Before Tomobe's pitch, the Tomobe Sakito tried more than once to use eye contact to control Kuramochi, hoping he wouldn't be so reckless in stealing bases.
But Kuramochi completely ignored it and kept doing what he was doing.
As Tomobe threw the ball, Kuramochi didn't even bother to hide; he immediately started running towards second base!
His speed was incredibly fast, like a beast chasing after a prey.
Facing such an opponent, Tomobe's eyelids kept twitching. In fact, he had already noticed Kuramochi's actions before he lifted his foot to pitch.
But what good was that?
Kuramochi only started running after he raised his leg, preparing to pitch.
In this situation, Tomobe was completely helpless. At this point, all he could rely on was his teammates.
He hoped that catcher Akiba could stop Kuramochi.
Of course, deep down, Tomobe knew this was just wishful thinking.
If Kuramochi could be stopped so easily, he wouldn't be Kuramochi.
As the lightning-fast base-stealer of the kingly Seidou High School baseball team, Kuramochi had a stolen base success rate of over 90%.
This record was terrifying!
If Kuramochi were cautious, stealing only when the timing was right, it would be one thing.
There wouldn't be many opportunities, and maybe it was just good luck, so the probability would be higher.
But in reality, it was nothing like that.
For Kuramochi, stealing bases was like eating and drinking. As long as he successfully reached base, there was hardly ever a time when he stayed on the base without doing anything.
When it came to stealing bases, Kuramochi Youichi's level was professional.
Snap!
Batter Kominato didn't swing, and the ball reached Akiba's hands instantly.
After catching the ball, Akiba didn't hesitate; he stood up and was about to throw it to second base.
But just as he stood up, before the ball could be thrown, his body seemed to be frozen, like someone had cast a freezing spell on him.
He just stood there, dumbfounded, watching the figure running to second base as if struck by lightning.
'He made it to second base already?'
The ball had just come out of Tomobe's hand, Akiba had caught it and just stood up.
The time was only a little over two seconds.
At that time, Kuramochi was already less than five meters from the second base.
Even if he threw the ball, it would be too late.
"SAFE!!"
Just like that, Kuramochi successfully reached second base.
It was two Out, a runner on first base, but now it is two Outs and a runner on second.
The pitcher-catcher duo of the Yakushi High School baseball team felt utterly powerless.
They had no way to stop Kuramochi's steal.
Once that guy was on base, he became really troublesome.
After the dust settled, Akiba, who was handing the ball back to Tomobe, was feeling very unpleasant.
During this period, the Yakushi High School baseball team felt their improvement was very noticeable.
However, from external evaluations, they couldn't compare to Seidou High School or Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball teams.
Akiba and the others always felt that their strength was certainly not below the players from Seidou.
While they couldn't compare to the legendary Sawamura, compared to other Seidou players, they should not be considered weak.
Especially players like Akiba and Mishima, considered themselves to be on par with Kuramochi and Kominato.
Whether Mishima had such strength was still up for debate.
But Akiba himself felt there was still a gap between him and Kuramochi or Kominato.
The method to solve Seidou's lineup was thought up by Coach Todoroki and younger player Tomobe. Akiba could only be considered as an assistant in executing the plan.
While his name appeared in the credit book, to say it was thanks to him would be an overstatement.
To put it bluntly, the previous solution to Kuramochi was all about tactics.
Once these tactics were cracked, relying on pure strength to go head-to-head.
His strength was no match for Kuramochi.
This gap was so obvious, that it could be seen at a glance.
"Two Outs!"
"It's already two Outs!!"
"Focus on the batter!!!"
Cheering voices came from the Yakushi High School baseball team's dugout.
The always-calm Coach Todoroki finally couldn't sit still.
Kuramochi's performance made it impossible not to pay attention.
At this point, if the pitcher was distracted, it would be a huge loss.
With two Outs already, they only needed to deal with the batter; they didn't need to worry about the runner.
Coach Todoroki knew very well that he was gambling.
'Did Seidou really plan for all of this? Or was it just a coincidence?'
No one could say for sure.
But he couldn't let a small bit of uncertainty make him immediately switch players.
That would mean he was panicking.
In a match, this kind of thinking was unacceptable.
