ALL NOVEL Chapter 51: <51> Rebirth – Practice Match (3)
Chapter 51: Rebirth – Practice Match (3)
"Don't underestimate us—how dare you attempt to steal home?"
Crack!
Aoki's swing left everyone stunned as he threw down his bat and took off at full speed.
"It's not a steal of home… is it a hit-and-run?" Due to the earlier attempt to steal, the pitcher had no choice but to throw an inside pitch to Aoki, a left-handed batter.
Aoki, anticipating this, scooped the ball and sent it flying into center field.
Usually, a high fly ball on a hit-and-run play is meaningless, giving the illusion that this strategy isn't viable.
But Akagi Junior High School only knows basic baseball tactics, so they didn't have such a misconception.
With both the infield and outfield drawn in, the empty space in the outfield let this "useless" strategy work effectively.
Even on a middle school field, where the outfield is smaller, not everyone can run back fast enough to catch a ball before it hits the ground.
"Outfield, back up!" yelled the catcher, hoping Aoki wouldn't make it to third base.
"It's down!" The Akagi Junior High School bench erupted with cheers.
"Safe!"
"Yes! First score!" the bench shouted.
Not only that, but the opposing outfielder, in his nervousness, committed an error with the throw!
"Safe!"
"Aoki took advantage of their mistake and reached third base!"
"Interesting play, that Aoki guy!" Sendo couldn't help but admire Aoki's inspired move. He recalled the stiff, bespectacled guy from a few months ago, who now looked like a completely different player.
Everyone cheered for Aoki, who stood at third with his right arm raised, even Coach Takei applauding his effort.
Baseball is a complex sport. Just memorizing all the signals could take a year or two.
But it's this complexity that gives rise to these eye-catching plays, even if they can't be used as a regular strategy in higher-level games. That's part of baseball's charm.
"Don't worry about it. Just change your mindset! It's plays like these that make baseball fun! Enjoy the game!" Coach Takei said at the right moment. If he had simply tried to comfort them, it might not have had the same effect. But this line from him had the desired impact.
The team relaxed, viewing the game as a fun experience, where winning or losing didn't matter as much. With this mindset, the Seiwa players regained their rhythm.
"Not bad! Although we were hoping for a few more runs, the situation hasn't changed. Let's keep distracting them with our style of baseball!" Sendo said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
The brief relief the opponents felt had turned into tension again, as the small-ball tactics were undeniably annoying.
"Stay alert, everyone! We're facing the heart of their lineup now!" Seiwa's catcher shouted to rally his team as the game resumed.
"Yeah!"
"Hahaha! Nice run, Ohno! Now, let me get my turn!" Sawamura yelled from the on-deck circle, his voice carrying over 100 meters.
"The runner's already on third, so let's focus on the batter. But be cautious—this is their core hitter."
"Lead! Lead! Lead!" That irritating chant echoed again as they discussed the signals.
First pitch.
Thud!
"Ball!"
"No swing yet? There's no sign of a bunt, so let's go here!"
Second pitch.
"Strike!"
A swing and a miss!
The second pitch was an inside fastball, not too fast or particularly precise.
"Even though it's frustrating, we're not skilled enough to ignore any strategy, no matter how annoying it is. We'll use whatever it takes."
Third pitch.
Whoosh!
"A fastball? But from this angle, it must be outside!" Kondou thought to himself, eyeing the pitch.
Thud!
"Strike!"
"A curve? Is this a breaking ball? A pitch that curves—was that a slider? It's the first time I've seen a breaking ball in person!" Although Kondou hadn't seen the pitcher's slider before, he'd watched enough videos to recognize the slider's trajectory.
Kondou glanced over at the bench, and even Sendo seemed to be seeing a breaking ball for the first time.
"This must be a slider! How could anyone hit a pitch they've never seen before? Next up is that idiot!"
"Even if Kondou forces a score, that fool's weakness will be exposed. It would be better to let Kondou hit."
"That way, when Eijun comes up, he could lay down a bunt to force a score, making it hard for the other team to tell what's real and what's not."
"Since he's the cleanup hitter, the fourth in the lineup, the opponent should be cautious. Kondou's earlier swing, even though he missed, was enough to show he's a capable hitter. They shouldn't relax around the team's strongest batter. If we can keep up this misdirection for another round, it'll be worth it."
"Go ahead and swing, Kondou! Don't fear the strikeout! Focus on the fastball and don't go for bad pitches!" With that, Sendo signaled from the bench.
In reality, the only message Kondou received was to swing, aim for the fastball. Avoiding bad pitches was a rule they'd already established—an ironclad policy unless necessary.
"Got it!" Kondou touched his cap and readied himself.
Fourth pitch—
"Here it comes!"
Thud!
"Ball!"
It was an inside pitch that missed the zone!
"No swing? As expected, this team is good at judging balls and strikes. Morishita's control isn't that precise."
"Kondou, aim for the outside corner if the next one's a strike," Sendo directed from the sidelines.
"That'll make it hard for the batter to swing! Here!"
Fifth pitch—
The catcher's glove was positioned at the outside corner!
Thud!
"Strike! Batter out!"
Another outside slider.
"Heh! Eijun!" Sendo called Sawamura over after seeing Kondou strike out.
"What now? Just watch—I'm gonna send this one flying!" Sawamura grumbled as he walked over.
"Hey, listen up! Don't swing until you've got two strikes! And when you get to three balls, give me a perfect bunt down the first baseline. They won't be ready, and you might even make it to base."
"What? Ugh...!"
Sendo quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Idiot, don't yell it out! What if they hear us? We're trying to throw them off—confuse them to create opportunities for your teammates."
"Hmph! Next time, I'm going for a hit!" Sawamura said as he strode to the batter's box.
Having been with Sawamura for so long, Sendo knew him well.
He wasn't truly clueless; he just didn't want to admit his weaknesses.
In both the present and the past—whether in the games Sendo remembered or the storyline he had forgotten—Sawamura always put on a brave face.
Just like that first time facing Yakushi, when he swung and missed three fastballs, calling them cutters. He knew deep down his batting was poor, but he never wanted to admit it.
"Sometimes, I just can't understand you, Eijun!"
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