"Strikeout"
"Strikeout"
"Strikeout! 3 outs, changeover!"
Ken had been worried for nothing. After receiving the pep talk from his father, Daichi was back to his old ways, conducting the pitches as if he were a maestro behind the scenes.
The three Cuban batters were struck out in succession, not even able to get a whiff of the ball.
"Pitcher change for Cuba. Antonio Parra will be replacing Gustavo Torez on the mound."
As the Cuban team walked onto the field, the announcer called the substitution. Gustavo who had given up 5 runs in the first inning was quickly replaced by another teen with long limbs.
Surprisingly, this pitcher was not someone that the coach's were familiar with.
"Antonio Parra? Do you know him?" Coach Takashi asked, his hand running through his beard in thought.
Chris shook his head, even with his resources he had not heard of such a player.
"Atsushi, keep your eyes peeled. If you see an opportunity, swing." Chris spoke a few words to Atsushi who was the designated hitter for Kei.
The guy nodded before placing his helmet on top of his perfect bowl cut.
"We'll be careful, don't worry~" Riku added on his way up the stairs.
"Batting 9th, DH, Atsushi."
After walking on the field, Atsushi watched as the new pitcher began his warm up throws. There was nothing out of the ordinary for a while, but as he entered his last few throws, something was very odd.
"Eh?"
Antonio lifted his leg and bent forward, dropping his right shoulder before whipping it out parallel to the ground. The ball flew from a low angle and made a crisp sound as it entered the glove of the catcher.
"Submarine pitcher?" Riku murmured, his face turning a little serious.
These type of pitchers were a nightmare, particularly for batters who used the same dominant arm. Since the ball started so low, it often needed to be thrown above the strike zone.
This meant every ball would sink to some degree. This in conjunction with the spin on the ball, caused many jams and unpredictable courses for the batter.
The style of pitching was rather rare, especially so in Japan. There were only a couple of players who had successfully pitched as a submariner, most notably "Mr. Submarine" Shun Tanaba.
Funnily enough, Shun also held the Japanese record for skipping stones, putting his pitching action to good use.
"Play ball!"
Atsushi stepped into the batters box, his expression mirroring his anxiety. He had never hit against this type of pitcher before, thus it was no surprise that he was worried.
The first pitch came at a tricky angle, causing him to freeze in place. He remembered the coach's advice to keep his eyes peeled, so he decided to let the ball go to the catcher.
PAH
"Strike"
Yet even after watching the ball carefully, he still had no idea what to expect next pitch.
PAH
"Strike"
Atsushi grit his teeth. After only 2 pitches he was already in trouble with 2 strikes. If he continued to monitor the pitches, he'd be sent back to the dugout without getting a chance to swing.
He gripped the bat tightly and narrowed his eyes. It was now or never.
Seeing his body tense up, Guillermo let out a grin.
The next ball came flying towards the strike zone, this time a little lower.
WHOOOSH
PAH
Atsushi's bat flew right over the top of the ball which hand sunk under the strike zone and into the catchers glove.
"Strikeout!"
"Heh, enjoy your lead while it lasts~" Guillermo said playfully. He seemed to be enjoying the flummoxed expression on Atsushi's face.
"Hmph." Atsushi couldn't understand what he said, but he could tell that it wasn't polite.
"Don't mind."
Riku gave his teammate a pat on the back as he walked past. He couldn't blame the guy for not being able to land a hit on the Submarine pitcher, especially after not facing them before.
"Batting 1st, Left outfield, Riku."
As the announcer called his name, Riku shifted his hips and ran on the spot for a moment, limbering up his muscles. Then without a word he stepped into the batters box, confidently placing his gaze onto the pitcher.
"Show me what ya got." He stated, sending a wink to the new pitcher.
Antonio blinked a few times, not expecting such a reception.
"Is this guy hitting on me?" He mumbled, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
After shaking off his discomfort, Antonio sent a glare back at Riku.
"Let's see your expression after you face my pitches." He spat out, gripping the ball tightly in his hand.
After sending a nod to his catcher, he wound up before whipping the ball out sideways. Not matter how many times one saw it, it was truly remarkable.
Riku's lips turned up into a grin before he placed his bat out with two hands.
"B-Bunt?"
He easily sent a push bunt towards 3rd base with the perfect amount of strength before taking off in a flash towards 1st.
Suddenly, his actions before stepping into the batters box made sense. It looked like he had planned on doing so from the start, likely knowing that he'd struggle to hit it otherwise.
Both Antonio and Manuel the 3rd base fielder rushed forward towards the ball. Due to Manuel's size, he was a bit slower to the mark.
The ball teetered on the foul line for a moment, looking like it was going to go out. Yet Antonio didn't wait, scooping up the ball and throwing it to 1st in one swift motion.
However, Riku was too fast. The guy stepped onto first base with nearly a full second to spare thanks to his fast legs.
"Safe!"
"Hehe." Riku couldn't help but let out a self-satisfied grin, turning his gaze to meet the next player up to bat. He stuck out a thumbs up towards Masayuki, his expression screaming "Praise me!"
This seemed to be their usual dynamic.