At the Batter's Box, Kuramochi assumed a ready stance.
It looked as if he was determined to hit the incoming baseball no matter what.
To those familiar with him, his behavior was completely normal.
Kuramochi had two very obvious characteristics.
One was his jealous streak, and the other was his tendency to protect his own.
He often bullied his younger teammates, especially the ones younger than him. For example, he had the best relationship with Sawamura, but he also bullied him the most.
Of course, in Kuramochi's eyes, this wasn't bullying. He simply showed affection to his younger teammates in a more "unique" way, making them fully feel his care. However, this method was different from the norm, which made it a bit hard for others to handle.
On the other hand, if someone else bullied his younger teammates, Kuramochi would explode. His younger teammates were his responsibility, and only he could take care of them. No one else had the right to interfere.
Once his teammates were bullied, Kuramochi would be the first to step in and defend them.
When he was in middle school, he once got into serious trouble trying to defend his friends, almost ending his baseball career.
Going through such an event in life would cause a person to grow to some extent.
Logically speaking, Kuramochi should have changed a bit as a result.
But he hadn't, and in fact, he never had.
According to Kuramochi's life logic, was he supposed to give up making friends just because he was hurt once in the process?
Of course not.
If you let that stop you, you're only harming yourself.
At most, he would simply remember the lesson in the future and be more cautious when making friends.
Kuramochi did well in this regard. He was cautious when making friends with his teammates in the Seidou High baseball team, and while many players had a good relationship with him, only a few of them truly became friends.
Although Furuya wasn't among these few, he was still one of Seidou's players—he was a pitcher of the team and Kuramochi's junior.
For both personal and professional reasons, Kuramochi felt it was necessary to step up for Furuya.
On one hand, as Furuya's senior, it was his duty. On the other hand, he considered the team's interests and thought that it was necessary to fight back and score.
Losing points in the first inning wasn't a big deal.
Everyone makes mistakes; it's common in baseball.
But being behind in the first inning was different.
It meant that Seidou High had started off on the wrong foot.
If the opponent scored and Seidou didn't, it would mean a bigger problem.
It wasn't just about the first inning—it could change the momentum of the whole game.
It wasn't a big deal if the pitcher gave up some runs, but the most important thing was to catch up with the score quickly.
Considering this, Kuramochi was acting so eagerly.
He couldn't wait to hit the ball.
"Looks like the other side is starting to get anxious!"
In the Yura Sougou bench, Coach Sakaki murmured.
Although they had only scored two runs under such favorable conditions in the first inning, he couldn't help but feel somewhat unsatisfied.
However, in terms of the game's flow, it was almost exactly as they had practiced.
If the game continued like this, the chance for Yura Sougou to make a comeback against Seidou's team was still possible.
At the very least, they had the opportunity.
With an opportunity, they had to seize it!
"You know what to do now, right, Higashiyama?"
Coach Sakaki fixed his gaze on his ace pitcher.
There weren't many players in his team that Coach Sakaki was proud of.
Senda was one of them, and Higashiyama was another.
On the surface, Higashiyama didn't have the strongest overall pitching ability.
But if his special traits fully exploded, his skill would definitely rival that of top-tier pitchers.
"Now is your time to shine, Higashiyama!"
Coach Sakaki's eyes were full of expectation as he looked at his student.
On the pitcher's mound, Higashiyama felt the intense attention of the crowd, and he was intoxicated by the glory of the moment.
Every pitcher, at least every good pitcher, has an inherent desire to show off.
They like to be the center of attention, to enjoy the feeling of all eyes on them.
Without this trait, it's hard to perform well as a pitcher.
In this regard, Higashiyama was born to be a pitcher.
He loved the feeling and believed that he could pitch his best under such a spotlight.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Higashiyama took his stance and threw the ball.
His pitching speed was quick—at least two levels faster than the average high school pitcher.
Kuramochi, who was ready to swing, hesitated when he saw the fastball.
