Jiro calmly watched as the second batter stepped into the box. He looked at Daigo behind home plate and saw the signal for a knuckleball. Without much thought, he nodded. He then glanced at the runner on first base for a few moments before pitching.
PAH
"B-Ball!" - The umpire announced a bit hesitantly. The ball was well outside the zone for most of its trajectory, but once again, before it reached home plate, it broke in a seemingly impossible way, coming very close to the zone. The umpire called it a ball, but even he wasn't sure if it had touched the strike zone or not.
"Whew!" - The second batter sighed in relief. He had decided just to watch this pitch, but he was also surprised by the unusual movement the ball took before reaching home plate.
"Tch!" - Daigo was a bit irritated with the umpire's call. In his view, that pitch had touched the strike zone. But since there was nothing he could do about it, he simply signaled the next pitch to Jiro, a fastball on the lower outside corner of the zone.
Jiro pitched as requested.
WOOSH
DONG
The second batter made good contact with the ball, sending a strong line drive toward center field.
POFT
The ball bounced on the ground right after passing second base, but that didn't stop Shun from sprinting toward it with everything he had. He quickly reached the ball, and without a moment's hesitation, scooped it up and threw it hard to third base.
PAH
Shun's throw was accurate, which made the first batter hesitate and stop at second base. But even though he had prevented a runner from reaching third, there were now runners on first and second with no outs.
Shun looked worriedly at Jiro on the mound. That last pitch had been a good one, and the batter deserved credit, but with the first batter reaching base on a passed ball, it would be difficult for Jiro not to be rattled.
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After all, while the young nerd wasn't a complete rookie anymore, he also wasn't a very experienced pitcher. This was undoubtedly the most important game of Jiro's career so far, and Shoto Junior High's ace was far from having an ideal start.
The third batter stepped into the box as Jiro looked at him with a bit less calm than usual. A slight bead of sweat started to trickle down Jiro's face, a sign that he was feeling the pressure of the situation.
Unfortunately, Daigo didn't notice this, so he placed his glove in the middle of the strike zone and called for a knuckleball. Jiro also didn't seem to fully realize his own nervousness, so he simply nodded and began his wind-up.
Daigo then signaled for another splitter, hoping to induce the batter to swing again. Jiro pitched as requested.
POFT
"Ball!" - This time, the fourth batter wasn't fooled and just watched as the splitter fell to the ground.
Daigo then called for a high inside fastball, just above the edge of the strike zone. Jiro nodded and threw the third pitch of the duel.
"Good!" - Daigo thought with satisfaction as he watched the high fastball on the inner edge. He didn't believe anyone could hit a pitch like that, so he was hoping the batter would try.
WOOSH
DOONG
Unfortunately for Daigo, the fourth batter did exactly what the young catcher wanted, but instead of fouling it off or swinging and missing, the fourth batter sent the ball flying toward center field.
"Holy shit!" - Shun, who was in center field, didn't expect the fourth batter to hit that high pitch so deep either, but fortunately, he had his legendary chase skill to assist him.
Shun felt time slow down as he clearly saw the trajectory of the hit ball. He noticed that if he did nothing, the ball would go over the fence, but only by a few feet. Seeing that it was possible, Shun didn't waste time and sprinted with his speed boost toward the ball's landing point.
He realized he was getting closer and closer to the wall, but after assessing the ball's trajectory, he continued without hesitation. Just before colliding with the wall, he jumped, using his right foot to push off the wall and propel himself even higher. He then twisted his body slightly, positioning himself to stretch his arm toward the ball.
As the ball finally came into his line of sight, he stretched out his glove hand, feeling gravity take effect as his body began to descend toward the ground.
PAH
POFT
Shun landed dangerously, leaving all the Shoto players worried that he might be injured. Meanwhile, the fourth batter was trotting around the bases, watching Shun to see if he had managed to rob his home run.
Shun quickly stood up with a smile on his face, still holding the ball firmly in his glove, and without hesitation, he showed it to the umpire.
"Out!" - The umpire announced, silencing Tenshi's dugout as the fourth batter returned, unable to believe it.
"Yeeeahhh!" - On the other hand, both the Shoto dugout and the players on the field cheered at Shun's incredible play. With just one catch, the gloomy atmosphere of defeat lifted as everyone's spirits rose, knowing that this game was far from over.