"Whoosh."
"Pop."
"Out!"
"Three outs, switch sides!!!"
"Great job, Tanba, you're in excellent form today."
"Haha, that's the way, Tanba-san."
"Koichiro, stay focused, keep it up."
"Good catch, Sawamura."
"Your fielding is getting better and better."
As they switched sides and jogged back to the dugout, Eijun was greeted by a heavy pat on the shoulder from Jun Isashiki, who gave him a satisfied smile. The force of the pat made Eijun wince a little.
Isashiki-senpai, maybe you could ease up on the strength a bit, Eijun thought to himself with mild grievance.
anwhile, as Eijun returned to his bench reflecting sowhat bitterly, little did he know, up in the stands on the Seido High School side, his friends, including Wakana, were watching. They had just caught a glimpse of Eijun making a catch in the outfield.
However, after their initial excitent, they were all looking at each other in confusion.
"That's Eijun, it's definitely him!"
"The way he caught that ball is so Eijun."
"Uh, sothing seems off."
"Why isn't he on the pitcher's mound? Huh? That's left field, right?"
"Really? Did Eijun switch to being an outfielder!?"
Their excited chatter made Wakana smile softly to herself, seeing how much they all cared for Eijun and noticed things like him.
"Eijun ntioned that when he's not pitching, the coach often puts him in the outfield," Wakana explained with a cheerful smile. These were the little things Eijun occasionally ntioned in their regular text exchanges.
It was just part of their everyday conversations and concern for one another.
"Ohhh, that makes sense."
"I knew it—Eijun would never give up being a pitcher."
"Hahaha…"
The group of friends visibly relaxed, grinning warmly.
anwhile, Wakana's bright eyes remained fixed on Eijun in the dugout.
Hmm, he's grown taller, and his whole deanor feels different.
He looks a bit more handso now...
A slight blush crept onto Wakana's cheeks as she mused silently to herself.
"Tanba-san, your pitches have great strength today, you've got a nice rhythm going," Miyuki said with a smile, taking off his gear after returning to the bench and speaking to Tanba.
Tanba nodded lightly in acknowledgnt.
"Haha, that's the spirit, Tanba."
"Absolutely, you're our team's ace. Don't worry; in the next inning, we'll turn things around for you."
"You just keep pitching confidently, and leave the rest to us."
"Yeah, yeah, Tanba-san, don't rush it."
Isashiki led the others in cheering on Tanba, whose heart felt ward by the camaraderie. A faint smile appeared on his face. Indeed, Tanba's performance today was unmistakably strong.
Whether throwing fastballs or curveballs, the power and angle were just right.
Even the forkball was playing its part effectively.
While Eijun rested and glanced over at Tanba, he thought quietly to himself.
His gaze shifted montarily to the bullpen where Furuya had been warming up since the third inning. Eijun sighed inwardly, realizing he probably wouldn't get a chance to pitch today.
It was evident from the way things were going.
On the other side, in Sensen High School's dugout on the third base side, Coach Ugai maintained a calm deanor, gently stroking his chin with his right hand.
"Just focus on the pitcher's fastball, there's no need to worry about the other pitches. Understand?" His words were simple yet impactful.
With his extensive experience coaching at multiple schools, Coach Ugai could easily pinpoint a pitcher's strengths and weaknesses and devise corresponding strategies.
"Yes!!!"
"Maki," Coach Ugai called out lightly.
"Yes," replied Maki imdiately, showing a respectful expression.
While Maki might not care much for others, he held deep respect for Coach Ugai, who had discovered and nurtured him since his middle school days.
"Your fastball is doing great today; keep up the pace. There's no rush. You can prove yourself, understand?" Coach Ugai, with wisdom gained from years of experience, had noticed so emotional shifts in Maki's deanor from the start.
For Coach Ugai, this wasn't a concern. As long as Maki focused on pitching and executed the ga plan, small details were overlooked by the seasoned coach.
"Yes," Maki responded softly, his face showing a slight change before complying.
"Hmm…" Coach Ugai nodded in satisfaction.
Their opponents hadn't started the first-year pitcher, despite the third year being the ace. Haha, Coach Kataoka, you're quite bold. Since that's the case, Sensen High School won't hold back.
Coach Ugai wasn't entirely sure of Coach Kataoka's intentions, but he could sense the gist of their strategy.
Such youthful audacity could be quite risky…
Stroking his chin, Coach Ugai's eyes slowly opened, their seemingly clouded depths gleaming sharply for a mont.
"Top of the fifth inning, Seido High School's attack, eighth batter, pitcher Tanba-kun."
Among Seido High School's four pitchers, Tanba was the least skilled at batting, and even struggled with bunting.
Facing the razor-sharp curveballs and fastballs from Maki, Tanba found it difficult to react effectively, let alone hit a successful play.
Struggling to keep up with Maki's fastballs, Tanba ultimately hit a grounder that was easily thrown out at first base.
"Great pitch, Maki."
"Well done, Yosuke."
"One out, one out, stay steady, Maki."
"Yosuke, knock them down!!!"
"Ninth batter, right fielder Shirasu-kun."
Glancing back to the dugout, Coach Kataoka nodded slightly. The timing was right, and the ga had reached its midpoint. The pitches, types, and corresponding trajectories were all clear to them.
It was ti to take action.
In the batter's box, after receiving Coach Kataoka's signal, Shirasu adjusted his cap.
"Whoosh."
With the dazzling pitch from the towering figure of Maki, who had been confident and dominant in sealing the ga for four innings straight, this ti would be different.
"Clang!!!!"
After letting the first outside fastball go by, Shirasu didn't miss the curveball that followed.
With a perfect swing, Shirasu intercepted the ball masterfully.
"Whoosh."
"Thud."
The ball shot out, landing between second and third base, bouncing past the infielders too slow to react, and landed in front of left field.
Ninth batter, Kenjiro Shirasu, hit a single to left field, successfully reaching first base!
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