Under the shocked gaze of Masamoto, Kuramochi successfully ran to first base.
Although he had thrown the baseball as quickly as possible, his teammate, Nanami, managed to catch the ball.
However, their speed was clearly no match for Kuramochi, known as the "Seidou Cheetah."
In the end, they could only helplessly watch as Kuramochi smoothly reached first base.
No Outs, and a runner on first base.
In a baseball game, this isn't considered a major crisis.
Saying it's a matter of life or death is a bit of an exaggeration.
The runner on first base hasn't even entered the scoring zone yet.
Getting such a runner to score isn't an easy task.
But now, the person standing on first base is Seidou High School's leadoff hitter, the offensive engine.
That changes things significantly.
As the starting leadoff batter for Seidou High School, when Kuramochi reaches base, scoring for Seidou High is practically a routine occurrence.
So far, after so many games, it's rare to see a situation like this where they don't manage to score in the end.
So, don't underestimate this single base hit; it's like the signal for Seidou High's offense to start.
At the beginning of the game, Hoshiryu High School was already facing a crisis.
Hosho Okuchi, the catcher, clearly couldn't sit still at this point.
He called for a timeout and ran up to the pitcher's mound.
"Calling for a timeout in the first inning!"
"That's a bit rash, isn't it?"
"Looking at the essence through the surface, Seidou is just executing a normal offensive play, but Hoshiryu High looks like they're facing a life-or-death enemy. From this, you can see the gap between these two teams."
"Seidou is a pitcher's Kingdom. Even though the big Sawamura isn't on the mound, it's not easy to score against them. The catcher of Hoshiryu High should have this judgment, which is why they absolutely can't allow the team to give up a run."
The spectators, like baseball experts, were sharing their insightful opinions.
On the other side, Seidou High School's players were also looking at each other in confusion.
The game had just begun, and situations like Kuramochi reaching first base were very common for Seidou High.
Before each game against Seidou, their opponents would have definitely made thorough preparations for situations like this.
Even if their preparations weren't perfect, they should at least have emergency plans in place.
Just like the previous match against Kanetsu-Norin.
Their experience was lacking, but they still accounted for Kuramochi reaching base.
The players of Hoshiryu High were not fools.
Each of them was good at baseball.
They couldn't possibly be unaware of such a situation.
Since they knew it might happen, how could they not have prepared a strategy beforehand?
The players of Hoshiryu High weren't exactly crafty veterans, but they weren't naïve either.
'What kind of tricks were they planning?'
In Seidou High's dugout, Sawamura squinted his eyes as he observed these well-known opponents.
Unlike what Sawamura had anticipated, Hoshiryu High had indeed foreseen this situation, but they hadn't come up with any useful countermeasures.
Other teams had proven, through countless encounters with Seidou High, that stopping Kuramochi's crazy base stealing was extremely difficult.
In this situation, they really couldn't think of any good ways to stop him.
Helpless, Hosho Ryuki, the Coach, suggested:
"Let's deal with it when it actually happens!"
They still had a lot of trust in Nanami Haruka's pitching.
The possibility of such an unexpected situation happening right at the start wasn't very high.
As long as they avoided the initial confrontation, they would take things as they came.
"Don't worry about it, things will work out!"
But they never imagined the surprise would come so quickly, catching them off guard.
Okuchi had no choice but to call for a timeout.
He pushed up the mask of his gear, covered his mouth with his mitt, and seriously looked at Nanami.
"Can we stop their base stealing?"
The question was too direct, and Nanami really wanted to nod.
But he couldn't.
At this moment, he couldn't give a positive answer.
"I'm afraid not!"
They had previously done tests where the pitcher would pitch, and the catcher would receive and throw the ball to second base.
Their time was about 3.2 seconds.
Kuramochi's base stealing speed was roughly 2.9.
Wasn't this a joke?
As long as he could get even the slightest head start, theoretically, Hoshiryu High's Ace pitching and catching duo wouldn't be able to stop Kuramochi at all.
"In this case, we'll have to use another method."
"Will that work?"
"If we don't take the risk, we'll definitely give up a run, and judging by the current situation, it might not just be one run. If we take the risk, we might give up more runs, but at least we'll have a chance to stop them."
As Hosho said this, the figure of Sawamura appeared in his mind.
