The white ball, like a sharp arrow, passed through Carlos's chest.
Facing a fastball at that angle, Carlos had no way to swing. He stared at Zhang Han on the mound in disbelief, his expression one of pure shock.
The last time Zhang Han pitched had been in Seido's first round of the Autumn Tournament. Only half a month ago.
How could his control have reached this level?
The extreme inside high. This was no longer something achievable with basic control. At the very least, it required advanced control to pull off.
Not only Carlos, but every Inashiro batter waiting in the dugout was exchanging glances.
How could this be?
They had imagined countless possibilities, but not this one. Had Coach Kataoka deliberately held Zhang Han back, not to discard him, but to use him as a secret weapon?
Coach Kunitomo shook his head. They were too far from home plate to see clearly. Maybe the reality was different from what it looked like.
But what was that expression on Carlos's face?
Was it a coincidence, or something else?
Carlos had his own guesses. But it was too early to judge before seeing the next pitch.
Immediately after receiving Miyuki's return throw, Zhang Han pitched again without stopping.
This one went outside and low.
Carlos, who had stepped back half a step, felt the pitch was going to miss too far outside. He couldn't swing at that.
Then he heard the ball bury itself in the mitt.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
Two consecutive strikes. Extremely fast, and with control that was even harder to read.
One inside high, one outside low. One closest to the batter's eyes, one furthest from them.
Even if Zhang Han couldn't use a breaking ball for the rest of the game, that speed and control alone would be enough to give Inashiro's batters a serious headache.
Carlos steadied himself.
It seemed they had underestimated Zhang Han. They had never considered him the biggest threat. Now it was clear he was Seido's true secret weapon.
He had to get a hit. If this kid kept pitching like this, the final outcome of the game could genuinely go either way.
Carlos set himself.
Zhang Han and Miyuki showed nothing on their faces, as if completely absorbed in the duel. But neither of them was calm inside.
Their luck today was simply unbelievable. Not only had the inside pitch found the extreme dead corner, but the outside pitch had hit the sideline too. If they didn't make full use of a start like this, they would be wasting a gift.
Zhang Han took his stance and threw the decisive pitch.
When Carlos saw the ball coming, his expression shifted.
Right down the middle?
Two pitches to the corners, and then one straight down the middle? Was that possible?
Under normal circumstances, Carlos would have swung at that immediately. But the first two pitches had made him hesitant. He kept his eyes wide and watched carefully.
Could it be a breaking ball?
No sign of one.
Finally, Carlos gritted his teeth and swung. With two strikes on him, he had no choice. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he was still convinced it might be a forkball or something similar. So when he swung, he unconsciously tilted his bat down slightly.
"Ping!"
The white ball flew high off the bat.
Kominato Ryosuke drifted under it at second base and caught it in his mitt.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
The Inashiro runner on third base, seeing the short distance, didn't dare attempt a tag. Two outs, bases loaded.
The inning wasn't over yet, but Seido had clearly come out ahead. They had secured the crucial second out without giving up a single run.
Now they could face the next batter with confidence.
Miyuki took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
What a moment.
When he had seen that pitch go right down the middle, his heart had nearly stopped. Fortunately, Carlos's swing hadn't been decisive. He had probably been sitting on a breaking ball.
Of course, for the ball to have had that effect and stay in the infield, the more important factors were Zhang Han's speed and power. Carlos clearly hadn't expected Zhang Han's pitching to be this strong.
"Good pitch!"
Having dealt with the athletically gifted Carlos, the challenge ahead would be somewhat easier.
Second batter, Shirakawa Katsuyuki.
Among Inashiro Industrial's strong hitters, Shirakawa had the weakest power, bar none. For a fastball pitcher like Zhang Han, Shirakawa was a favorable matchup.
Miyuki's signal was simple: throw hard, don't worry too much about location.
The result was that Shirakawa, despite being outmatched by speed, gave Zhang Han a difficult time. The early counts were manageable, but once Zhang Han got to two strikes, Shirakawa used his precise contact skills to keep fouling pitches off.
"Foul!"
"Foul!"
He kept fouling, waiting for Zhang Han to throw something hittable.
The duel with Carlos, though won, had exposed something. Zhang Han's control was inconsistent. In theory, if the at-bat went long enough, he would eventually throw a hittable pitch. Just like that last pitch to Carlos.
"These guys from Inashiro are truly monsters."
Miyuki meant it sincerely.
Zhang Han was throwing over 140 km/h, a genuine fastball. And Inashiro's batters, without even fully adapting, were already catching up to the speed.
This had become a battle of mental fortitude. Who was more determined. Whose resolve ran deeper.
Miyuki gave the signal.
Zhang Han gritted his teeth and threw. This was already his seventh pitch in the struggle with Shirakawa.
Here it comes.
Shirakawa saw it clearly. The location was good. He couldn't let it go again. The prolonged battle had made both his hands tremble slightly against the bat.
Speed was power. A fastball over 140 km/h carried intimidating force behind it too.
Now.
Seven or eight centimeters above center.
Shirakawa swung.
His bat missed.
Disbelief crossed his face. The ball had risen. It had actually risen, so much that his bat couldn't touch it.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!!!"
The process hadn't been entirely smooth, but Zhang Han's performance still sent Seido's supporters into a frenzy. The crisis of one out, bases loaded, had been overcome. Seido High School Baseball Team had clawed their way back from the edge.
Score: 6:4. The game moved to the bottom of the sixth inning. Seido High School Baseball Team on offense.
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