NOVEL WEB Chapter 128: <128> The First Inning Offensive
Chapter 128: The First Inning Offensive
Although Sendo felt this game would lean toward a pitchers' duel, occasional scoring or conceding of runs was still highly likely.
After all, neither Sawamura nor the defense had the confidence to completely shut down Seiws's lineup.
The lineup now moved to the second batter, Aoki. Over the past few months, Aoki had shown the most significant improvement.
For a cerebral player like him, even slight progress in batting translated into tremendous results.
This was evident in their first game against Fukasawa, where Aoki's clever thinking helped the top three batters crush the opposing battery's morale in the very first inning.
Since mastering batting from the left side, Aoki had become especially effective against right-handed pitchers.
Many breaking balls, such as sliders and curveballs, that move inward against left-handed batters often end up as inside pitches rather than sweeping away from the batter like they do against right-handers.
In Japan, sliders and curveballs are the most common breaking pitches for pitchers, as they are easier to learn and highly disruptive compared to pitches like changeups or forkballs, which demand greater technical skill and physical strength.
Seiwa's ace, Fujiwara, a first-year, particularly disliked facing strategic and crafty hitters like Aoki—especially left-handed ones.
Although his fastball velocity was decent for his age, averaging around 110 km/h, it was unlikely he could rely solely on it to dominate Akagi's lineup, which had regularly faced Sendo's 130 km/h pitches in practice.
Sendo estimated that Fujiwara's top speed wouldn't exceed 130 km/h, and if he threw recklessly, such pitches could even be treated as breaking balls due to their lack of precision.
Sendo was also curious about Seiwa's new catcher. Last year's catcher, Ishihara, had decent receiving skills but was terrible at pitch selection, to the point where Coach Takei had to take over pitch-calling during the latter half of games.
...
"This batter was a contact hitter last year. His skills have likely improved significantly. Be cautious!" warned Sakura, Seiwa's catcher, as he signaled a pitch.
Coach Takei had obtained detailed scouting reports from Coach Nakani, aware that Akagi's lineup had evolved. However, lacking video footage, they had to rely on trial and error to assess the actual improvements.
"I understand, Sakura-senpai! Coach Takei emphasized this yesterday. I'll just aim for your glove," Fujiwara replied, nodding confidently. He trusted his control.
Pop!
"Ball!"
Fujiwara's control was indeed top-notch for a first-year. Though not precise enough for nine-box control, he could manage a solid four-box range comparable to Akagi's top-tier pitchers.
The first pitch grazed the edge of the outside strike zone.
"As expected, this team hasn't changed much from last year. They relied on discerning balls from strikes and utilizing small-ball tactics to defeat our predecessors. That ability to distinguish pitches is fundamental to their style," Sakura thought, recalling last year's practice game where he served as a backup catcher.
...
The second pitch was coming.
"Let's see how good this guy is. Next pitch, here!" Sakura signaled confidently.
"Phew, barely held off that pitch. His control is impressive! If he keeps this level up, I'm in trouble!" Aoki thought, impressed by Fujiwara's pitching.
But as he processed this, the pitcher was already in motion—leg raised, stride taken, arm swinging!
"Safe bunt?"
Pop!
"Ball!"
"Damn it! He's doing it already?" Sakura gritted his teeth.
Akagi's sudden bunts were a signature move to disrupt less experienced pitchers. They forced them to alter their mechanics and often led to mistakes.
But Seiwa was no ordinary opponent.
"It's fine. Just pitch confidently! If he bunts, we'll get him out at first!" Sakura spread his arms wide, reassuring his pitcher.
The infielders didn't move up but shifted their weight lower, ready to charge at a moment's notice. Seeing this, Aoki temporarily abandoned the idea of a bunt. Without Ohno on base, the threat of a bunt lacked punch.
...
The third pitch.
Pop!
"Strike!"
A hard pitch aimed straight at Aoki's chest, inside.
Even though Aoki had faced countless inside pitches in practice, without Sendo's elite spatial awareness, transitioning from two outside balls to a sudden inside strike was still challenging.
...
The fourth pitch.
Pop!
"Strike!" Swing and a miss!
Aoki underestimated the boldness of Seiwa's battery. Instead of throwing a predictable strike at 1-2, they delivered a borderline outside pitch, tricking him into swinging.
The count now evened to 2-2, shifting the advantage to the pitcher and catcher.
"A bold sequence. They still have room for one more ball. Will it be a strike or a ball?" Even Aoki hesitated against the unfamiliar battery.
...
The fifth pitch came swiftly.
"Inside pitch!"
"Slider?" Aoki realized as the ball broke unexpectedly. But it was too late.
Ping!
Pop!
The bat barely nicked the ball, sending a weak grounder to the infield, easily fielded for an out.
...
"Two outs!" Sakura shouted as the play concluded. The Seiwa players echoed him, their morale clearly boosted.
Now, the first rotation's core hitters were up, with Kondou stepping into the batter's box.
Aoki moved to first base to act as base coach, as per their unwritten rule: if Aoki failed to get on base, he would take over at first or third as a coach.