They had to calm down and think carefully about how to win. Right now, solving the batter is the most important thing.
And dealing with Kominato Haruichi, they had a clear strategy.
So he urged the players in the dugout to enthusiastically cheer on the pitcher, Tomobe. It was his way of telling him that right now, he didn't need to worry about the runner, just focus on getting the last out.
Kominato Haruichi's hitting skills were among the best in the entire Seidou High School baseball team.
But this player was not without his weaknesses.
For example, he used a wooden bat.
While wooden bats have their advantages, most high school players use metal bats. Few actually use wooden bats.
This must be for a reason.
If wooden bats were so great, why wouldn't everyone use them instead of metal ones?
This was something Coach Todoroki, a seasoned baseball strategist, understood very well.
"Go for it, kid!"
Though he wasn't sure whether Seidou High School's baseball team had truly figured out their weaknesses,
the situation was undoubtedly more favorable for them.
Tomobe, despite his young age, was quite mature mentally.
The cheers from the dugout, he understood their meaning right away.
But to him, Coach Todoroki was a bit overdoing it.
How could he not know what to do?
The cheering from the dugout didn't just remind him; it reminded the Seidou players as well.
Could they ignore this?
If the roles were reversed, Tomobe would certainly never ignore it.
Empathy. Even though most players on Seidou's team were muscle-bound monsters,
there was no way they wouldn't have a single sensible person among them.
They had probably already noticed it by now.
In this case, Yakushi had to act quickly, without hesitation.
They needed to act before Seidou could react.
With this in mind, Tomobe threw the ball without delay.
As he pitched, Kuramochi, already positioned at second base, started moving again.
He shot forward like a blur of blue light, heading straight for third base.
'Another steal?!'
Akiba, the catcher, felt completely drained.
He had already noticed that with Kuramochi's terrifying speed, even if he tried to steal third base, there was nothing he could do to stop him.
He even instinctively felt that he might not be able to stop him.
The speed was just too fast!
And Tomobe's pick-off skills were so weak against a thorn-like Kuramochi.
In terms of base stealing, Kuramochi was clearly on another level.
These two were not on the same tier.
In this situation, the pressure Tomobe felt on the mound from Kuramochi was heavy.
Relying solely on Akiba to control the lightning-fast "Cheetah-sama" was simply impossible.
So they could only watch helplessly.
It was a feeling of utter frustration, like watching a death sentence approach—helpless and unable to do anything.
Just as Akiba was about to give up, Seidou's players seemed unsatisfied with just that.
They came up with a new trick.
The batter, Kominato Haruichi, didn't let the ball pass this time.
Instead, he stepped up and swung.
Paak!
The moment the bat met the ball, Kominato's face changed.
The ball felt lighter than he expected!
Though he wasn't sure why, his intuition told him it was a trap.
Did he fall for it?
Kominato's heart skipped a beat. At that moment, he caught a glimpse of the Yakushi fielders' movements out of the corner of his eye.
Their actions were the same as before, with no significant changes.
'In that case...'
Haruichi didn't release the bat; instead, he put all his strength into it and forced the ball off its path.
Yakushi's teammates were stunned when they saw this.
The result was unexpected!
It was completely different from what they had imagined...
Coach Todoroki's usual lazy expression disappeared.
In its place was a slightly serious look.
If possible, Coach Todoroki preferred to let his players play freely and enjoy the game.
Simply put, unless necessary, he wouldn't intervene too much.
He also liked to keep a relaxed atmosphere in the dugout.
So usually, during matches, he was either smiling or joking.
A serious face was reserved for training.
Now, Coach Todoroki, who had always been laid back, wore a serious expression.
From this, it was clear just how upset he was.
'Kuramochi hit it!'
That much was clear—it was probably a coincidence.
But for Kominato, they had set up a trap.
Unexpectedly, Kominato escaped it and hit the ball out.
One could be a coincidence, but twice was pushing it.
He had miscalculated!
'That last hit wasn't a coincidence at all. Seidou High School had figured out Tomobe's tactics.'
Even though Coach Todoroki had anticipated this, seeing it happen still amazed him.
In just three innings, Seidou had thoroughly analyzed a new pitcher who had never been on the field before.
