The entire field was caught off guard, except for two people. Both Hiroki and Daichi sprinted from their marks as if they knew what was going to happen.
What was once a routine intentional walk suddenly turned the field into chaos.
The ball flew past the guy on first base and into the outfield. Since no one was expecting the ball to be hit, the US team were slow off the mark.
"GET THE BALL!"
Both Darius in the right outfield and Davion on 1st base locked eyes as if not knowing who should go for the ball. It wasn't until the shout from Leo behind the plate reached their ears that both of them surged forward.
Ken's eyes were locked onto the now vacant 1st base as he lowered his head and pumped his legs like a freight train. As long as he got safely onto the base, they would get at least 1 run from the exchange.
He saw Ryan running towards the base from the mound, yet he promptly ignored him. Judging by their running speed, they would arrive at a similar time.
Meanwhile, Hiroki was barreling down towards home plate with vicious intention. Part of him wished Leo would stand in his way so he could run through him, yet it seemed he wouldn't get such a chance.
Tap
Hiroki's foot landed on home plate before he quickly got out of the way and surveyed the field. Daichi had already placed his foot on 3rd base and was on his way home.
"FIRST!"
Ken lifted his head slightly and could see the fielder in the act of throwing. The call had come from Ryan who was right beside him, though this only brought a smile to his face.
'I'll make it there first.' He thought, easily calculating the distances.
Yet what happened next was out of his expectations.
He felt an almighty push from his left side, knocking Ken off balance. His eyes widened in shock before he was sent crashing to the ground, rolling a few times in part due to how fast he was running.
Pah~
Ryan stepped onto first base and held his glove out towards the umpire, waiting for the out verdict. A few moments later, Daichi stepped onto home plate and turned around to see Ken on the ground in the foul zone.
'What happened?'
"BOO!"
Before the umpire could make the call, a collective boo from the crowd erupted, filling the stadium with jeers.
"What the hell was that!?"
"This isn't football, what a joke."
What was quite surprising was that this was meant to be a home game for the United States team, yet their fans were not happy with Ryan's conduct. They had come to see the best of the new generation yet were met with such a scene.
First it was the intentional walk, now it was the dirty push on the noble Japanese player.
Ken was a little shaken, but he managed to get up slowly. Since he hadn't been expecting the push, he wasn't able to brace himself for impact, yet perhaps that was why he didn't suffer any injuries.
He too looked at the umpire and awaited his decision.
"What the hell man!? You can't just push my Ken over!" Ai yelled out at the TV, her whole body shaking with rage.
If Rie didn't stop her, she would have thrown her drink at the TV in anger.
Back on the field, the 1st base umpire didn't feel comfortable making the decision by himself, gesturing towards the plate umpire before walking towards the edge of the field together.
Mark was in the US dugout massaging his temples slowly. When Ryan had pushed Ken he had quickly gotten angry and almost stormed onto the field.
Not only was it his Grandson getting pushed, it also was a dangerous play. There were plenty of other ways to get in front of the runner and avoid risking an obstruction call, yet the heated teen had taken matters into his own hands.
Perhaps it was retaliation for being played with, or maybe he just had a bad temper. Either way, they were in this current predicament thanks to Ryan's decisions.
As the two umpires were talking to each other, Ken was rubbing the dirt off of him and standing beside 1st base. There was a smile painted on his features, though he kept his mouth shut.
'As long as the umpire isn't blind, we'll get a favorable call.' He thought.
To Ken, the scenario was clear, even when he looked at it objectively. The ball hadn't even left the fielders hand when he'd been pushed out of the way by Ryan, it was a clear obstruction.
"Want me to knock you on your ass again?" Ryan said, his fiery blue eyes staring at Ken.
Ryan was pissed off that Ken was still wearing that stupid smile. For some reason, he felt like he was being mocked every time he saw it, filling him with anger.
"Hahaha." Ken merely laughed and shook his head.
'He truly is a kid.'
Just before Ryan was about to respond, the umpires seemed to be done with their talks.
"Obstruction by the fielder. We have safe on 1st base and the other two runners are home."
At these words, the crowd cheered and so did the Japanese dugout. The pitchers duel had finally been broken with Japan now taking a 2-0 lead in the 7th inning.
"What!? You can't be serious…" Ryan was livid after hearing the result. If it wasn't for Davion on 1st base holding him back, he would have exploded at the umpire.
Ken shrugged, adding his two cents without being asked. "It was the right call, what can I say?"
This only served to make Ryan even more angry, to the point where he almost lashed out again. Yet before he could, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.
Just as he was about to retaliate, he heard his coach's voice in his ear.