"Right!"
Both Masayuki and Aki shouted from their positions, calling for Ken to field the ball from his position. He quickly sprung into action, chasing down the ball which was headed his way.
For some reason, the ball seemed to be slowing down as it approached, increasing the distance he had to run in order to field it. If it was another runner, there would be no chance of him getting the ball to first in time.
However, Manuel was a big boy and thus running was not his strongest suit.
Ken ran with all of his might and dipped down low to grab the ball before scooping it up in one motion. He did well to keep his balance before sending an accurate throw to Hiroki who already had his glove out ready.
While the action might look easy from an outsiders perspective, picking up the ball in rhythm was quite difficult. Not only did it require outstanding balance and hand eye coordination, it also required a degree of flexibility.
If Ken's physical abilities had not been upgraded, without proper training, he would not be able to pull off such a feat easily.
Hiroki extended his arm as far as he could while still ensuring his back foot was on the base.
Pah
The ball entered the glove at almost the same time Manuel came stampeding past. Everyone on the field was focused on the umpire at first base, waiting for his decision.
"Safe!"
The umpire extended his hands and made the call, much to the disappointment of the Japanese team. In a lot of circumstances, runners were given the priority in the way of a tie, especially without the use of instant replay.
After overrunning the base, Manuel brought his large body to a stop and worked to catch his breath.
"Damn that was close." He muttered.
It wasn't often that he had to run with such urgency, particularly since he was such a big hitter. Thankfully things had gone his way this time.
"Don't mind, you reacted well." Masayuki came over and consoled Ken after the play.
"Thanks, I'm all good." Ken replied honestly.
He would have made it if the ball didn't begin to slow down before it reached him.
"Batting 4th, 2nd base, Jorge"
Unfortunately, the bigger threat was now getting into the batters box. If they were to get a home run now, their hard fought lead would be jeopardized.
Daichi felt a little disappointed that the runner had gotten onto base, but there was no point in thinking about it now. He needed to use all of his focus on the biggest threat on the Cuban team.
"Hmm, looks like you've got some tricks up your sleeve." Jorge said with a grin painted on his face. He hadn't expected his brother to hit such a poor shot, especially against Japan's battery.
Daichi ignored him, his mind going into overdrive.
The last ball was a two-seam fastball which broke at the very last moment. If it wasn't for Manuel's ridiculous hitting power, the ball should have been an easy grounder to one of the infielders for an out.
Since Jorge was even more dangerous than his brother, they needed to tread carefully.
Kei received his instructions from Daichi and nodded. He too wanted to make up for their last battle and send this guy back to the dugout.
He wound up before kicking his right leg and letting the ball fly. It was a 140km/h cutter which broke away from the left handed batter with pace.
WHOOOOSH
PAH
The sound of the bat swinging past the plate sent a sense of danger through Daichi's veins, yet the ball evaded the swing and entered his glove.
"Strike."
'Good, that was clean pitch.' Daichi thought as he sent the ball back, feeling his confidence rise slightly.
As long as he could keep this guy guessing, they should be able to hold him off.
He called for the next pitch, this time a slider. It took the same course as the cutter, yet sunk lower before reaching the plate.
WHOOOOSH
PAH
Once again, Jorge took a giant swing and missed, sending the dried dirt around the plate into the air. There was no doubt that if the bat had connected, that it would have been disastrous.
A hint of frustration crept into Jorge's face as he begun to get serious. He had underestimated both the catcher and pitcher after his spectacular home run in the first inning.
He gripped his bat tightly, no longer wearing the annoying grin on his face.
Manuel watched on from first base and couldn't help but let out a hollow chuckle. Seeing his brothers face, he knew that something good was about to happen.
"Hehe, you messed up." He muttered.
Daichi made the next call, a fastball just above the strike zone. As long as it was executed well, they could keep the dangerous Jorge at bay in this inning.
Kei nodded once more and sent a blitzing fastball down the lane, its trajectory spot on.
WHOOOOOSH
DOOONG
"Ah!"
The ball rocketed into the right outfield, it's height out of this world.
"Right deep!"
Masayuki yelled out, tracking the ball with his eyes.
Daichi felt his heart sink as he watched Ken run after the ball. The pitch was high enough that it should have restricted the strength Jorge could get to the ball, yet even so, he was able to hit it far into the outfield.
Jorge let out a harrumph before dropping his bat and beginning his confident jog around the bases.
"Hmph, better luck next time."
Ken ran with a sense of urgency as he tracked the ball in the air. The hit was similar to the home run he had robbed from South Korea just yesterday.
'I just need to do the same thing here.' He thought, feeling a sense of excitement.
Masayuki gulped, watching Ken as he approached the wall. He didn't feel the need to shout out a warning, since he'd seen the same scene yesterday.
Ken leaped into the air, planting his right foot on the wall and kicking up with all of his might.