After Sawamura came onto the field, the freshman team's atmosphere improved significantly. His antics loosened the players up, and once they relaxed, their previous efforts began to show. As a result, the senior team only managed to score five runs in the second inning. Even so, they successfully knocked out a relief pitcher who had lost the confidence to take the mound again.
Coach Ochiai frowned watching from the dugout.
If he had known it would go like this, he would have selected more relief pitchers during the tryouts. If the next three freshman pitchers folded the same way, they wouldn't even make it to the ninth inning. They might run out of arms by the fifth.
In the third inning, the freshman team's offense was again neutralized by Kawakami. He secured three outs before the difficult Kominato could come to bat.
Coach Kataoka was satisfied.
"You've found your rhythm now. Your next goal is to hold it. Don't pull back just because the opponent changes."
Kawakami's personality was different from Tanba's. Harsh criticism might not get results with him. Coach Kataoka had adjusted his approach accordingly, leading with encouragement and following with a gentle push. Kawakami responded well.
Miyuki, standing nearby, watched Kawakami with something close to regret.
Coach Kataoka was teaching to the individual, and the method was genuinely helping Kawakami. But in the process, something important had been inadvertently revealed.
Coach Kataoka's expectations for Kawakami were not high.
If he wanted Kawakami to become the team's ace, he would never have been this gentle. Even without tearing him apart completely, he would have delivered sharp, pointed criticism. That was Coach Kataoka's way of developing an ace.
He hadn't done that here. Which meant Kawakami had, without knowing it, already lost the qualification to contend for the ace position.
The young man remained cheerfully unaware.
In the third inning, the freshman team's pitcher was Kaneda. He had come through youth baseball, but his middle school record was far below Toujou's. By background and prior performance, he was the least conspicuous of the five pitchers selected for the freshman team.
Once he took the mound, though, he pitched well. The senior team's score actually dropped from the previous inning, coming in at four runs. Kaneda held on with the help of his teammates and secured the third out.
He hadn't given up many runs, but his pitch count had climbed, and by the end of the inning the senior team had a solid read on his patterns and habits. Even if he had stamina left, continuing would only invite a beating.
"This one has something. Nurtured properly, he might develop into a real pitcher."
Manager Ota's expression had noticeably brightened. The seniors had shown no mercy to their juniors, attacking relentlessly. But the freshmen weren't as fragile as he had feared. A few players had shown genuine ability, Jinguuji and Kominato Haruichi at the plate, and Kaneda on the mound.
"Still far off, though. He has potential, but in terms of current ability, he can't even make the second string, let alone the first string."
Takashima Rei's assessment was stricter. What Seido needed most right now was capable pitchers who could actually play. If the freshmen weren't at that level, they wouldn't be promoted before summer.
Three innings done.
The score on the field stood at 6:1.
Even after starting with a ten-run deficit, the seniors had crushed the freshmen and left them disoriented. In three innings, they had not only erased the initial gap but opened up a five-run lead. The freshman team's morale had taken a serious hit.
The only comfort was that they had scored one run. And the two players most responsible for that run were about to bat.
Kominato Haruichi and Jinguuji.
Both had made real contact against Kawakami in their first matchup. With that experience behind them, and the time they had spent watching and studying his patterns since, there was a reasonable chance they could threaten him again.
The freshmen no longer had expectations of a great showing overall. As long as the final result wasn't too embarrassing, they could accept it. For now, they were counting on these two to push across another run.
Then, at that moment, Coach Kataoka, serving as umpire, announced a substitution for the senior team.
Zhang Han was being moved from the outfield to the pitcher's mound.
The freshmen stared.
Zhang Han-senpai was already batting in today's game. Now he was going to pitch as well?
How were they supposed to hit against that?
They had some confidence facing Kawakami. They had watched him pitch from the stands many times, built up a mental picture of his patterns, and felt they had a genuine chance to put the ball in play.
Zhang Han was a different matter entirely.
The man who could throw a 157 km/h Light Speed Ball was not someone they could realistically expect to hit. Even the freshmen who carried some quiet confidence in themselves didn't believe they could handle that kind of pitching. And if even ordinary players had no chance, what about Jinguuji and Kominato Haruichi, who had looked like monsters earlier? They probably couldn't hit it either.
In the first string's section, Yuuki Tetsuya's eyebrows went up the moment he saw Zhang Han take the mound.
"Right-handed."
His teammates noticed it at the same time.
"Go get the speed gun."
Isashiki Jun said it without looking away from the field.
"On it, Jun-san."
Kuramochi jogged off to find one.
In the batter's box, Kominato Haruichi locked his attention on the figure standing on the mound.
Right-handed.
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