The ball seemed alive as it streaked towards him, moving through the air as if it had no resistance. He'd hit plenty of fast pitches before, but it was so difficult to predict the trajectory of the last pitch, causing him to hesitate.
There weren't any changes with the next two pitches, resulting in the end of the 1st innings with a score of 1-0 in favor of Shuei.
However, judging by the expressions of each team, it didn't look like Yokohama was down a run right now. They were smiling and laughing amongst each other as they returned to the bench.
"Go get us our first runs Hiroki."
"Yeah don't ruin your streak."
Receiving a few words of encouragement and some verbal jabs, Hiroki put on his helmet and gloves before heading onto the field. The last time he faced Kazuhiro, he struggled to make contact with the ball.
But that was at least a few months ago now. He had changed drastically in that time, ascending to heights that he would not have thought possible before.
As he stood in the batters box, he couldn't help but turn his gaze back to the bench, his eyes fixing on one person in particular.
He looked at Ken, the teen with a sharp jawline and handsome face that sported slightly foreign features. If it weren't for this person, he would have been stuck at the same level, never being able to improve further.
It wasn't just him either, the whole team seemed to be influenced by this man for some reason. Makoto, Yuta, Jun, Tatsuya, even Akira had changed significantly after Ken had joined the team.
Just what was it that made him so special that he could influence those around him.
Hiroki shook his head, trying to focus on the task in front of him. It was time to show Shuei just how much he and his teammates had improved since their friendly a few months ago.
He turned his attention to the hawk-like face of Kazuhiro who had a determined expression painted on.
'Apart from their ace, this guy was the closest to hitting my pitches last time.' Kazuhiro thought, gripping the ball tightly in his hand.
'The coach is counting on me shutting their batting down. As long as I can keep them scoreless, we'll be able to hold onto this run.'
After receiving the lead from his catcher, Kazuhiro began his wind up before whipping the ball out on an inside course.
Without batting an eye, Hiroki stood still and let the ball pass to the catcher. He'd estimated that he wouldn't get enough power if he went for the swing, so he played it safe.
"Strike."
Shuei's catcher Shinji, couldn't help but grin at the favorable call. From his estimations the ball was outside the strike zone, but it seemed as if the batter was a little inexperienced.
If he had have flinched back a little from the pitch, the umpire would have likely called it a ball. Yet since he was so still, it ended up in their favor.
He threw the ball back to Kazhiro and squatted down once more.
'Heh, let's steal another strike then.' He thought, placing his glove in the same position.
WHOOSH
The ball came for the exact same position. This time, the catcher saw Hiroki's body move as if he was going to hit the ball, yet he stopped at the last moment.
PAH
"Strike."
Shinji suddenly felt cold sweat run down his back. The timing of the Yokohama batter was impeccable and likely would have resulted in a big hit if he had followed through with the swing.
'If we send it to the same spot, It'll get sent flying…' he thought.
After throwing the ball back again, he gave another signal, this time framing the ball in the center just above the strike zone. That way no matter how powerful this batter was, it would be difficult to get a lot of distance due to the ball's height.
Kazuhiro nodded, performing his wind up.
WHOOSH
DOOOONG!
Hiroki's entire body seemed to increase in size for a moment as his muscles contracted. His bat was like a wrecking ball as it came swinging with sheer force and power, collecting the ball on its way through and sending it flying through the air with ease.
"YEAH!!"
"ORYAAAAH GUTSU!!"
"Holy crap! Look how far that ball is going"
The Yokohama crowd erupted at the sight of Hiroki slamming the ball into air and over the fence for a home run. They weren't the only ones celebrating the tying run, with the bench hooting and hollering with glee.
Ken couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Ever since completing the training plan, Hiroki had been improving at such a rapid pace that he had no idea what the future held for him.
"Wow that's his 8th home run of the Tournament so far."
A small voice sounded out beside him, getting his attention. He saw Ai with an open notebook, scribbling something inside with concentration.
"Eh? What are you writing down?" Ken asked, intrigued.
"Oh, this is the book with all the stats of our players. The other managers and I take turns on keeping track every game." She said simply.
In the next moment a cheeky grin formed on her face, "Why? Did you wanna see?"
Ken blinked a few times in response before shaking his head. He had no idea that they were keeping track of such things. Originally he was curious, however since he had only played 2 games so far, he didn't feel like comparing himself to the others.
Plus, he already knew the important stats thanks to his Kanagawa Tournament mission. He discreetly accessed the mission page and brought it up to see his current progress.
MISSION: Kanagawa Prefecture Tournament
*Task 1: Strike out 30 players [16/30]
*Task 2: Hit 6 home runs [3/6]
*Task 3: Make the finals of the Kanagawa Tournament [Complete]
*Task 4: Win the Tournament [In progress]
*Task 5: Win player of the Tournament [In progress]
A wry smile formed on his face afterwards. It seemed that missing 2 games had really taken its toll on his progress. Originally he hoped to complete at least the first 4 tasks, yet it was looking like he might not even get 2 in total.
'My major points…' he cried inwardly.