Meanwhile, Sendo entered the on-deck circle.
Despite Coach Takei's intent to walk Sendo at every at-bat, the real gap between Sendo and the opposing pitchers remained uncertain.
Even those who opted to walk him unconditionally could only guess at the true disparity.
Unlike the teams Akagi had previously faced, Seiwa's youth team was composed of players who had already made a name for themselves in last summer's tournament.
There was no way they would simply comply with the notion of walking Sendo every at-bat.
What a joke! These young players, untested by life's harsh realities, feared nothing and believed in their own strength. Having never faced top-tier youth teams, they likely didn't think they were any weaker.
Coach Takei, while expressing his intent to walk Sendo, had a dual purpose.
One was to lower Sendo's morale and dull his focus; the other was to save the showdown for later if the game situation allowed, such as with no runners on base.
However, Sendo, accustomed to rational thinking, didn't realize this nuance. He genuinely believed it would be another dull game.
...
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Strike!"
The first pitch was a vertical slider breaking from inside to outside, a challenging ball for right-handed batters.
"They're changing their pitch sequence? This catcher is smart," both Sendo and Aoki noticed simultaneously.
Unlike ordinary catchers who relied on fixed patterns, Seiwa's catcher played a cerebral game.
"And this pitcher must know how to throw a curveball! Takei-san wouldn't let such a talented pitcher skip it—it's just a matter of proficiency," Sendo analyzed deeply.
...
Second pitch!
"Same trajectory?"
Pop!
"Strike!"
This time, it was a fastball along the same inside-out path.
"Two strikes already! Not great, I'm cornered," Kondou muttered under his breath.
...
Third pitch!
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Strike three! Batter out! Three outs! Change sides!" the umpire announced loudly.
Kondou, overwhelmed by the deceptive pitch sequencing, froze and watched the third strike.
"Nicely done!" Sendo remarked as he stood and returned to the dugout.
What Sendo didn't see was Seiwa's pitcher, catcher, and all the fielders watching his back with burning determination.
...
"Sorry, I didn't swing," Kondou said, removing his helmet as he returned to the bench.
"Don't worry about it. That pitcher's control is incredible. Even with no breaking balls, we're still struggling to catch his rhythm," the team consoled him.
"The game has just begun! Stay calm; there's plenty of time to turn things around. Now, let's focus on defense—leave the messy thoughts from offense behind," Sendo said casually, wearing his catcher's gear.
"Yeah!!!" Buoyed by their pillar of support, the team shed all negative emotions.
...
Thanks to Sendo's encouragement, the defensive warm-up went smoothly, their throws clean and fluid.
Coach Takei, observing from the sidelines, silently praised Sendo's leadership.
In just a year, Akagi had transformed into a disciplined team with fundamentals arguably superior to Seiwa's.
After a brief warm-up for Sawamura, Seiwa's leadoff batter stepped into the box, and the umpire announced the start of the bottom of the first inning.
...
Last year, Sawamura's pitching had left an impression on Seiwa—his fastballs had slight, unpredictable movement, making it unwise to underestimate him.
Seiwa's leadoff batter stood as far forward in the box as possible, signaling their intent to dominate early.
If Sakura's pitch-calling was about strategic sequences, Sendo's was tailored to exploit batters' weaknesses.
As Sendo had learned in his childhood, understanding a batter's mindset allowed him to craft nearly perfect pitch calls.
For instance, if a batter was waiting for an outside pitch, suddenly throwing an inside fastball aimed at the chest would often leave them frozen.
Even skilled batters like Miyuki were vulnerable to such tactics. If their guess was wrong, they'd be left watching the ball cross the plate for a strike.
This was why Miyuki could never beat Chris in middle school. Chris could read his psyche after just a few at-bats and adjust his calls accordingly.
Even in high school, Miyuki relied on prolonged familiarity with his opponents to predict their tendencies, unlike Chris or Sendo, who used psychology and subtle cues to read and manipulate strangers' thoughts in real time.
...
What set Sendo apart was his unique ability to discern a batter's intentions through minute physical cues.
Like the protagonist in The Liar Game, Sendo could read subconscious movements, such as shifts in posture, revealing the batter's plan.
However, despite his extraordinary talent, Sendo genuinely disliked the roles of catcher and pitcher.
For him, baseball was a neutral pastime; batting was exciting, and facing strong pitchers was exhilarating. But catching and pitching? He outright hated them.
Catching required overanalyzing and wearing stifling gear, while pitching involved exhausting effort under the blazing sun, with each pitch demanding the energy of a 100-meter sprint.
...
"Still such naive kids… Let's do this!" Sendo thought, crouching behind the plate with a slight smirk.
"Right down the middle? You're as crazy as ever, Sendo!" Sawamura thought as he prepared to pitch, following the bold sign.
...
Whoosh!
"Huh? Down the middle?"
Pop!
"Strike!"
"You want to observe my pitch selection? Fine, we'll gladly rack up strikes!" Sendo's violet-gold eyes gleamed with authority as he shot an intimidating look at the stunned batter.
-------------------
If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21