Riku who had been focused on running this entire time did not see the play in the outfield. Yet his quick reflexes allowed him to react to the audible call of Masayuki on first base.
He promptly put on the brakes, kicking up dirt and debris a few feet away from 3rd base.
"Tch, how annoying." Riku said, before backpedaling.
What should have been an easy run was stopped in its tracks by the giant outfielder. Not only did Riku not convert the run, Masayuki was forced to stop at 1st base.
"This might be tricky…" Ken stated, crossing his arms.
However, it wasn't like they weren't expecting this situation, especially after the in-depth film session yesterday. With the giant Jeb in the outfield and the small Nikko dictating the infield, this was the backbone of Australia's defense.
"Batting 3rd, 1st base, Hiroki."
"Hit a big one Hiroki!"
The Japanese dugout shouted, pumping up the Greek God. They were in a great position to draw first blood and get some runs on the board early.
Hiroki gripped his bat tightly, getting ready for the first pitch. For some reason he didn't feel any nerves, only the drive to hit the ball and convert for his team.
PAH
"Strike"
The first ball flew into the glove of the catcher, a slider. Hiroki was patient as he kept an eye on it, as if burning it into his mind. This was something that he'd improved at tremendously while on the team.
This was a result of being amongst top tier players. It wasn't just him either, this World Cup campaign had served to improve everyone in the team.
PAH
"Ball."
Another pitch came flying past, this time a fastball on the inside. Yet Hiroki didn't even flinch, allowing it to pass with a sense of indifference. It was as if he knew the result before the ball even left the pitcher's hand.
His cool head seemed to frustrate the Australian catcher a little. There was nothing more annoying than a batter who wasn't reactive in the batters box.
'I better not waste anymore pitches.' He thought.
He called for a tricky ball on the inside, with a similar course as the previous pitch, hoping to get an easy strike. When the count was at 2 strikes, it was more likely for the batter to do something rash.
However…
WHOOOOSH
DOOONG
The sound of the metal bat reverberated through the arena, followed by a cheer from the crowd. They watched the ball sail into the air and into the center outfield.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the giant Jeb who had stopped the previous ball with relative ease. He was like the last line of defense who could pull his team out of the fire.
Once again, the big guy planted his feet and leaped upwards, using his long limbs to reach into the sky. The whole arena was silent as they witnessed the sight, holding their breath for the final outcome.
'Please go over!' Ken prayed inwardly.
Yet the Australian team were not as fortunate this time.
The ball sailed over the outstretched glove of Jeb and it didn't appear to be close. It continued on its way and sailed over the wall for a home run.
"Y-YEAH!"
After a tense moment, the Japanese team broke out into cheers. They'd successfully drawn first blood in the very first inning with a 3-run home run, taking a commanding lead.
Hiroki slowed his running pace down after seeing the ball clear both the giant and the back wall. He let out a sigh of relief before a grin crept onto his face.
Both Riku and Masayuki were waiting for him at home plate as he made his way around the bases.
"Nice hit!"
The two bombarded him with high fives and back slaps. Even the Captain was all full of smiles and praises as they returned to the dugout.
Daichi was up to bat next. After Hiroki's home run, it put significantly less pressure on the rest of the team, though that didn't mean he would hold back at all.
In fact, on his very first ball…
DOOOONG
Nikko's shoulders drooped as he watched the monster hit easily clear the back wall and enter the stands. His short frame looked even smaller as he felt despair begin to creep into him.
Even though it was only the first inning, they were already down 4 runs with no outs. He hadn't felt this constricted since their game against the United States in the group stages.
He was forced to watch Daichi leisurely jog around the bases on his way back to home plate, yet there was nothing that he could do. His teammates also seemed to be losing hope, faced with such a good team.
"Oi! Raise your heads, it ain't over yet." He shouted.
They were at a crossroads in that moment and needed someone to pull them out of their spiraling decline of morale.
Ken watched on as the small guy shouted animatedly. At first there was no reaction, but it wasn't long before his words began to take an effect. It was clear that his voice had a lot of pull in the team.
Yet this had nothing to do with Ken.
"Nice hit bro." Ken said with a grin, sending Daichi some knuckles on the way past.
"Hehe thanks. You gonna go for broke?" He replied in question.
"Of course, let's end this early. I've still got some homework to complete."
"Haha bet."
"Batting 5th, Right outfield, Ken."
As Ken stepped into the batters box, he could see that the Australian team was fired up. Nikko's words seemed to ignite a fire in them, filling them with fighting spirit.
Ken almost felt a little bad, especially since he planned on snuffing out what little motivation they could dredge up.
However, one should never take pity on one's opponents, not in baseball.
The pitcher performed his quick wind up, sending a two-seam fastball which broke inside. Yet Ken's eyes never left the ball, not even as it met his bat.