He didn't swing.
He just watched the small baseball fly past him.
Snap!
"STRIKE!"
The pitcher scored a strike.
The result of the confrontation greatly excited the Yura Sougou players.
Their eyes almost seemed to glow.
Higashiyama was in good form, which gave them more hope for the game.
"That was a great pitch!!"
"Keep it up!!"
"One Strike!"
Whenever a player performs well, their teammates immediately encourage and support them.
This, in turn, boosts the team's cohesion and keeps everyone tightly united.
Yura Sougou's approach made Sawamura, watching from the bench, break out in goosebumps.
Although the game had just started, Yura Sougou's performance left a very special impression on him.
Back when he first formed the Akagi Middle School baseball team, the team had nothing—they were at rock bottom.
Sawamura used this very method to build team cohesion.
They cheered each other on for every pitch, praised every good performance, and tolerated and encouraged each other for mistakes...
In high school, since everyone was already so talented, he didn't need to do as much of this.
But now, he saw it again from an opposing team.
Sawamura's gaze shifted to Coach Sakaki.
The figure of Coach Sakaki seemed to grow larger in his eyes.
'One had to admit, this Coach was truly remarkable.'
Not only did he teach his players the techniques, but in other aspects, he had reached the pinnacle.
A high school baseball Coach of this level was rare to find anywhere in the country.
No wonder he had become a revered Coach for Seidou High before.
Coach Sakaki and Yura Sougou's performance had given Seidou and Sawamura a big wake-up call.
It made them realize that their opponent wasn't as easy to defeat as they had originally thought.
The more this was the case, the more Seidou couldn't afford to relax in this inning.
Many were pinning their hopes on Kuramochi, hoping he could show something soon.
Kuramochi was aware of this.
After seeing Higashiyama's first pitch, he made a quick decision.
He changed to a bunt!
With no outs and no one on base, Kuramochi, the leadoff batter, suddenly assumed a bunt position.
No need to say more—this kind of determination alone was enough to intimidate.
This was a surprising move, both for Higashiyama and the other members of the Yura Sougou team.
They had expected that the Seidou High School baseball team players would take action.
But they never anticipated that the opposing team's move would be so decisive, so quickly executed.
It caught them completely off guard.
In the dugout, Coach Sakaki's gaze darkened slightly.
At this moment, Kuramochi's decision to bunt was truly unexpected...
It's important to note that just because Kuramochi adopted a bunt stance doesn't necessarily mean he will bunt. He could be bluffing, intending to go for a regular hit instead.
Of course, there is still the possibility that he would actually go for a bunt.
After all, considering Kuramochi's speed, if they didn't adjust their infielders, it would be hard to stop him from getting on base.
"That was quick! He's in trouble already!"
While not an insurmountable situation, being put in a bind so quickly made it uncomfortable.
Coach Sakaki immediately gave a signal to the players on the field.
The more aggressively the opponent attacks, the more composed their own players need to be.
This is how they can control the situation with calmness.
If they let the opponent's chaotic play dictate their actions, they would end up being led into their rhythm without even realizing it.
It would be like helping someone sell you out.
That would be foolish!
After receiving the signal, Higashiyama directed his teammates to shift their positioning forward. However, their adjustment wasn't large, clearly preparing for multiple possibilities.
Kuramochi, seeing the opponent's move, was momentarily stunned. Then, he smiled widely.
'It seems they had considered everything.'
Before the game, Yura Sougou had certainly prepared extensively, considering all the possible situations. That's why, as soon as Seidou made a move, they could act immediately.
Kuramochi couldn't help but admire the opponent for their meticulous preparation.
Coach Sakaki truly lived up to his reputation as the father of the Seidou system. Not only did he thoroughly understand Seidou High's system, but he also implemented it flawlessly.
Even someone like Kuramochi, who wasn't deeply involved in the nuances of baseball, could tell just how remarkable Sakaki's strategic thinking was.
