hotmtlnovel Chapter 134: Fourth Round (2)
Chapter 134: Fourth Round (2)
The second inning began with Sora back on the mound, maintaining the same calm and focus he had shown in the first. Suiren Junior High was trying to adjust to the young pitcher's precise and varied pitches, but Sora's control and his synchronization with Daigo proved impenetrable.
Suiren's fourth batter, eager to reach base and give the team a chance to recover, took his position in the box with a firm stance. After a brief analysis, Daigo signaled for a low fastball outside the zone. Sora nodded and quickly started his wind-up, delivering with precision.
PAH
"Ball!" - The umpire announced.
Unfazed by the initial ball, Sora followed Daigo's call for a screwball down the middle. The screwball, with its unexpected break, had been his secret weapon, and Sora knew it would continue to pose challenges.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
The Suiren batter hesitated, clearly struggling to read the screwball's spin, especially with the coordination between Sora and Daigo.
With a slight nod, Daigo called for a curve, and Sora, without hesitation, pitched. The ball came in high and dropped sharply.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
Now, the batter found himself cornered. On the final pitch, Sora threw another screwball, but this time he kept it low, drawing the batter into a full-force swing, hoping for contact.
WOOSH
PAH
"StrikeOut!" - The umpire declared, and the Suiren batter lowered his bat in frustration, yielding the first out of the inning.
The next Suiren batter, determined to break Sora's rhythm, stepped in with a more defensive stance, clearly aiming to avoid a strikeout. Daigo signaled the fastball again.
Sora pitched with precision, and the ball passed through the zone with a slight spin, enough to deceive the batter.
PAH
"Strike!"
With the batter more cautious, Sora followed Daigo's call and threw a curveball. The ball broke at the last moment, but the batter held back, waiting for an easier pitch to try a hit.
PAH
"Ball!" - The umpire called.
At a 1-1 count, Daigo called for the screwball. Sora took a deep breath, refocusing, and delivered the ball firmly. The screwball's deceptive movement made the batter swing too early, missing as the ball dropped out of his reach.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
Cornered, the batter tried to regain composure. On the final pitch, Sora went for a high fastball, increasing speed to catch the batter off guard.
WOOSH
PAH
"StrikeOut!" - The umpire announced, and Shoto's dugout erupted in applause, feeling Sora's dominant rhythm.
The sixth batter entered the box, attempting to break the streak of outs. Daigo decided to start with a curveball, and Sora pitched.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
Without delay, Sora delivered another screwball, fast and accurate. The batter, impatient, swung again, but the ball slipped out of his range.
WOOSH
PAH
With the determination to contribute to the team with his batting, Sora stepped into the box, ready to face Suiren's pitcher. The first pitch was a fastball, and Sora waited patiently, watching its trajectory.
PAH
"Ball!" - The umpire announced.
On the second pitch, the pitcher tried a splitter, but Sora didn't hesitate. He swung his bat and made solid contact, sending the ball to right field.
WOOSH
DONG
Sora reached first base safely, continuing Shoto's hitting streak. However, the lower part of Shoto's lineup couldn't keep up the pressure. Hisashi and Tomo were both struck out after a series of fast and well-placed pitches. Takeya, the ninth batter, made contact but was caught on a fly ball to the infield, ending the inning with Sora on base and the score at 10-0.
The third inning began, and Sora returned to the mound with the same confidence and control he had shown in the previous innings. He knew that the end of Suiren's order didn't pose a significant threat, but he remained vigilant to avoid any mistakes.
Suiren's seventh batter entered the box with an offensive stance, clearly attempting to put the ball in play by any means. Daigo signaled a low screwball, and Sora pitched with precision, making the ball break out of the batter's reach.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
Without wasting any time, Sora threw the second pitch, a high curveball that dropped at the top of the zone.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
The batter, now cornered with two strikes, swung desperately on the third pitch, hoping for a miracle. Unfortunately for him, Daigo had called for a high fastball at the top of the zone. Unable to adjust in time, he swung and missed.
WOOSH
PAH
"StrikeOut!"
The eighth batter stepped into the box with a worried expression. He knew Suiren was struggling, and any chance of putting the ball in play seemed increasingly unlikely. Sora, keeping the rhythm, threw a curve that broke in the strike zone, confusing the batter and forcing a desperate swing.
WOOSH
DING
PAH
"Out!" - The umpire announced the second out as the eighth batter sent the first pitch he saw directly to Kenta's glove.
The last batter in Suiren's lineup, determined to avoid a quick end, entered the box with a tense stance. Daigo signaled for an outside fastball, and Sora pitched firmly.
WOOSH
PAH
"Strike!"
The ninth batter couldn't make contact, putting Sora ahead in the count again. For the second pitch, Daigo called for a curve in the middle of the zone, and Sora delivered precisely that.
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PAH
"Strike!"
"Damn!" - The batter muttered in frustration as he swung his bat in vain, finding himself cornered with just one more pitch left.
Not wanting to be struck out on only two pitches, the ninth batter did his best to remain calm and avoid chasing pitches too far outside the zone. Unfortunately for him, as he stood at two strikes, Daigo already had a plan to finish him off.
Daigo signaled for a screwball and positioned his glove on the outside corner of the zone. Sora nodded quickly and pitched as directed.
"Outside!" - The batter thought as he eyed the ball. But as a right-handed batter, he was particularly vulnerable to the screwball's break, which veered unexpectedly toward him, breaking into the edge of the zone at the last moment.
PAH
"StrikeOut! 3 outs, changeover!" - The umpire called, leaving the ninth batter momentarily frozen in disbelief, struggling to process what he had just seen, a backdoor screwball.
Shoto Junior High's team returned to the dugout with the same dominating energy, ready for another offensive inning.