Nico walked up to the batters box and faced the Elite Squad's pitcher, his face as determined as always. He awaited the first pitch, gripping his bat tightly.
The pitcher took a low stance and sent the ball whipping out from the side. It span through the air, dipping towards the plate as it got closer, causing Nico to hit nothing but air.
WHOOOOSH
PAH
Ken's face fell. Seeing the sidearm pitcher, he had a flash of PTSD from his struggles in the U18 World Cup against Cuba. Of course they had won the game, but it had taken him a long time to even get close to hitting the ball.
Letting out a sigh, Ken shook his head with some annoyance. If it wasn't bad enough facing this type of pitcher, he also wasn't too confident with the wooden bat just yet.
CLICK
He suddenly lifted his head, only to see Nico running towards first base with all of his might. However, the ball was easily collected by the pitcher and sent to the first baseman with plenty of time to spare.
"Out."
Ken stood up and grabbed his bat wordlessly, heading out to the deck to get a couple of practice swings in.
'Hopefully I can read the pitches.' He mused inwardly.
Despite facing a sidearm pitcher in the U18 World Cup, he had yet to face one since. It had been almost 2 years since then, meaning it might take some getting used to again.
Ken watched as Latrell went up to face the pitcher. He seemed confident, but Ken wasn't sure if it was just teen bravado or if he really believed he could get a decent hit.
He didn't have to wait long to find out.
WHOOOOSH
THWACK!
The ball sailed into center right field with some power on a low trajectory. It split the two defenders, causing them to scramble as they rushed towards the ball.
Latrell wasted no time, putting his fast legs to good use. From the way he was running between the bases, Ken didn't doubt that the guy could probably be a top track athlete if he changed sports.
With speedy legs, he rounded first and had almost reached second by the time the outfielders had collected the ball.
Without a moments hesitation, Latrell lowered his head, pumping his legs as he sped past second base and headed towards third.
"THIRD!"
Ken's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting the guy to make such a ballsy run.
The ball was thrown from the outfield, chasing down the sprinting Latrell with speed. In the next moment, the guy dived forward, sliding face first towards 3rd base with some crazy momentum.
He managed to place his hand on the base in time, narrowly beating the tag from the third baseman. If the throw had been lower, Latrell would have been tagged without much problem.
"Nice run Latrell!"
The guy got up to his feet, wearing a beaming smile. He got his breathing under control rather quickly, thanks to his recent training.
Latrell turned to Ken who was making his way up to the batters box, only to see the guy staring intently at him. His eyes were focused, as if trying to tell him something with his eyes.
'Does he want me to run?' He thought.
On second base, Trent saw Ken step into the batters box and take up his position. His eyes widened in shock, now realizing that the guy he'd spotted in the parking lot earlier was indeed the same guy he was looking at now.
'That can't be right can it?' His mind was in turmoil. Trent could still remember the crisp sound produced by the wind displacement of the guy's swings.
The fact that such a swing belonged to a pitcher who could throw so fast was actually mind boggling to him. Generally, one would focus on either pitching or batting, since both took a lot of work to master.
He himself had been batting since a very young age, and only now was he starting to see some proper success. After painstakingly training for over half his life, he felt that he was nearing the professional sphere.
"Outfielders, be wary!" He called out, turning behind him.
They took his heed, stepping back a few yards and getting ready for a bomb. Since there was no one on base, Trent also took a few steps back, gesturing for the short stop to get ready to cover 2nd base.
Ken saw the movements of the fielders and soon a wry smile appeared on his face.
"It seems my reputation proceeds me." He mumbled to no one in particular.
However, this only served to fire him up. "You can move your fielders all you want, they won't be able to touch this next ball." He said, glancing toward the catcher with a grin.
"Hmph, cocky bastard." The guy responded, getting into position.
Ken couldn't help but chuckle, pointing in the direction of the right outfield. "The ball will be heading in that direction, mark my words."
However, the catcher shook his head, ignoring the taunt. His job was to try and prevent Ken from getting a hit, everything else was superfluous.
Once Ken was in position, the pitcher took his stance. He glanced over at Latrell who had a small lead from third base before quickly beginning his pitch.
The moment he did so, Latrell took off to the races, shocking everyone except Ken. Wearing a smug grin, he held out his wooden bat with two hands, tracking the trajectory of the ball.
"Bunt!?" Trent almost shrieked in shock as he saw the move play out. With his directions earlier, his fielders had backed up from the infield, making it difficult for them to get back in time.
Ken placed his bat out, performing a push bunt towards first base. For those watching, the scene played out like poetry in motion. The finesse in which Ken displayed seemed straight out of a ballet performance.