The Yakushi High School baseball team, on the other hand, had spent almost a month just analyzing this lineup.
They had been refining and perfecting it all along.
After two months of meticulous preparation, it was cracked in just three innings.
How could that not be astonishing?
Back to the game.
Tap!
This time, Kominato Haruichi didn't hit the ball far, but the placement was good.
It fell just behind the first baseman, and if it passed, it would be a super long hit.
In the span of a breath, Kuramochi quickly took a few steps and reached third base. At the same time, he also figured everything out in his mind.
'The ball is blocked!'
This was Kuramochi's instinct, and of course, his innermost judgment.
What if the ball is not stopped? The base-running instructor definitely doesn't look like that.
The baseball falls on the third base, and in this case, whether it is first base or home plate, it is actually about the same.
Although it is said that Kominato only needs to run to the first base. But he didn't run until after the ball was hit, and Kuramochi ran as soon as Tomobe threw the ball.
Then count the speed difference between the two. The two can almost reach first base and home plate at the same time.
He had to gamble!
A true man, when it's time to make a decision, must make it without hesitation.
Although he didn't receive a clear signal from the third-base coach, Kuramochi resolutely acted anyway.
He stepped heavily on the third base bag, and his body shot forward like a sharp bullet!
Despite acting in advance and running at full speed, he was still just a little bit slower.
"THROW TO HOME PLATE!!!!"
In the catcher's position, Akiba stretched out his hands to receive the ball.
From his position behind the plate, he had a view of the entire field.
So, he was able to make his judgment easily.
At this moment, if the ball were thrown to first base,
The probability of getting Kominato Out was low, and if the throw to first base failed, they would have no more chances.
In this situation, it would be better to fight it out at home plate.
After making this judgment in his mind, Akiba immediately signaled for the ball.
Whoosh!
From the outfield, a sharp throw pierced through the distance of several dozen meters and went straight to home plate.
At that moment, it seemed to the spectators as though Kuramochi and the baseball were racing against each other.
"Awesome!!"
"Cheetah!!"
"Cheetah-sama!!"
In the next ten or so meters, Kuramochi showed the crowd a miracle.
After he passed the third base, Kuramochi's speed exploded even more!
The ball, having been thrown from the outfield, traveled dozens of meters toward home plate.
At the same time, Kuramochi also ran those ten or so meters.
In the end, he finished his ten-meter run, and the baseball had yet to reach home plate.
Snap!
When Kuramochi's foot heavily landed on the home plate,
That small ball finally leisurely landed in Akiba's Mitt.
At first base, Kominato had just barely reached the bag.
"SAFE!!!!"
The visual shock left the fans in the stands feeling that their adrenaline had surged to the highest possible level.
"Did you see that!"
"So Fast!!"
"Amazing!!"
"He was faster than the baseball!"
What a spectacular and unbelievable scene this was!
This moment would be something they would have a hard time forgetting for a long time to come.
In the stands, Fujio, a senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine, had a different perspective on what had just happened.
"It really is, an unforgettable moment."
The distance from the outfielder to home plate is approximately 50 meters, and the speed of the ball is between 120 and 130 kilometers per hour.
Just to travel that distance, the ball takes about 1.4 seconds.
And just now, Kuramochi increased his running speed to match the ball.
When it comes to speed, it's certainly possible.
It's only about 8 or 9 meters per second.
Any fast runner could do that.
But Kuramochi did it in such a dazzling way—he reached home plate a fraction of a second ahead of the ball.
That alone was enough to make everyone marvel!
This moment was truly breathtaking.
Even though, theoretically, everything about this was achievable.
Kuramochi made an accurate judgment in such a short period of time, took action, and succeeded.
His beast-like sharp instincts were certainly worthy of everyone's awe right now.
"Really amazing!"
Two Outs, runner on first.
The Seidou High School baseball team scored their first run in this game.
The score was 1-0, with Seidou High School leading for now.
At this point, Seidou High School's offense was far from over.
Even though the Yakushi High School baseball team had two outs, it still wasn't enough.
Because the next batters were Seidou's strongest, Sawamura and Miyuki.
Their big bats were already itching for action.
…