Chapter 123: Chapter 22: Laser Shoulder
At the end of the first inning, the score is 1:0, with Waseda Jitsugyo in the lead.
Top of the second inning, it’s Waseda Jitsugyo’s turn to bat.
Since becoming a starter, Yagaki Kentaro has consistently performed well, occasionally delivering outstanding defensive plays; in batting, he is also a key figure connecting the upper and lower halves of Waseda Jitsugyo’s lineup.
Facing Ooi Shingo’s pitches, he seized the opportunity to swing the bat, successfully hitting a single to get on base, providing a good start for the team’s offense.
However, the subsequent offense did not go as planned.
First, Uchida Saint, the seventh batter, attempted a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner, only to be caught by a high pitch from Ooi Shingo.
After being bunted, the ball bounced high into the air at home plate and was easily caught by Tokai University’s catcher, Asakawa Shinji, who stood still for an out.
The eighth batter, catcher Watanabe Tatsuya, and the ninth batter, third baseman Egami Kenji, are both more known for their defense and have quite average batting skills—they both hit infield grounders and outfield flies, getting either tagged out or caught by the opponents.
Three outs, and the teams switch sides, with Waseda Jitsugyo unable to maintain their performance from the top of the inning.
This half-inning also highlighted a pressing issue faced by this new Waseda Jitsugyo team:
Aside from the pitcher, Suzuki Kensuke, most third-year players who retired were in the top spots of the batting lineup in their previous teams;
Even those who were in the lower lineup spots before were only there due to internal competition, and they are still much stronger than the current first-year and second-year players.
It’s well-known that batting is the skill in baseball that takes the longest to master:
A beginner might only manage to hit one or two out of a hundred pitches thrown by the opposing team’s pitcher during a real game.
Skills, mindset, and discipline... these qualities are indispensable in batting.
The current Waseda Jitsugyo team is experiencing a discrepancy between the upper and lower halves of the batting lineup:
When the lineup hits the lower half, many batters tend to give up easily, leaving the upper lineup to face pressure with two outs and little room for error;
Alternatively, the core lineup might struggle to reach the scoring area, but the lower lineup batters fail to get a hit, wasting good scoring opportunities.
Watching from outside the player’s box, coach Izumi Minoru can only shake his head with both hands on his hips——
Time, time, and more time!
These issues require long-term dedicated practice to resolve.
The game continues.
Bottom of the second inning, Tokai University’s offense starts with their fifth batter.
Uchida Saint’s first pitch, a high-quality outside fastball, flew almost touching the edge of the strike zone and earned a strike;
However, his second slider missed the target set by catcher Watanabe Tatsuya and was seized by Tokai University’s fifth batter, who drove it into the field, breaking through the infield defense.
Fortunately, right fielder Lin Guanglai quickly covered, intercepting the ball in the front outfield, preventing more damage.
Runner on first base.
Lin Guanglai stood in right field, also observing the situation on the field—once Tokai University’s fifth batter reached the first base bag, he began moving toward second base, continuously testing Waseda Jitsugyo’s infield defense.
Although Uchida Saint attempted to pick off twice, forcing the runner back to first base, the fifth batter would move further away from the base, advancing towards second whenever Uchida turned away.
From the moment he got on base, Tokai University’s initiative was apparent, and their stance clearly aimed at stealing bases.
As expected, as Uchida Saint focused on the batter at home plate, initiating his pitching motion, the runner near the first base bag started sprinting toward second base.
Watanabe Tatsuya received the pitcher’s throw, attempting another pick-off, but was a bit slow, as the runner placed his foot on the base just before Matsunaga Kenta’s glove could tag him.
The second base umpire, without any hesitation, signaled wide open to announce his decision:
"Safe."
The stolen base attempt affected the players on the field, causing a slight stir:
Uchida Saint’s inconsistency in control was again seized by the opponent, as Tokai University’s sixth batter hit the ball out, letting this batter reach first base while allowing the runner originally on second base ample time to advance.
In the blink of an eye, the situation turned into zero outs, runners on first and third, placing Waseda Jitsugyo in a very unfavorable position.
The seventh batter to step up then immediately assumed a bunting pose—Uchida Saint paid it no mind but instead communicated with Watanabe Tatsuya using a speed-up tactic, catching the opponent off-guard and striking out the batter.
With one out and runners still on first and third, the situation remained grim but was somewhat alleviated.
On the mound, facing a rather aggressive batter within the batter’s box, Uchida Saint made eye contact with his catcher, nodded, and threw the ball.
As soon as he released the ball, Uchida knew something was amiss—the timing of the release was off, and the ball missed the position intended for Watanabe Tatsuya.
The Tokai University batter, recognizing the pitcher’s mistake, decisively swung his bat.
"Clang—!"
With a loud crack, the baseball soared high from home plate, flying swiftly toward right field.
The runner on third from Tokai University stood in the middle of the third base line, cautious not to sprint directly to home plate—though the ball seemed of good quality, if caught by the opposition, the runner must return to base immediately.
As the baseball was hit, Lin Guanglai moved quickly, predicting its landing point, while constantly using short steps to adjust his position.
Once sure of the ball’s landing spot, Lin Guanglai extended his hand toward the incoming ball, opening the outfielder’s glove to catch it.
"Pop." The ball settled securely in his glove, and the batter was caught out—at this point, he was positioned roughly at right-center field, a relatively deep area.
Seeing the ball caught, the Tokai University runner swiftly retreated to third base;
Upon confirming the ball was deep enough, allowing him to take the home plate risk-free, he sprinted headlong toward home, intent on scoring the tying run for his team.
Behind home plate, Watanabe Tatsuya had already stood up, signaling repeatedly to Lin Guanglai to quickly throw the ball back.
Lin Guanglai responded promptly:
After the ball entered his glove, he made a slight adjustment to ensure his fingers were on the right seam;
Then, he began a running stride to build momentum, swinging his arm like a whip—his lower body running and upper body twisting gave the ball immense power, aimed straight at home plate.
The ball released from Lin Guanglai’s hand traced a beautiful arc through the air, entering the catcher’s mitt with speed and precision—its swiftness and accuracy stunned Watanabe Tatsuya for a fraction of a second.
Suddenly realizing, Watanabe Tatsuya with the ball quickly moved his glove towards the runner; the runner, attempting to avoid the tag, slid forward across the ground.
"Pop."—Before the runner’s hand reached the home plate, Watanabe Tatsuya had already caught Lin Guanglai’s throw, tagging him out just in time.
With a stellar laser throw from Lin Guanglai in the outfield, Waseda Jitsugyo successfully averted the crisis with brilliant defense, maintaining their one-run lead.
Three outs, and the teams switch sides again.