THWACK!
The sound of wood and leather colliding filled the ears of all those in attendance, echoing throughout the field. The onlookers watched on in awe as the ball sailed into the air towards the outfield.
'Ah that felt good.' Ken thought, discarding his bat to the side as he began his jog towards first base. Despite the feedback being a little more harsh with a wooden bat, hitting it in the center felt much more rewarding.
Ken sent a smug glance to the pitcher on the mound, enjoying the guy's dumbfounded expression. It quickly turned to anger and embarrassment as he glared back, obviously not appreciating being played around with.
By the time he'd arrived at first base, the ball had already gone over the fence, giving the Gladiators a three-run home run in the very first inning.
Coach Wyatt watched on with wonder, his mustache flapping in the wind. Upon seeing Ken hold the bat out for a bunt even before the pitchers wind up, he almost cried out in surprise.
Though part of him might have expected the guy to bunt, telegraphing it was just asking for trouble. Yet contrary to his beliefs, Ken pulled back and actually swung at the ball, hitting a ridiculous homer out of nowhere.
The coach couldn't help but chuckle, his laughter filled with a sense of exasperation. "That kid is so unpredictable…" He muttered, shaking his head.
He wasn't the only one who was shocked. The few scouts in the audience were mystified, not because of the play itself, but because of how easy Ken made it look.
It was one thing using such a tactic to catch the pitcher off guard. But having the strength and dexterity to send the pitch out of the park after faking a bunt was incredibly impressive.
Such a skill set just proved that Ken was a cut above the competition.
Ken arrived at home plate, greeted by the excited expressions of both Nico and Latrell.
"Haha! He never even saw it coming." Latrell exclaimed, wrapping his arm around Ken's shoulder with glee.
"Nice homer~" Nico crooned with a grin.
As they walked back to the bench, Max was waiting on the side of the field since it was his turn to bat next. Since Ken had already cleaned up the bases, a lot of pressure had been removed from the guy's shoulders.
But as Ken gazed at him, his expression was still serious.
"Nice hit." He said, holding out his fist on the way past.
"Mmm, send another one over okay?" Ken replied, completing the fist bump.
Max didn't reply, but his face said it all. If back at the hotel he seemed nervous, right now he was the complete opposite. A quiet yet stalwart confidence oozed from his figure, giving off a dependable air.
"Heh, looks like we'll be up 4 runs to nothing in a few moments." Ken mumbled, a grin touching the corner of his lips.
When Ken looked upon Max, he could feel the guy's fighting spirit. The calm yet confident demeanor and the stubborn will to never give up after being driven into a corner, this was the essence of a great player.
There weren't many people who possessed such a trait, particularly in his age group. But everyone who did, were the best of the best, at least in Ken's eyes.
Ken broke away from the other two, quickly returning to the bench. After a few high fives and fist bumps, he sat down next to Steve and turned his attention back to the field.
He wanted to see if Max could back it up. It was one thing showing his fighting spirit, but another thing entirely being able to make use of it and convert on the field.
All it took was one miscalculation, or impatience, and it would be all over.
"This should be an easy game." Steve said beside him, running his hand through his hair.
"Shhh, just watch the Captain." Ken hissed, entirely focused on the field.
Steve sent him a weird look, making a small mocking gesture outside of Ken's peripheral vision. However, he eventually listened to his friend, turning his attention to the guy in the batters box.
The first pitch came, a fastball to the inside with some heat. Even from their vantage point, it looked like the ball was going to clip Max's elbow, yet the guy didn't even flinch as it sailed past into the catchers glove.
"Ball."
"Holy crap, Max has got balls of steel!" Steve exclaimed, feeling his body shudder. The pitch would have been in the low 90's at least, yet Max had completely ignored it.
"He's in the zone." Ken added, narrowing his eyes.
Steve scoffed, "Yeah, the firing zone…"
Ignoring his friend's joke, Ken felt his stomach twist in nervousness. Even though he hadn't known his Captain for long, the thought of him having to settle for a D2 College made him feel some sadness.
Ken knew that not every teammate he had would make it to top tier of the sport. In fact, quite a few of his former teammates would quit baseball by the time they finished High School.
As his thoughts moved to this, Shiro's face appeared in his mind. Despite taking him as his mentee and having a decent potential, Ken couldn't see the guy still playing in College, not with his work ethic.
It was a bit of a shame, but if everyone could become a professional athlete, then it wouldn't be so prestigious.
'Ah crap, I got sidetracked.'
Ken quickly sat to attention as the pitcher began his wind-up. The next ball was a slider, heading towards the outside with a wicked break.
Just when he thought that Max would let it go to the catcher, the guy sprung into action.
Planting his lead leg, Max's body twisted as his bat chased the ball to the outside. As it crossed over home plate, an almighty sound graced their ears.