LRAB Chapter 135: Fourth Round (3)
Chapter 135: Fourth Round (3)
The bottom of the third inning began with Shun back at bat, and once again, he had no trouble sending the ball close to the left-field foul line, reaching second base.
The young samurai Ren stepped into the box, ready to continue the offense, and that's exactly what he did. Watching Suiren's pitcher, he knew that a solid hit could bring Shun home again and extend Shoto's lead.
The pitcher threw a low fastball, and Ren, without hesitation, swung his bat hard.
WOOSH
DONG
The ball flew straight to right field, sailing over the second baseman's head and giving Shun a clear opportunity to run to home. Without wasting time, Shun sprinted from second base and crossed the plate with ease, pushing the score to 11-0. Ren safely reached second base, looking satisfied.
Jiro was next in the box, aware that a hit could further widen the lead. Suiren's pitcher, feeling the endless pressure from Shoto's offense, threw a splitter down the middle. Jiro attempted a swing, but the ball went high, turning into a fly ball to left field.
WOOSH
DING
PAH
"Out!" - The umpire called as the ball was caught, but Ren seized the moment and quickly advanced to third base, putting himself back in scoring position.
With Ren on third and Kenta in the box, Shoto's fans were buzzing with excitement. Kenta, focused, waited for the pitch. The pitcher tried a low splitter, but Kenta wasted no time and made solid contact.
WOOSH
DOONG
The ball bounced toward center field, and Ren ran at full speed, crossing home plate and adding another run for Shoto, raising the score to 12-0. Kenta stopped at first base with a satisfied smile.
Daigo stepped into the box, determined to repeat the result of his last at-bat, a home run. He watched the first pitch, a high fastball, and made a precise swing.
WOOSH
DOONG
The ball flew toward center field, fast and high, but unfortunately, it fell into the center fielder's glove just a few meters from the fence, securing the second out of the inning. Kenta, despite Daigo's good hit, had to return to first base.
Finally, Sora took the bat. Suiren's pitcher threw a decent splitter that Sora tried to hit, but the ball went straight to the shortstop's glove.
WOOSH
DING
PAH
"Out! 3 outs, changeover!" - The umpire announced, ending the inning with Kenta still on base and the score at 12-0.
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The fourth inning began with the top of Suiren Junior High's order back at bat. The first hitter stepped into the batter's box, and surprisingly, he looked focused and determined, showing Suiren's fighting spirit despite the large lead on the scoreboard.
Unfortunately for him, fighting spirit alone wasn't enough. Sora remained calm and focused on the mound and, without hesitation, threw the first pitch of the duel, following Daigo's command.
DOONG
The batter sent the ball flying quickly toward center field, sprinting to the base without hesitation.
Meanwhile, in center field, Shun faced a fly ball for the first time in the Tokyo tournament.
As soon as the ball left the third batter's bat, Shun felt as if time had slowed down. He could clearly see the ball, its spin, trajectory, and landing point, as a path traced itself across the field.
The moment Shun began running along the path, time returned to normal, and he felt the effect of his speed boost, seemingly faster than before. The ball was dropping quickly near the beginning of center field, and the distance between Shun and the ball was substantial. With the ball's speed and trajectory, it was natural for a fielder to let it bounce before attempting a catch, but thanks to the system, Shun was no ordinary fielder.
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The boy got as close as he could to the ball, and as it neared the ground, he slid to his knees, creating a basket with his glove and placing it on the ground.
PAH
"Out!"
Shun caught the ball but quickly got up and threw it to second base, trying to tag the runner who had advanced, thinking the ball would drop.
"Safe!"
However, the runner reacted quickly and managed to return just in time, diving into second base to avoid the tag.
"So this is the legendary level chase, huh? Not bad..." - Shun returned to his position, thinking to himself. He couldn't deny that he liked the upgrade of his chase skill to the legendary level.
The third batter returned to the dugout frustrated, and although Suiren had a runner on second base, they now had two outs.
But to Suiren's relief, the batter stepping into the box was the team's best hitter, the fourth batter. Sora was relieved that Shun had made the play to secure the second out, but he was also a bit frustrated that the third batter had managed such good contact.
This frustration affected Sora's performance against the fourth batter. On the very first pitch, Daigo called for a ball on the high inside corner of the zone, but Sora missed his spot, throwing a fastball right down the middle of the strike zone. And, of course, Suiren's fourth batter didn't miss the opportunity.
WOOSH
DONG
The ball was lined to the deep left field, enough for the runner to cross home plate, and the fourth batter reached second base safely. He raised his fist confidently as Suiren's dugout cheered, and though the gap remained large, they had finally managed to score a run.
The fifth batter stepped into the box, determined to keep the offense going to close the gap with Shoto. He swung his bat at the first pitch he saw.
WOOSH
DONG
The fifth batter made good contact with Sora's fastball, who again missed his spot. However, the ball ended up going too high, becoming a fly ball to right field, which Jiro easily caught.
PAH
"Out! 3 outs, changeover!" - The umpire announced as Shoto's players returned to the dugout.
"Hey, Sora! Don't worry about that run, they got a few lucky hits, but your pitches are on point. Just throw to Daigo's glove and trust your pitches!" - Shun patted Sora's back when they reached the dugout. From center field, he could tell that Sora was a bit frustrated on the mound, so he wanted to make sure Sora's mind was in the right place.
"Thanks, Senpai! I won't let them hit again!" - Sora said determinedly, looking gratefully at Shun. Though it seemed simple, Shun's words managed to bring Sora's focus back to the game.