Hiroki's face was like that of a holy martyr as he embraced his fate. The ball which was aiming for the inside, suddenly broke inward at the last moment.
In an exaggerated display, Hiroki shot back, throwing his bat into the air behind him as he desperately tried to get out of the way of the incoming ball.
Thud~
A dull thud of the ball crashing into his left arm rang out, causing those in the vicinity to cringe from the impact. There were a few moments of silence as everyone looked at the scene with incredulity.
If one didn't hear the sound of the ball making contact, one might think that it was a scene out of a slapstick comedy manga.
"H-Hit by pitch, take your base!"
"BOO!"
The crowd reacted right away, letting the umpire know what they thought of the call.
As soon as the call was made, Leo quickly got to his feet and into the umpire's face. With his solid frame and icy expression, the guy was instantly intimidated.
"You can't be serious right? That should be a strike!"
Once the plate umpire was able to compose himself, he shook his head vehemently.
"He tried to get out of the way, not a strike."
"You call that trying to get away?" Leo stated, gesturing at Hiroki's figure on the ground who was in the process of getting to his feet.
"Why must we suffer for his terrible reaction speed?"
"Leo! That's enough."
Mark jogged onto the field, causing a few of the US player's eyes to bulge out in surprise. Since when was a 65 year old man able to jog so fast…
Leo heard his coach's words and instantly calmed down, apologizing to the umpire. Thankfully it was right on time as the guy was considering handing out some punishment.
Only after seeing that things had calmed down did Mark send an apologetic glance to the umpire. He then jogged back to the dugout, taking back his post.
"Eh!?"
Chris was flabbergasted with his father's newfound fitness. Just a few days ago the guy had needed help to get up from his chair, yet now he was able to do this much?
"I need to get his training regime…" Coach Takashi mumbled, stroking his goatee softly.
"Don't mind Ryan!"
"Just one more out."
It would be a lie if Ryan said he wasn't disappointed. He had been secretly aiming for a perfect game, yet his hopes were dashed in that moment. Yet since there had been no runs yet, he still had a chance at a shutout.
Nothing else would properly wash away the humiliation he had felt in the last game against Japan.
He nodded towards his teammates and composed himself, awaiting the next batter.
"Batting 4th, Catcher, Daichi."
Daichi stepped up, his gaze moving to Hiroki who was standing beside 1st base with a small lead. The guy had clearly been feigning his pain earlier as he was now too busy sending winks and gestures towards him now.
Feeling a little amused, Daichi tried to contain the smile on his face.
He turned his gaze to Ken who was waiting patiently on the side of the field.
'Hiroki did his part… Now it's my turn.'
With that, he turned and faced Ryan on the mound. He had been useless the first two at-bats, he couldn't afford to keep up the same performance.
He slightly leaned back in the box, keeping his eyes peeled for the pitch.
Leo had managed to calm himself down and was back to his usual composed self. He analyzed Daichi in the batters box and had a few options in mind.
'He looks to be chasing the inside ball… Should I call for a slider to throw him off?' He thought inwardly.
Yet he shook his head in the next moment and made a sign.
Ryan nodded before entering his wind up and throwing a rocket-like pitch out.
PAH
"Strike"
'Heh, as I thought…'
Leo's face turned up into a smile as if everything was under his control. Since Daichi hadn't swung at the outside fastball, he believed that his guess was correct.
Daichi kept a neutral face, getting back into position. Like the previous time, he leaned back a little in the batters box and awaited the pitch.
'Too predictable…' Leo thought, calling for the next ball.
WHOOOOSH
PAH
The next pitch was a fastball at the top of the strike zone, far enough inwards that Daichi was forced to swing at it. Just like that, the count was 0-2 and Japan were looking like they would be unsuccessful in this inning also.
Despite this, Daichi didn't seem nervous in the slightest. His patience was on full display as he once again took his position. He could feel everyone's eyes on him as everyone waited for the next pitch.
'Time to send you back in defeat.' Leo thought with a scowl.
He crouched down and made the sign to Ryan, receiving a nod in response. His glove was placed on the outside of the strike zone, awaiting the pitch he'd called for.
"Heh, see you later." Ryan muttered before entering his wind up.
He lifted his left leg and stepped forward, planting his foot and throwing his arm out like a whip.
The moment Ryan planted his foot, Daichi adjusted his positioning, crowding the plate in an instant.
Leo's face suddenly lost all color as he saw the shift, his heart feeling a wave of dread threaten to overcome him. He grit his teeth and watched the ball approach, following its course towards the outside.
'Don't hit it!' He shouted inwardly, gritting his teeth.
Daichi's eyes were wide open as he watched the textbook perfect slider make its way towards him. After facing the unpredictable fastballs all day, this pitch was a sight for sore eyes.
WHOOOOOOSH
DOOONG
The sound of the bat echoing through the field caught everyone's attention. It rocketed into the air and into the outfield, flying past the right fielder with ease, only hitting the ground just before the back wall.