tactics.
But what he never expected was a direct clear-the-bases hit! A three-run Home Run!
He still underestimated this kid, Keisuke Miyauchi glanced at Aj, who was running the bases, and sighed inwardly.
"Nice job, Aj-kun!" When Aj ran back to Home Base, Kominato Haruichi patted Aj's shoulder with a flushed face and said with a smile. Oh, Kominato wasn't blushing out of shyness or anything; his face just got rosy from pure excitement. Well, that's Kominato Haruichi; Aj knew him well.
"Ah ah ah!! You actually hit a Home Run!" Sawamura Eijun's loud shouts came from the side. Aj smiled slightly, his expression seemingly very calm, but deep down, he felt an unusual sense of satisfaction and relief. He hadn't disappointed them, had he?
Aj was already used to Sawamura's personality and his simple demeanor.
"Now! The main event is next! Everyone! The Pitcher is already rattled!" Aj clapped his hands, gathered the first-year students, and said loudly!
"Yes!" After Aj hit the Home Run, the first-years' enthusiasm soared to the extreme! At this moment, Aj truly was like the captain and leader of this team!
Looking at the enthusiastic first-year students, all the second and third-year students gritted their teeth, looking very displeased!
"This should be the reason why Coach Kataoka values Aj." Rei Takashima thought thoughtfully in the coach's office. At first, Rei Takashima only felt that although this young man, Aj, had some commendable aspects in his performance among the first-years, he shouldn't be at a level where he could join the first string now.
Not to mention Aj, even Furuya Satoru wouldn't have been exceptionally promoted to the first string if Seido didn't lack a decisive Ace Pitcher like Inashiro's Narumiya Mei.
So why did Aj also get this qualification?
At this moment, Rei Takashima understood. It was because of Aj's unique characteristics combined with his performance, these two factors together, that Coach Kataoka also exceptionally allowed Aj to join the first string.
"Spirit and ability, neither can be lacking, right?" Rei Takashima showed a meaningful smile on her face and said lightly.
"Eh? What does that mean?" Manager Ota, who was beside her, said, somewhat confused.
"He might become the captain of Seido High School Baseball Club in the future," Rei Takashima said with a faint smile, pointing at Aj.
"Eh?" Ota showed an incredible expression, "This is just one Red and White Battle, isn't it?"
Rei Takashima shook her head slightly and didn't say much more. Indeed, it was just a Red and White Battle, but from such a Red and White Battle, many things could be seen!
"Clang!"
Another ball was hit. Kawakami quickly turned his head to look. When he saw the Left Field catch the ball, Kawakami visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Three outs! Change of sides!" When Coach Kataoka's voice sounded, the second and third-year students on the field finally relaxed. Especially Kawakami on the pitcher's mound, the pressure he bore was too great, just like in a formal game.
Even after getting three runs from that Home Run, the first-years didn't score another run, but that sense of urgency was what was most oppressive. After Aj's Home Run, the first batter, taking advantage of the Pitcher and catcher still adjusting, unexpectedly got on base with a safe bunt!
Then, using a sacrifice bunt, they advanced the runners. Under Aj's command, with two outs, the runners had advanced to Third Base!
Just one more hit, even an infield single, and they could add more runs. Fortunately, there were no other performers like Aj or Kominato Haruichi among the remaining first-years.
This allowed the second and third-year students to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
But after the top of the sixth inning ended, the glaring "3" on the scoreboard still made the second and third-year Senpai feel very sore in their eyes!