The Jaguar lowered its stance, anticipating the ball's course and speed. Its dangerous eyes narrowed in on the target before it pounced into action.
Santiago's swing was stealthy, yet filled with power. It seemed to glide through the air at first before accelerating swiftly into the strike zone.
WHOOOSH
DONG
The ball was struck as it entered the danger zone, producing a crisp sound. The lack of vibration from the bat indicated that it was hit away from the center, yet the ball still flew into the outfield.
"Right!"
Ken was already bounding forwards as Masayuki called out his position. He had expected the ball to not make it past the infield, but he was surprised that it carried so far.
It was a testament to the power that Santiago had that he was able to hit it this far despite not making the best contact with the ball.
Ken's legs were pumping as he sprinted towards the ball. He could already see that Santiago was halfway to first base, which meant if he didn't catch it there was a good chance of the guy being safe.
The ball was hit flat and with pace, meaning there was very little room for error by the time Ken caught up.
Without over thinking it, Ken dived through the air, barely slowing down from his full sprint. He thrust his glove underneath where he believed the ball would land.
Tap~
His glove was a fraction off, causing the ball to bounce in the palm of his glove rather than the webbing. As he closed his hand to try to grasp the ball, it looked as if it was going to pop out and roll onto the ground.
Yet by some miracle, it stayed in place, almost as if there was a sticky substance on his glove.
Ken's eyes had watched the whole thing and let out a sigh of relief as he came to a stop on the ground. The impact of his body hitting the ground made him a little sore, but he quickly shook it off.
He stood up and showed the umpire closest to him the ball.
"Out!"
"Nice catch!"
Masayuki ran over a few moments later, patting Ken on the back. He understood that if Ken was even a second too late with his reaction speed, that ball would have been an easy base hit.
Ken flashed him a grin, "I never had a doubt."
Santiago saw the catch from Ken but instead of getting disappointed, his features flashed with joy.
"Wow! Good catch!" He said, sending Ken two thumbs-up.
With that, he returned back to the US dugout, leaving both Ken and Masayuki with confused expressions on their faces.
"That guy is rather friendly…" Ken remarked.
"Is he… okay?"
Daichi pumped his fist after they called the first out. From how far the ball had been hit, he instantly knew that he had underestimated Santiago.
He was in shock a little earlier, but thankfully Ken managed to track down the ball and secure their first out.
Daichi took in a deep breath through his nose and out his mouth, adjusting his mentality. None of the US players lacked talent. Even with his game plan from Ken, he needed to stay alert and be flexible.
'Let's keep this momentum going…' He said inwardly.
"Don't worry about it." Coach Williams said, patting Santiago on the back affectionately as he entered the dugout.
Yet Santiago didn't seem like someone who had just gotten out, if anything he looked rather happy. He gave the coach a thumbs up and returned to the bench without a word.
Ken's Grandfather narrowed his eyes and stared at Ken in the outfield, his expression turning impressed.
"Looks like you've adjusted well into the outfield… But that's not where you belong..." He muttered.
"Batting 2nd, Short stop, Ayden Carney."
A teen with bright blond hair entered the batters box, his short physique seemed to pale in comparison to Santiago who came before him. Yet his eye's were narrow, giving the impression that he was sneaky.
Daichi crouched down and made the sign for a two-seam fastball towards the inside to which Satoshi nodded. He had learned to trust the freshman catcher throughout their World Cup run.
After his wind up, the ball came rocketing out at around 90mph. At first it looked like it was going right down the middle, yet just before it came in range, it broke inside.
WHOOOSH
DING
"Crap."
Aiden panicked for a moment before dropping his bat and hightailing it towards first base. The bat hadn't even landed on the ground before Satoshi swooped into action.
With one fluid movement, he picked the ball up with his right hand and sent an accurate throw into Hiroki's outstretched glove.
"Out."
Ayden stood no chance of making it to base safely, promptly being called out halfway to his destination.
Unlike Santiago, his expression was full of gloom. He knew as soon as he hit the ball that it was garbage.
"How did I fall for that?" He muttered in annoyance.
"It's okay Ayden, I'll avenge you."
The deep tone caused him to raise his head, only to see the large Sam in front of him.
"Y-Yeah, thanks Sammy."
"Batting 3rd, 3rd base, Sam"
The announcer cut the two's conversation short, prompting the teen to step into the batters box. His frame was large with wide shoulders and a full faced beard which could be seen sticking out from his helmet.
Daichi looked up at the large figure and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by his size. Despite being only 6 foot tall, the guy was easily 110kg, his figure packed with dense muscles and a wide waist.
If he wasn't wearing a baseball uniform, Sam would look like one of those worker's you'd see on a farm or even out chopping trees with an Axe.
This guy was another one that posed a threat to their game plan.
Daichi squatted down and made a signal before placing his glove out, right above the strike zone.