Kouichi threw his pitch which was right on target, flying straight into Daichi's open glove.
"Nice pitch!" Daichi exclaimed, sending the ball back to him with a smile.
Kouichi was starting to gain back some of his confidence after giving up 3 hits. The next two balls were exactly where Daichi wanted them, bringing the count to 1-2.
He finally requested a two-seamer towards the outside which would break inward if thrown correctly. Kouichi nodded and sent the pitch right where he wanted.
DING
The batter made contact with the ball, sending it skidding along the ground to Kouichi.
"Home Home!" Daichi shouted.
Kouichi collected the ball easily and threw the ball to Daichi who caught it and stepped on home plate in one motion. Without stopping, he sent a rocket-like throw towards Kenta who was standing on 3rd base.
Kenta caught the ball and threw it directly to Hikaru who was waiting with his glove out at second base.
Pah
"Out!"
"3 outs, change!"
"Whoa! Triple play!" Big cheers came from the dugout and the players on the field when the play finally came to an end. Everything had happened so quickly that their opponents were in disbelief.
One moment they had loaded bases and no outs, in the next it was time to change over. Itakura's coach looked as if he was about to step on his hat out of frustration.
Daichi had been the one to orchestrate the whole play, directing the proceedings from the beginning. He backed the batter into a corner, almost forcing him to swing at a bad pitch with the allure of loaded bases and no outs.
Once he took the bait, Daichi knew exactly what to do in such a stressful situation. Something that most teenagers would struggle with.
This showed his poise and mental capabilities, as well as his knowledge of the baseball rules and fundamentals.
Ken couldn't believe that despite only playing the sport for a few months Daichi was already this good. It was no wonder why the Hanshin Tigers had recruited him just out of high school.
He couldn't help but smile as he watched the jubilant teen head back towards the dugout.
The game continued in a similar fashion with no additional runs being scored until the 8th inning. In true Daichi fashion, he managed to hit a home run, bringing the score 3-0 in favor of Seiko.
It was now the top of the 9th inning with Imai on the mound who had replaced Kouichi last innings. Imai was a solid pitcher who could throw a variety of breaking balls, perfect for small stints and relief pitching, yet he lacked stamina.
The count was currently 3-2 with two outs and 2 runners on base. Imai who had already pitched 30 times in this innings was starting to look fatigued. While he could easily get out the first two players, the one in the batters box right now was a tough nut to crack.
Ken's expression had fallen once the coach made the substitution, bringing in the young Hayato Yagi into the game. Despite being a 1st year at only 13 years of age, he had managed to foul the past 12 balls from Imai, bringing the game to a stalemate.
If the youngster was able to hit a home run, they would be forced into extra time without Kouichi. Since the Coach had substituted him and not moved him to another position, it was against the rules for him to enter the game once again.
This meant that they would have to play up to another 4 innings until a team won.
Obviously this was not something that the Seiko squad wanted, yet Hayato looked like he would never quit.
Daichi called a quick time out in order to give Imai a short breather. He was happy with how the relief pitcher was throwing, but seeing the signs of fatigue, he decided to have a chat anyway.
"He's a tough nut to crack isn't he?" Daichi commented, smiling softly.
"Yeah he just won't let up." Imai laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What do you think we should do?"
"Have a look at him, he's also tired. While he's got a good feel for the bat, his muscles aren't developed enough to continue at this pace." Daichi said before placing his hand on the teens back.
"It will be a war of attrition. Think you can do it?"
Imai was a little taken aback, however he eventually let out a small chuckle. "It's just 1 more out, I won't let you all down."
"Good! Just follow my lead."
Ken watched on from first base with appreciation. While he couldn't hear what was being said, he noticed that Imai looked a lot more relaxed than before.
He gave a big thumbs up to Daichi in his mind and continued to watch the battle between Imai and Hayato.
"Foul"
"Foul"
"Foul"
Pitch after pitch was hit, flying into the foul zone. The two were like juggernauts as they continued to go back and forth against each other, neither one getting pushed back an inch.
Both the pitcher and batter seemed on their last legs. Ken had already lost count of how many pitches Imai had thrown by now, yet he could see a fierce determination in both of their eyes.
"Again!" Daichi called out, sending the ball back to Imai who then returned back to the mound.
Once more he threw the ball, aiming for Daichi's glove. The only thing on his mind this entire time was ensuring that he threw it to the open glove again and again, no matter how many times it took.
Dink
Hayato swung the bat once more, however there was a distinctly different sound than usual as the ball was kicked up a few feet into the air with tremendous back spin on it.
Daichi reacted in a flash, removing his face mask and diving backwards with an outstretched arm. The umpire also had good reflexes, managing to jump out of his path.
Pah
The ball entered Daichi's glove while it was still spinning, acting as if it wanted to break out of its confines. A stunned silence descended upon the field whose nerves had grown weary throughout the long battle.
"Out! Game Set."