There were no outs and no runners on base.
Osaka Kiryuu High School Baseball Team had just scored and reduced the gap, yet instead of pressing forward with their usual powerful swings, their Fifth Batter, Araki, suddenly squared around to bunt.
The change was abrupt enough to make the Seido High School Baseball Team players glance at one another in confusion.
For a moment, it genuinely felt as if they were the ones who had made a mistake in judgment. Otherwise, how could they fail to understand what their opponent was trying to accomplish?
Under normal circumstances, with no runners on base and Seido's infield playing in, a bunt would almost certainly result in an easy out. The risk outweighed the reward. That was the straightforward logic.
However, Miyuki Kazuya was not someone who stopped at straightforward logic. From behind home plate, he felt a sharp shift in his thoughts.
What if this obvious logic was exactly what Araki wanted them to rely on? If Seido assumed that no competent power hitter would bunt in this situation, then that very assumption could become a weakness.
The possibility of a fake bunt immediately entered Miyuki's mind. Araki might be luring the infielders forward, only to pull back at the last second and swing freely into the space created.
It was not the most reasonable timing for such a play, but precisely because it seemed unreasonable, it might succeed. People tend to guard against common strategies. They often neglect the ones that appear unnecessary.
Miyuki quickly realized that his thinking was starting to spiral. The more he calculated, the more complicated the situation became.
In reality, there were only two possibilities. Araki would bunt, or he would fake it. The complexity existed only in Miyuki's mind.
Araki's round, seemingly harmless face did not help matters. His expression gave away nothing. It was entirely possible that this entire scenario had been carefully arranged.
Osaka Kiryuu was known for overwhelming opponents with strength, yet strength and calculation were not mutually exclusive. A powerhouse did not need to rely solely on brute force.
Miyuki decided that instead of choosing one defensive approach, he would attempt to cover both.
Before Hidezawa began his motion, he subtly signaled the infielders to creep forward four or five steps. Once the pitch was released, they would retreat quickly to their original positions. If Araki bunted, they would already be close enough to react.
If he faked and swung, they would not be caught completely out of position.
It was not a flawless plan. If Araki truly committed to a bunt and the infielders hesitated during their repositioning, even a slight delay could reduce their defensive effectiveness.
Still, Miyuki judged that their chances of getting the out remained high, well above seventy or eighty percent. Against Osaka Kiryuu's Fifth Batter, that was already a favorable calculation.
Hidezawa, standing on the mound, no longer had the energy to analyze deeper strategies. He had entrusted that responsibility to Miyuki. His only focus now was executing each pitch properly. When he saw the sign, he accepted it without hesitation and began his motion.
As the ball left his hand, Hidezawa noticed that Araki was still holding the bunt stance. That detail alone triggered his instincts.
Even before his brain fully processed it, his body reacted. After releasing a pitch, a pitcher becomes a fielder. That reflex had been drilled into him countless times. Despite the fatigue weighing heavily on his body, he immediately charged forward.
Hidezawa trusted Miyuki, and he trusted the defense behind him. If Araki truly attempted a bunt, Seido would handle it.
However, the expected contact never came. At the last second, Araki pulled the bat back, abandoning the bunt entirely. The baseball traveled cleanly into Miyuki's mitt with a crisp pop.
For a brief moment, several Seido players froze. They had prepared for a bunt play. Instead, they were left staring at an empty motion.
Miyuki's expression hardened. He was not pleased about earning a strike in that manner. Rather, irritation surged within him. The tactic was transparent now. Osaka Kiryuu was not trying to bunt for a hit. They were trying to force movement.
In the dugout, Manager Ota looked bewildered. He struggled to understand why a powerhouse like Osaka Kiryuu would resort to this kind of maneuver.
Coach Kataoka, however, had already grasped the intention. Osaka Kiryuu had no obligation to maintain an image of nobility. As long as their actions stayed within the rules, they would exploit every weakness.
Seido's most obvious weakness at this stage of the game was Hidezawa's stamina.
Two consecutive intense games had already drained him, and today's confrontation had accelerated that depletion. Because of this, Hidezawa had chosen direct confrontations to reduce pitch count and avoid drawn-out battles. Matsumoto Takahiro would never ignore such an opportunity.
The goal was simple. Force Hidezawa to move forward. Force him to react to the bunt stance. Make him expend energy repeatedly. Even if Araki never intended to bunt successfully, the mere threat was enough to drain stamina bit by bit.
Pitch, charge forward, reset. Repeat.
The pattern alone was exhausting.
In the stands, a portion of experienced spectators began to murmur in understanding. Soon after, boos echoed through parts of the stadium. The tactic might have been legal, but it was undeniably frustrating to watch.
Osaka Kiryuu remained unmoved by the reaction. Araki once again settled into his bunt stance as if the noise around him did not exist.
His expression was calm, almost indifferent, as though he had already committed himself to repeating this strategy for as long as necessary.
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