Without the penalty plaguing him any longer, Ken had returned to his previous form. He managed to clean up the tail end of Osaka's batting line up with ease, putting an end to the bottom of the 3rd innings.
Once again it was Yokohama's turn to bat, starting from Jun who had yet to have any impact on the game. Unfortunately for him, he was struck out in succession after being played with by Daichi.
A frustrated expression formed on his face as he was once again forced to retreat back to the dugout. He had never been this flustered before against a battery, it almost felt as if his mind was being read by the catcher.
"Batting 3rd, 3rd Base, Makoto"
Makoto approached the batters box with a determined expression. After Ken had hit a home run, he no longer received a ridiculing look from the opposing Captain, yet he still felt inferior.
'I'll get us another run on the board.' He though inwardly, gripping his bat tightly.
Yatsuo stared down the muscular teen and felt his heart begin to beat louder in his chest. The aura that the opposing captain gave off was something else, it made him second guess himself in that moment.
However, he saw Daichi's baby face hidden behind the catchers mask and felt all of his worries disappear. Their first year genius was enough to break through the mountain that stood before him.
He nodded briefly after receiving the lead, breaking into his pitching action a moment later.
Yatsuo's fast pitching motion was a big part of why he was so effective as a pitcher. When used in tandem with his high velocity pitches and variety, it gave the batter much less time to pick his pitches.
Not only this, it hindered the runners from stealing the next base, especially when they had Daichi's killer arm and reflexes to contend with.
Even Yusuke with his breakneck speed was not able to steal 3rd base in the 1st innings.
The ball cut through the air, moving towards the inside of the strike zone. Due to Makoto's large frame and position, he was not ready for such an inside ball.
Even if he swung from his current position, he would likely get jammed and send an easy one into the air.
Therefore he did the only thing he could, back up from the box.
PAH
"Ball"
"Nice vision Captain!"
A voice yelled out from the dugout, it was surprisingly Tatsuya, the one most likely to talk crap. Makoto was too focused to notice however, his attention squarely on Yatsuo.
"That stuff won't work on me." Makoto mumbled.
Daichi overheard his words and couldn't help but smile. He had thought that the big guy was so eager to hit that he might be baited into taking a bad swing, yet he was wrong this time.
'How about this one then?'
Yatsuo thew the next ball, this time a fastball. With the way it was carrying, it looked like it would sail over the strike zone, yet in the last moment it dropped, leaving Makoto blinking in confusion.
"Strike."
'Damn it.'
He was starting to get a little frustrated with the tactics of the opposition, however it's not like they had to let him hit a ball. In fact, it was in their best interest to strike him out of course.
'This next one is getting walloped.' He thought.
Daichi grinned before calling for the next pitch.
Yatsuo threw it once more, this time a cutter which broke late towards the outside.
Makoto didn't have time to properly adjust his swing, so he decided to sacrifice a little bit of power by extending his arms to chase it. As long as he got enough of the ball it should sail past the infield for at least a single.
DONG
The ball floated straight down the throat of the 1st base fielder who caught the ball for an easy out. He didn't even have to move his feet to catch the ball, causing Makoto's face to darken.
"Out."
He held onto the bat tightly, trying to gain his composure. Only after a few moments was he calm enough to head back to the dugout.
He walked past the coach with his head lowered, frustration evident in his features.
"Keep up the same energy. You'll get a hit soon." Coach Hanada said, his tone confident.
Makoto paused briefly, before heading down the set of stairs.
"Batting 4th, 1st base, Hiroki"
"Come on Hiroki! Hit a big one."
"Let's go!"
Cheers from the bench and the crowd intermixed after Hiroki stepped up to the plate. He also had a large conversion rate at Nationals, becoming one of the best batters in the tournament so far.
This was his 2nd at-bat in this match and he was determined to get a hit this time.
Daichi was a bit wary of Hiroki, but they currently had 2 outs. As long as they could keep him from hitting big, it wouldn't be a big loss if he got onto base.
With that mindset, Daichi sent the signal, calling for a curveball.
Yatsuo nodded and changed his grip stealthily inside of his glove. In the next moment he stepped forward and delivered the pitch, yet he grimaced as the ball left his hand.
Daichi watched the ball fly forwards, noticing the top spin on the ball. He tried to judge the speed and trajectory before setting his swing.
WHOOOSH
DONG
He managed to get underneath the dropping ball and sent it to the outfield, between the center and right fielders. Hiroki dropped his bat and quickly ran towards first base, rounding it and arriving onto 2nd before the ball could be thrown in.
"Nice hit Hiroki!
Both the crowd and Yokohama dugout cried out with cheers at the crafty hit into the outfield. Ken couldn't help but pump his fist slightly, happy that they'd managed to get a runner on base.
Daichi frowned, the ball that Yatsuo pitched was not the one he'd asked for. The curveball was not like his usual, it was lacking the speed and movement it was meant to have.