His baseball journey had initially been influenced by his father.
Later, during his middle school years, he was influenced by Sawamura.
From Sawamura, he learned many things.
The most important lesson was that, during a game, you had to have imagination.
Especially when you're not as strong as your opponent.
"If we're weaker than the opponent, and we don't dream, how can we win the game?"
Before, Hosho, as the catcher, had been purely a supporting role.
After pairing up with Sawamura for two years, he had also learned a lot.
Now, sometimes, his wild ideas even surprised Nanami Haruka.
"If you insist, let's give it a try."
The two discussed their strategy and returned to their positions.
Kuramochi on first base was eager to go.
He had clearly decided to steal the base right from the start.
Knowing yourself and your opponent guarantees victory.
Hoshiryu High's battery duo's time for holding the runner was something they were naturally very aware of.
But Kuramochi knew it too.
He also knew that, theoretically, these two had no way to stop him.
In this case, how could he not steal the base?
Nanami Haruka looked like he had given up, and didn't seem to intend to stop Kuramochi from stealing.
During his pitching, he didn't even turn his head, as if he wasn't planning to try to hold Kuramochi.
This, in turn, made Kuramochi uneasy.
Was this guy trying to deceive him, waiting to launch a surprise attack?
As the saying goes, you should never harm others, but always be prepared for them to harm you.
If this guy really tried something like that, wouldn't Kuramochi be wronged?
Since his speed was good enough, Kuramochi had no need to stray too far from the base.
He quietly stepped back a step or two, preparing in case of a sudden attack from Nanami.
Though his speed wasn't as fast as the top pitchers in the country, Nanami Haruka's fastball was still a force to be reckoned with.
It was just over 140 km/h.
It might not seem fast, but realistically, even that speed was intimidating.
The baseball would instantly appear in the first baseman's mitt.
If he got caught stealing like that, his reputation would be ruined!
Because of this concern, Kuramochi didn't dare to be too bold.
He waited until Nanami pulled back his arm and was about to pitch.
At that moment, Kuramochi was sure that Nanami wouldn't throw a pick-off attempt.
Then, he confidently dashed toward second base.
His speed was so fast that he seemed like a streak of blue light.
He was fast, but Nanami Haruka's was just as quick.
For some unknown reason this time, Nanami's pitching motion was unusually swift. He didn't use his full body strength but instead threw the ball with a simpler, more efficient motion.
The spectators in the stands, some of whom had seen this scene, widened their eyes in surprise.
"IT'S A TRAP!!"
Earlier, they had felt something was off. It seemed too easy for Hoshiryu High School, as though they weren't even trying to defend against Kuramochi.
Even though Hoshiryu High School was nervous, they were still one of the top eight in the country, their strength comparable to the top-tier teams.
Such a situation couldn't be right.
And when viewed with common sense, this situation definitely felt off.
Hosho Okuchi had even called a timeout to deal with this crisis.
They discussed for a while but ultimately took no action.
This was clearly illogical.
At that point, some speculated that Hoshiryu High School's players were up to something else.
Sure enough, they had hidden a move.
From the start, they had planned to set a trap and wait for Kuramochi to walk right into it.
Nanami Haruka increased his pitching pace. While he couldn't fully unleash his speed, he saved time on his entire throwing motion.
Even if he gained just 0.1 seconds, it could give them a chance to catch Kuramochi.
But their plan wasn't just limited to that.
The coordination was clearly premeditated.
Didn't you see that Hosho had already crouched halfway down?
He had altered his catching motion, aiming to throw the ball to second base faster after receiving it.
Nanami Haruka saved 0.2 seconds! Hosho saved 0.1 seconds!
In baseball, a difference of 0.1 seconds can be the difference between heaven and hell.
Let alone saving so much time.
Originally, Kuramochi had a chance to get to base, but now he was facing despair.
The spectators, all eagerly watching, felt the tension rise.
They say there's no harm in watching the spectacle, and it was even more so when watching the mighty Hoshiryu High School baseball team.
After all, this kind of spectacle was rare for them to witness.
It happened…
Hosho Okuchi crouched, watching the baseball fly toward him, his eyes gleaming with determination.
So far, everything had gone exactly as they had planned.
Next was the final showdown!
