On the mound, Ken felt his mind go into panic. The ball had just hit the bag and was launched into the air. If it beat Nate and went into the outfield, it would be the end of all his hard work.
Just when it seemed like there was no stopping the ball, something incredible happened.
Nate's right hand shot up, catching the ball barehanded and preventing it from getting past him while he was in mid-air. But now that his hand was not there to break his fall, Nate fell squarely on his back, sliding along the dirt for a moment.
In an incredible display of athleticism, Nate rolled to his feet and threw the ball towards first base in a single action, using all of his strength.
Ken watched in shock as the ball flew past him. He turned to Samson whose long arm was already stretched out, waiting for the ball to arrive.
Justice was running as fast as he could towards first base, unaware of the play that had taken place. His only job was to get to first base safely, no matter what.
From his vantage point on the mound, Ken couldn't tell what was going to arrive first, the runner, or the ball. Not that it mattered, everything was out of his hands at this point.
'Please make it…' Ken silently prayed in his heart.
PAH
The ball slammed into the glove at almost the exact moment that Justice planted his foot upon the base.
The crowd was dead silent, waiting for the 1st base umpires decision. The man did not make the call for what seemed like forever. But when he did…
"Safe!"
The crowd went into an uproar, filled with jeers and boos directed at the official.
Ken's heart sank the moment he heard the ruling. Strength seeped away from his body and he fell down to one knee, his body in shock at the play.
In the crowd, Steve was livid. He stood up and started yelling out abuse at the top of his lungs, cursing the blind umpire who had stolen the perfect game away from Ken.
Of course these words were just hot air, used to blow off some steam.
Ai was wearing a troubled expression, while Ken's parents looked heartbroken. Yuki couldn't even look at her deflated son upon the mound, it was too hard.
The jeers continued until the replay appeared on the jumbo screen, showing the play. One might expect that once the evidence was shown, people might just accept what had happened, but this was not the case.
"THAT'S OUT! WHAT IS THIS BULLSH—"
"Game is rigged! I want my money back."
The replay was not substantial enough to outright call the umpire wrong, but it was close enough that the home fans felt like they had been robbed.
Ken's raised his gaze slowly, trying to pull himself out of his state.
It was then that he saw his grandfather having a discussion with the plate umpire. He raised his eyebrow in question, wondering what the man could possibly do in such a situation.
That was when Daichi approached him, offering his hand.
Ken glanced at him briefly before taking the offered hand and helping himself up. He was dead tired, but his curiosity was burning.
"What's Grandpa doing?"
"He's challenging the call. They'll have to review the footage before making a final decision. Since there's so much on the line, this will probably take a while." Daichi added.
He turned to Ken and spoke up, his tone remorseful. "Sorry man… That lead I gave you was—"
However, Ken cut him off, "It's not your fault, little brother. I know how hard you've been working to support me this past week. Did you forget that Miho and Ai talk all the time?"
Hearing this, Daichi's eyes widened slightly but he let out a sigh in response. It seemed that his secret research on both Toronto and Seattle hadn't gone unnoticed.
"How lucky do you consider yourself?" Daichi asked, giving him a grin.
"Me? I'm the luckiest man on Earth." Ken replied, pointing his thumb to his chest. "The Goddess of Luck is always on my side."
Daichi laughed, "Well let's hope that's the case."
The umpires convened and the announcer spoke over the speakers, his voice calming the pissed off fans.
"The Ligers are challenging the ruling of safe on first base. Please be patient while the replay is thoroughly reviewed."
Some cheers rang out at the prompt update. Since the review was being done, there was still a chance for history to be made tonight.
"So who reviews the play? The umpires?"
"Nah, it's some guys in New York."
"Oh that's cool, I never knew that."
With the potential of good news, the crowd began to murmur among themselves while the replay continuously played on the jumbo screen.
Play was currently suspended, pending the review. If the call stood, Ken would have to face the Seattle's first batter once more, but if it was overturned, the game would end and his perfect game would be recorded.
The Liger's players gathered surrounding Ken as they waited for his fate. Having now played with Ken for a whole season, they had gotten closer to him over such a time.
"That was a little sloppy from me back there, sorry." Nate said, apologizing to Ken for his fielding.
Ken shook his head vehemently, "No way man, you did well to make it this close. I certainly couldn't have pulled off anything like that." He admitted.
But Nate just scoffed, "I highly doubt that. You're almost 7 years younger than me."
The team talked among themselves while time ticked by. Almost 15 minutes passed by without any word and everyone in the ballpark was starting to get restless.
The replay had been shown almost 30 times and there were already some issues within the crowd who were getting tired of waiting.
The umpires spoke to one another a final time before the plate umpire approached the camera. Static came out of the microphone that he was wearing as he prepared to verbalize the decision of the challenge.
"After review, the call on the field has been overturned. The runner is out. The perfect game is preserved, and the game is over."