Ichidai Third High School's catcher was so excited he felt like he was about to take flight.
Although they had just given up a hit, Manaka's condition had finally fully recovered. Ever since Spring Koshien ended, he seemed to have used up all his passion.
During the Tokyo Spring Tournament, his pitches became erratic, and he gave up many hits that he shouldn't have. In the last two games, he had gradually started to find his form again, especially in the previous one.
Originally, the catcher and his teammates thought that Manaka had completely recovered. They didn't expect that as soon as today's game started, his old habits would resurface. As a result, they gave up a hit right at the start.
But now it seemed that Manaka had not only fully recovered his original form, but his strength had also improved even further. Facing Zhang Han's stimulation, Manaka's pitching showed vibrant vitality. When the catcher received the pitch, he could feel the strong tailing movement of the baseball.
"That's it!"
Thinking about Manaka's condition at Koshien, Ichidai Third High School's catcher felt incredibly excited. He felt all the pores on his body open, desperately breathing in the tense air around him. Zhang Han, who had originally seemed invincible, didn't seem so terrifying now.
Just keep it up.
The fans in the stands, seeing that Zhang Han didn't swing immediately, all became nervous. They knew Zhang Han very well. If it wasn't a tricky situation, Zhang Han wouldn't wait. He would definitely swing immediately. The fact that he hadn't swung now meant that the pitcher on the mound was not so easy to deal with.
In fact, these spectators were quite accurate. Zhang Han indeed felt it was tricky.
Since the start of the game, Manaka's pitching had been constantly evolving. When he faced Kuramochi, his strength was so poor that even Seido's hitters couldn't bear to watch. If Manaka had maintained that condition, Seido's hitters probably would have completely overwhelmed him in the first inning.
But then, when he faced Kominato Ryosuke, Manaka's pitching completely changed. His ball speed and power both improved greatly, especially his decisive pitch, which was incredibly unpredictable. At that time, Manaka exuded the aura of a top pitcher.
No wonder Tanba could only be his substitute.
Now, facing Zhang Han, Manaka's pitching had progressed even further, fully displaying his characteristics and forming a system. This level of pitcher was very difficult to deal with. Even Zhang Han was not guaranteed to win.
Zhang Han took a deep look at Manaka on the pitcher's mound, and a thought flashed through his mind. During this period, his own progress was certainly not small. But other top star players were not idle either. They had also improved, and their progress was no less than Zhang Han's.
"We're counting on you!"
"Hit it out!!!"
His teammates in the dugout also seemed to feel Zhang Han's pressure, continuously cheering him on.
Zhang Han took a deep breath. As the core power hitter of the team, seeing the opposing pitcher getting stronger and stronger, he had the responsibility and obligation to teach him a good lesson. At the very least, he couldn't leave a negative impression on the hitters behind him.
Zhang Han quietly choked up on the bat. This detail did not escape the eyes of Ichidai Third High School's catcher.
"Aiming for a breaking ball?"
For the next pitch, the catcher signaled Manaka for a Fastball. To truly unleash the power of a breaking ball, a Fastball was essential. When the opponent was determined to hit a breaking ball, it was undoubtedly the best time to throw a Fastball. After a slight nod, Manaka decisively threw a Fastball.
As soon as he released the pitch, Zhang Han lowered his center of gravity and swung the bat directly at the incoming baseball.
"Ping!"
After the white ball was struck, it drew an arc in the sky and fell into the open space in the outfield. Zhang Han threw down his bat and ran forward. There was a burst of cheers and shouts from the stands.
As expected of Zhang Han. He certainly did not disappoint their expectations.
Zhang Han successfully reached First Base. The ball he hit didn't land well, and by this time, Ichidai Third High School's outfielder had already picked up the ball, so Zhang Han couldn't advance further.
He couldn't advance, but that didn't mean another person couldn't.
Kuramochi had already started running towards Third Base as soon as Zhang Han hit the ball, even before it landed. Even though Zhang Han himself wasn't very confident, Kuramochi had full confidence in him.
He believed Zhang Han would definitely hit it out. So he acted early and quickly reached Third Base, and even though Ichidai Third High School's outfielder had already picked up the ball, it didn't stop Kuramochi's advance.
"How audacious!"
Ichidai Third High School's outfielder was not idle either, cleanly throwing the ball back. Seeing his throw, Zhang Han hesitated for a moment whether to continue forward. Ultimately, he gave up on that tempting idea. Now was a critical time for scoring, and he didn't need to create unnecessary complications.
"Thwack!"
It must be said that Ichidai Third High School's players' usual training was very thorough. The baseball was quickly thrown back, and over a distance of fifty to sixty meters, the baseball went directly into the catcher's glove.
Ichidai Third High School's catcher, Takami, was a second-year player who had graduated from a famous youth baseball league. He had been playing baseball for at least seven or eight years and had always been a catcher, so he could be considered battle-hardened. The moment he caught the ball, he adjusted his body, ready to tag out Kuramochi.
Kuramochi, who had already run past halfway, couldn't go back; he could only run forward. Takami was confident.
Turning back, Takami looked at the figure so close to him, and disbelief flashed in his eyes. How could he be here? From the throw until now, it had been less than three seconds at most. How could he have run over twenty-seven or twenty-eight meters?
Takami was extremely shocked internally. Actually, this was just his own thought. Kuramochi, who ran from Second Base to Third Base, was already running, so he didn't need to start and accelerate at all. In this situation, at Kuramochi's full running speed, twenty-seven or twenty-eight meters in three seconds was perfectly normal.
Takami could only react instinctively, trying to touch the figure in front of him with his glove. His speed was not slow; in fact, it could be said to be very fast. Seven or eight years of catcher experience was no joke. But his speed was fast, and Kuramochi's speed was even faster.
Before Takami's glove could touch Kuramochi, Kuramochi stepped a beat ahead, planting his foot on Home Base. The umpire, who had been closely watching the two, paused for a moment before raising his hand.
"Safe!"
Thanks to Zhang Han's hitting and Kuramochi's unparalleled speed, Seido High School Baseball Team successfully scored the first run. Total score 1:0.
Facing Manaka Kaname, the Koshien pitcher who had regained his form and even improved further, Seido High School, relying on the perfect cooperation of its first and third batters, had forcefully torn open a gap.
And this was just the beginning.
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