The Seiko team crowded around the coach their eyes shining with determination. Ken took the initiative and placed his hand in the middle of the group, prompting Daichi to place his hand on top.
The rest of the time did the same.
"SEIKO! FIGHT!"
"FIGHT!"
That little cheer seemed to fire them up even more as they returned to their places. Keisuke and Ken both grabbed their helmets and bats before heading up onto the field.
Keisuke walked over to the batters box, raring to go. He did his usual ritual of tapping the bat on the tip of each of his shoes before squaring up towards the pitcher.
The pitcher looked average in every way whether it was height or looks he was unremarkable.
'This guy would get lost in a crowd…' He commented inwardly, however he focused in the next moment.
"Play ball!"
A few moments after the umpire called the start to the game, the pitcher sent a fastball right down the middle, shocking Keisuke.
'Don't mind if I do!'
DONG
Keisuke noticed that the contact felt a little weird, yet he still ran as fast as he could towards first base. The ball skidded along the ground right back to the pitcher who casually picked it up and sent it to 1st.
"Out."
"What the hell?" Keisuke began his walk back to the dugout with a confused expression.
Ken's face turned solemn. This pitcher was one of those who pitched to contact, sending fastballs into the strikezone often and relying on the sound fielders to make use of their strong fundamentals.
He also noticed that the outfield had come in closer to the diamond, restricting the field and creating less options for batters. Unless a person was strong enough to hit a home run, or a deep hit into the outfield, they could only dream about getting onto base.
While this tactic had its obvious drawbacks, it was perfect for middle school baseball as teams rarely had players who were strong and talented enough to consistently send balls to the outfield.
Ken's gaze moved to the oppositions coach who was watching the game with a smug look on his wrinkled face. Out of everyone on the team, only himself, Daichi and Kenta had scored a home run this season.
He stepped up to the batters box and let the first couple of balls through to the catcher. They were both strikes, nearing the center of the zone. This backed up his conjecture.
Thankfully he had managed to get the timing down in those two balls, so the next one would be the pitch he'd go after.
DONG
Ken hit the ball with force, however he did not manage to hit it in the middle of the bat. The ball bounced off the dirt and skidded its way over to third base while he ran at full pace towards 1st.
"Out!"
He clicked his tongue in annoyance after having just been beaten by a fraction of a second by the ball. However, he made his way back to the dugout and passed by Kenta and Daichi.
"We need big hits from us 3. The outfielders are too close to the bases, as long as you hit it deep we'll get on base." He kept his voice low before wishing them luck and walking off the field.
Kenta was up next, his face looking more determined than ever. He had already decided he was going to break through the deadlock and get some runs on the board.
DONG!
The ball was smacked hard into the outfield, sailing over the center fielder with speed. Kenta threw his bat down and ran with all his might around the bases, lifting his head up to check on the status of the fielder every so often.
Thanks to the fielder being so far in, it took him some time to reach the ball which had ricocheted off the back wall. By the time he threw the ball back, Kenta had already reached 3rd base and was catching his breath.
Ken pumped his fist, inwardly praising the captain for his remarkable hit. As usual, Kenta's face was smiling widely as he sent a thumbs up towards Daichi who was making his way to the batters box.
It was now Daichi's turn to hopefully convert this into a run. He would have preferred that they didn't have 2 outs already, but there was nothing he could do about that.
Since Daichi couldn't rely on a pop-fly, he would need a big hit either to the outfield or a home run. If they didn't convert during this innings, they wouldn't get a chance until their next at-bat to put runs on the board.
Therefore, Daichi gripped his bat and waited for the first pitch.
DONG
'Damn, too early.'
The ball was slightly slower than the pitches that had been thrown earlier, causing Daichi's swing to come too early, sending it flying into the foul zone. Thankfully the ball reached the ground before the 3rd base fielder could catch it.
Daichi rolled his shoulders and waited for the next pitch with a serious expression. Ken gazed at his figure, clenching his fists and praying for a big hit.
'If he sends it to the outfield we'll have a run on the board.'
The pitcher threw another ball, this time faster than the last one, trying to throw off his timing. However, Daichi's reaction speed and coordination was top tier.
DONG!
The timing was immaculate, as was the placement of the bat. The sweet sound of the ball hitting the middle of the bat reverberated in everyone's ears, followed by cheers from the Seiko dugout.
Daichi could finally let out a smile after seeing the ball sail grandly over the outfielders heads, making a beeline towards the spectator seats. He ran around the bases with the cheers from a few spectators and the rest of his teammates.
With Daichi's home run the score was now 2-0 in favor of Seiko.
Ken let out a sigh of relief, a smile creeping onto his face. With this lead, he felt a little more comfortable going up against the small ball of Fujimi Junior High.