Just as Zhang Han was about to pitch, the Inashiro Industrial batter gave him a big surprise.
Carlos, a batter with good hitting skills, abandoned his normal stance and dropped into a bunt stance in the batter's box. He looked completely sincere.
Inashiro Industrial wanted to trade an out for a run.
For Seido, this deal wasn't necessarily a loss. In the current situation, a long hit could mean two or three runs. Seido was already two runs behind, and giving up two or three more would essentially force them to surrender. Zhang Han, freshly brought into the game, certainly wouldn't want to face that. This made Carlos's offer particularly appealing.
One run for one out.
Although it would put Seido three runs behind and make things very passive, it would also reduce their defensive pressure. Bases loaded would become runners on second and third, and one out would become two. With two outs secured, Zhang Han could focus entirely on the batter without worrying about the runners at all.
Inashiro just wanted to safely secure one run. Seido could use the same moment to escape their predicament. Relatively speaking, Seido stood to gain more. It was a worthwhile deal.
"Inashiro is too soft-hearted…"
In the stands, a fan who thought he understood the situation muttered in a low voice. He seemed to think Inashiro was going easy on them.
Fujio, a senior reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, heard it and quietly curled his lip.
How absurd.
Inashiro might be sincere, but if Seido accepted this offer, wouldn't that mean they had already given up the game? A three-run deficit isn't easy to overcome. And the score difference was only one part of it. Momentum mattered too.
As the saying goes, on a narrow path, the brave win.
If Seido retreated here, wouldn't they keep retreating? If they were leading, a strategic pullback might make sense. But they had been pushed to the brink. In that situation, retreat was not an option.
"If those two are smart, they'll know that right now they can only move forward."
Fujio's own baseball skills in school had been terrible, but that didn't mean his judgment was poor. If anything, the opposite was true. His eye for the game was sharp, and he had a way of cutting straight to the heart of things.
The newly formed battery of Seido High School Baseball Team did not disappoint him. They reacted immediately, without even needing to discuss it.
Miyuki began signaling his teammates, telling them to move up. The infielders each stepped forward six or seven meters, cutting off every possible bunting lane for Carlos.
Zhang Han kept his eyes moving across the restless runners.
Their response told Inashiro Industrial clearly: Seido would not retreat. They would not give up a single run.
"As Narumiya said, these two won't give up until they see the coffin."
Zhang Han. Miyuki. Outwardly, both appeared calm and composed. But underneath, each of them carried a fierce, unrelenting determination.
They wouldn't back down.
Carlos turned his head and looked toward his dugout. Coach Kunitomo's face was grim. Seeing Carlos look over, he gave a slight nod.
Since Seido refused the deal, they would take the run by force.
Carlos pulled his bat back and returned to his normal hitting stance. Seido's infielders retreated a few steps accordingly, but not too far. After Carlos's bunt threat, they didn't dare give too much ground. That cunning player was fast, and if the Inashiro runners timed it well, they might force a run without even giving up an out.
So Seido's infielders held their ground with enough buffer to rush back if anything went wrong.
Zhang Han had been in the game less than a minute and had already been drawn into a battle of wills with Inashiro Industrial before throwing a single pitch.
The disciples trained by Coach Kunitomo were truly adept at applying pressure. When facing them as a pitcher, it wasn't enough to simply think about the pitch itself. Game situation, stamina distribution, baserunner management — it all had to be weighed at once.
Tanba and Kawakami hadn't pitched that many innings, and yet facing opponents like these, lasting seventy or eighty pitches had already been a serious struggle.
Now it was his turn.
Zhang Han quietly noted that at least the bases were already loaded. Unless a bunt appeared, he wouldn't have to watch the runners and could focus solely on the batter.
Carlos had exquisite hitting skills. On the surface, he wore a smile and appeared harmless. In reality, he was mischievous and liked to keep people guessing.
Zhang Han believed the biggest reason Carlos's hitting hadn't progressed further was that he overthought things. If he could commit fully to developing his hitting, his physique and talent would make him a formidable slugger.
As it stood, Carlos was difficult to deal with, but not unmanageable. Both Tanba and Kawakami had gotten outs against him.
Miyuki looked up at Zhang Han, who appeared completely at ease and entirely unfazed by the opponent.
Inexplicably, Miyuki thought of Zhang Han's notebook.
Zhang Han had never been expected to pitch in today's game. And yet, he had still used his notebook to record information on every Inashiro batter. He had come prepared. He had a plan for each of them.
No one's reputation is built on luck.
In junior high, Zhang Han hadn't reached the level of a top-tier star, but he had still been a core player at the prestigious Matsukata Little League. A player like that didn't reach that level without their own methods.
Miyuki felt an unexpected surge of anticipation.
Let them work together and deal with these monsters from Inashiro Industrial.
Miyuki signaled: inside.
On the mound, Zhang Han gave an almost imperceptible nod. It matched what he had already concluded. Carlos was notably wary of strong inside pitches. The data was clear: he swung at inside fastballs less often, and his contact rate on them was low.
If only one of those patterns existed, it might be a coincidence. With both present together, coincidence was off the table.
Carlos was wary of inside pitches. So that was exactly where they needed to go, until he felt it in his bones.
Zhang Han lifted his leg high, then brought it down hard. As his center of gravity shifted, the baseball whistled out of his hand.
Carlos raised an eyebrow in the batter's box.
What a large range of motion. It looked a bit clunky.
Zhang Han had only been practicing left-handed pitching for about two months. Smoothing out his mechanics to a polished level would probably take at least another year.
Carlos genuinely admired Kataoka for having the confidence to put Zhang Han out here at all. Truly remarkable.
He gripped the bat tightly and waited. As long as the pitch was hittable, he wasn't going to let it go.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball whistled in.
The moment it left Zhang Han's hand, Carlos froze.
This pitch was fast.
The ball came in like a sharp arrow, aimed directly at his chest. Carlos couldn't react in time. He could only watch helplessly as it passed in front of him.
For a brief moment, Carlos thought he was going to die. It was like being shot through the heart on an ancient battlefield. It wasn't until he heard the ball bury itself into the mitt behind him that he felt alive again.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
The stadium fell silent.
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