When it came to tactics, the opponents had already reached the peak level.
Even with Seidou's sophisticated system, it would be extremely difficult to overcome such an opponent.
But…
In baseball, what truly decides the outcome, aside from tactics, is something even more important.
'That is, the people!'
No matter how clever the tactics are, they still need to be executed by the players.
While Yura Sougou's strategy was exceptional, considering all scenarios and seemingly setting up a perfect trap for Seidou's players, it was all just theory.
In reality, there are no invincible tactics in baseball.
What truly matters is the execution by the players!
With this thought, Kuramochi tightened his grip on the bat.
His eyes locked firmly on Higashiyama, the pitcher.
From the moment Higashiyama began his wind-up all the way to the high leg kick and delivery...
Here it comes!
As the pitch flew, the small baseball zoomed toward him faster than he had anticipated.
Kuramochi, who had initially adopted a bunt stance, quickly pulled back his bat.
The Yura Sougou players had expected this.
As Kuramochi's reputation grew, he rarely relied on the bunt-and-steal strategy anymore. Opponents were now always on high alert, making it very difficult for him to pull off a successful steal.
Few people are stubborn enough to keep hitting the same wall. Kuramochi knew when to change his approach. Once he realized the previous path was blocked, he immediately adjusted.
So, this time, he pulled back his bat.
Yura Sougou's players weren't surprised; in fact, this outcome was almost expected.
The key was Kuramochi's hitting ability!
Kuramochi then pushed the bat forward again.
Ping!
As he took a swing, his bunt occupied a favorable position in the strike zone, limiting the pitcher's options and restricting his pitch.
In a way, he forced the pitcher to throw within a constrained range.
Once Kuramochi retracted the bat and took his full swing, all he had to do was focus on hitting that exact spot.
The ball was struck and flew off.
The baseball sailed over the third baseman's head, soaring high into the air.
The Yura Sougou third baseman leaped, trying to make a play.
But unfortunately, the ball was hit too high. Even if he stretched his body out fully, he couldn't intercept it.
He only grazed it slightly, and the ball ricocheted off his mitt and flew even further.
The third baseman's attempt didn't matter, but it set up the shortstop for a difficult situation.
The Yura Sougou shortstop struggled to get to the spot where the ball was coming down, and just as he arrived, he saw the ball bounce off the third baseman's mitt and pass over his head, falling behind him.
It was like walking into a situation where everything goes wrong at once.
The Yura Sougou players felt that way at this moment.
Incredibly, that ball got away!
Kuramochi smoothly made his way to first base.
No Outs, runner on first.
This wasn't good news for Yura Sougou's players.
Given their level, stopping Kuramochi was nearly impossible.
Although they hadn't faced him directly, they had studied his stolen base times through video analysis.
How fast is Kuramochi at stealing bases?
From first to second, he could cover the distance in under 3.8 seconds.
How fast is Yura Sougou's battery pickoff attempt?
It takes longer than four seconds.
There's almost no chance of a mistake when running the bases.
Pickoff's attempts, however, are a different story. There's a high chance of mistakes.
The pitcher throws, the catcher receives, and the pickoff throw is over 30 meters.
Any one of these steps could go wrong.
Even if everything goes smoothly, in a simple race against time, they can't beat Kuramochi!
The gap is as wide as the difference between heaven and earth.
Stolen base!
Bunt walk!
Hit and run!!!
With a series of plays, Kuramochi successfully made it back to home plate, securing an incredibly important run for Seidou High.
The score was now 2:1!
Although this single point didn't completely change the game, it did reduce Yura Sougou's momentum to some extent.
They weren't the underdog, and they had no right to challenge Seidou.
Even if they managed to take one or two runs from Seidou, it wouldn't have any significant impact on the overall outcome.
It's harsh, but that's the reality.
...
T/N: Feel free to leave a Comment guys!
And Powerstones are much much welcomed!