Would it be their meticulously prepared surprise for Hoshiryu High School's baseball team?
Or would Hoshiryu High School's players use their strength to crush any obstacles and overwhelm them?
Let's see!
Hosho made up his mind. He would catch the ball and immediately throw it to second base.
Just then, a bat suddenly appeared in front of him.
This pitch was intentionally thrown wide by Nanami Haruka.
Although he didn't have the terrifying Last Moment Adjustment of Sawamura, it was still possible to intentionally throw the ball outside the strike zone.
The baseball deviated about 7-8 centimeters outside the corner of the strike zone.
Even a strong batter would find it hard to reach a pitch like this.
Let alone someone like Kominato, who was of average size and build.
Reaching for this pitch would be very difficult.
But somehow, Kominato Haruichi managed to reach it!
Upon realizing Hoshiryu High School's strategy, Haruichi quickly deduced the result.
In this situation, the likelihood of Kuramochi being out was 90%.
Haruichi, who hadn't planned to swing, had no choice but to act.
As Hoshiryu High School's offensive engine, Kuramochi's effect on base was completely different from when he was still trying to get there.
He wasn't the important one now.
Especially with it being the first inning.
If Hoshiryu High School could score first, the impact would be significant.
Determined, Haruichi chose to sacrifice himself and allow Kuramochi to advance.
He leaned forward and swung his bat in a wide swing, using the edge of the bat to deflect the baseball.
Since Nanami had reduced his pitching motion, the pitch wasn't very powerful.
When the ball hit the bat, Haruichi didn't feel much of a rebound. The ball was simply deflected.
"Good!"
Kominato silently cheered inside.
Though he knew he would be Out in this situation, as long as Kuramochi could safely advance to second base, his sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.
Moreover, if the opposition tried to tag him Out, Kuramochi's speed meant he could take a risky chance at third base.
If Kuramochi made it to third base, the outcome would be even better!
Though he will be Out, a smile of relief appeared on his face.
Clearly, he didn't regret his choice.
But when he looked up to see where the ball was landing, his smile froze.
'Why?'
'When?'
How did he get there?
Masamoto, who had earlier made a mistake, allowing Kuramochi's steal, was now only 7-8 meters away from Haruichi.
'How did he get so close?'
With his sudden advance, the ball Kominato had deflected landed perfectly in Masamoto's mitt after bouncing.
Masamoto's expression was grim as he quickly turned and fired the ball to second base.
Snap!
Hattori, The center fielder, arrived at second base to cover.
He caught the ball, stepping on the base.
As Kuramochi slid in, he jumped and, while airborne, passed the ball to first base.
Their second baseman was already covering first base.
Snap!
"Out!"
"Out!!"
In the span of one or two seconds, everything changed.
Seidou High School, who had seemed to have an overwhelming advantage and was on the verge of scoring, was suddenly outplayed by Hoshiryu High School.
Before they could even react, they were double-played.
On the sidelines, Sawamura, who had just suited up and was ready to bat, raised an eyebrow.
'Was this part of the plan?'
The stands erupted in excitement.
The two reporters from Baseball Kingdom Magazine exchanged shocked looks.
They hadn't anticipated such an unexpected turn of events.
At first, based on the atmosphere of the earlier exchange, they thought Hoshiryu High School was just an easy opponent.
Maybe they would resist a bit, but they figured they would eventually be defeated.
But what they saw was completely different.
Hoshiryu High School, who looked weaker, suddenly pulled off a stunning double play.
It halted Seidou High School's offense.
This double play was incredible!
It was extremely rare for Seidou High School's baseball team to fail to score when Kuramochi reached base.
Let alone getting double-played!
The chances of this happening were almost nonexistent.
And it just happened.
Hoshiryu High School's performance shocked the entire stadium.
In their dugout, their teammates were ecstatic.
If it weren't for gravity, they'd probably be jumping up and down.
On the other side, Seidou High School's dugout was tense.
Though they all knew the road to legend would never be easy, they didn't expect to encounter such strong counterattacks.
The earlier game against the Kanetsu-Norin had already surprised them.
Now, Hoshiryu High School was proving to be even more of a challenge.
In the bottom of the first, Seidou High School's offense was up.
Two Outs, no one on base.
The batter stepping into the box was Seidou High School's left fielder, Sawamura.
…