With the team's final victory on the line, Inoue Mamoru and Ito didn't dare make any rash decisions. Both turned toward their coach, waiting for instructions.
Coach Sasaki couldn't afford to be careless either. He immediately called a timeout and sent a player onto the field to relay his orders.
"If we can get this batter out, we'll stick to the original plan. However, if he reaches base, we absolutely cannot face that player, Kitamura Kou. Even if it means risking a walk and loading the bases to tie the game, we avoid him at all costs.
"That said, there's no need to panic. As long as we maintain our current momentum and pitch carefully while staying aggressive, victory will be ours."
Those were Coach Sasaki's exact words.
The hesitation that had appeared on the faces of Hakuryu High School's players quickly disappeared, replaced by determination.
Baseball was a team sport. Nothing was more dangerous than players having different ideas and acting on their own. That often led to unnecessary mistakes.
Now that Coach Sasaki had given a clear order, everyone could unite and focus on stopping Yakushi's offense.
"Alright! Let's take them down one at a time. Five more outs, and victory is ours!"
"That's right, Inoue-senpai! Let them hit the ball—we'll stop anything that comes our way!"
"Let's go, Hakuryu!"
The game resumed.
Nakanishi Daiki's eyes lit up when he realized they intended to challenge him.
"Great! This is my chance to tie the game!"
Ignoring Nakanishi's excitement, Inoue calmly prepared to pitch.
Aggressive baserunning wasn't exclusive to Hakuryu High School. Yakushi's baseball philosophy followed the same principle.
The moment Mishima Yuta realized Inoue could no longer attempt a pickoff, he immediately took off toward second base, hoping to disrupt the pitcher's rhythm and create an opportunity for Nakanishi.
"Steal it!" Coach Todoroki shouted.
Inoue remained unfazed and delivered the pitch according to his own rhythm.
"Strike!"
The first pitch was a slow curveball.
Nakanishi immediately swung, attempting to execute a hit-and-run.
Unfortunately, his batting ability was still inferior to Mishima Yuta and Akiba Kazuma, and even slightly behind Akashi Osamu. After all, he had quit baseball in middle school after assaulting an upperclassman and had been away from the game for nearly two years.
"Whoosh!"
"Safe!"
Nakanishi swung and missed completely, but Mishima successfully stole second base.
Inoue showed no reaction to the successful steal and continued pitching at his own pace.
"Strike!"
This pitch was noticeably faster than the previous one.
Nakanishi swung again.
Ping!
"Foul!"
He failed to square up the ball and could only send it into foul territory.
Just like that, he found himself backed into a corner.
"Looks like getting a clean hit with my skills isn't going to happen."
Nakanishi scratched his head in frustration.
If he struck out here, Hakuryu would undoubtedly choose to walk Kou intentionally.
Suddenly, he recalled a conversation from before his at-bat.
Kitamura Kou had stopped him before he stepped into the batter's box.
"Nakanishi, slow curveballs have a lot of movement, which makes them difficult to hit hard. But because of that movement, they also require excellent control from the pitcher."
Kou continued:
"If the pitcher throws them too often, they're more likely to miss the strike zone. So if you're not confident about getting a hit, you can take advantage of that weakness."
Nakanishi blinked.
"Will it work?"
Kou shrugged.
"That depends on your pitch recognition... and your luck."
As childhood friends, Nakanishi trusted Kou's judgment.
Although he wanted to defeat Hakuryu fairly and squarely, the current situation didn't allow for such pride.
"Looks like I'll have to rely on luck."
He made up his mind.
"This batter isn't anything special," Ito thought.
"There's no need to waste pitches on him."
He signaled to Inoue.
"Inoue-senpai, finish him off with the next pitch."
After watching two swings, Ito had already judged Nakanishi's ability.
He was better than some of Hakuryu's first-year players, but nowhere near dangerous enough to require special treatment.
Inoue nodded and fired the next pitch.
"Ball!"
The moment the ball left his hand, Nakanishi recognized it as a slow curveball.
He clenched his teeth and forced himself not to swing.
Instead, he gambled that the pitch would miss the strike zone.
"Ball!"
"Phew..."
Nakanishi let out a long breath.
Only he knew how much pressure he had been under.
He had nearly swung out of instinct.
Fortunately, he guessed correctly.
Two strikes, one ball.
That success strengthened his resolve.
Neither Inoue nor Ito realized what he was doing and continued pitching normally.
This pitch came in much faster.
Nakanishi wasn't trying to get a hit anymore.
His only goal was to foul the ball off and survive.
Whether he succeeded or not would depend entirely on luck.
Ping!
"Foul!"
"Ball!"
...
The battle continued.
Before long, Inoue had thrown nine pitches.
Nakanishi's luck was surprisingly good.
All three slow curveballs had missed the strike zone, while every fastball had been barely fouled off.
The count eventually became full.
Three balls. Two strikes.
Only then did Inoue and Ito finally realize what Nakanishi was trying to do.
"That damn fatso!"
Inoue gritted his teeth.
"He's actually looking down on my slow curveball!"
Compared to Inoue's irritation, Ito remained calm.
"This inning has already dragged on for quite a while. Inoue-senpai has thrown nearly thirty pitches, and most of them have been breaking balls."
Breaking balls demanded exceptional control.
Losing command under pressure was perfectly normal.
Furthermore, slow curveballs were easy to identify because of their speed.
It wasn't surprising that the opponent had chosen to target them.
"It looks like we'll need to change our approach."
After reaching a conclusion, Ito flashed a sign beneath his glove.
Low outside fastball.
But Inoue shook his head.
Surprised, Ito gave several more signs.
Forkball.
Curveball.
Vertical curveball.
Inoue rejected every single one.
"If we keep backing down, they'll only become more confident."
His eyes locked onto Ito's.
"Are we supposed to avoid every batter who targets my slow curveball?"
A fierce determination burned in his gaze.
"Ito, it's time to show Hakuryu's fighting spirit."
Ito stared at him for a moment before smiling faintly.
"I really don't know what to do with you sometimes, Inoue-senpai."
"But you're right."
"If we keep retreating, they'll only gain momentum."
"Throw it."
"Throw your best slow curveball."
For perhaps the first time all game, Ito lowered his glove and openly trusted his partner.
"Inoue-senpai, I believe in you."
A faint smile appeared on Inoue's usually expressionless face.
"Itō... now that's more like it."
The smile vanished almost instantly, replaced by his usual cold expression.
He glared at Nakanishi.
"Little fatso..."
"If you've got the guts, don't swing."
"Pitch!"
The baseball left Inoue's fingertips.
The moment it was released, everyone could tell what it was.
A slow curveball.
Now, everything depended on Nakanishi Daiki's choice.