Chapter 110: The Lead

Seeing Huangqian Yangyi run safely to First Base, Coach Kataoka retreated silently into the Dugout, though he had already made up his mind that he would definitely give Huangqian Yangyi a good lecture once he returned!

To not even know to dodge when facing such a dangerous pitch—this was simply treating his own future as a joke!

"That bastard!" Miyuki Kazuya's expression was not very pleasant, his gaze fixed sharply on Huangqian Yangyi; did this guy even remember he was a Pitcher, always doing such dangerous things?

On First Base, Huangqian Yangyi suddenly felt a chill down his back and looked back at Coach Kataoka and Miyuki; Miyuki's expression was easy to guess—he was very angry right now.

But for some reason, Huangqian Yangyi also felt a sense of dread from the Coach's face, which was completely devoid of expression.

In reality, he had seen the trajectory of that pitch very clearly, and he knew in his heart that the baseball wouldn't actually hit him; furthermore, he had actually dodged it a little bit, though the movement was small.

To others, this was undoubtedly a dangerous move, and he would surely be criticized later, right? Huangqian Yangyi thought to himself.

At this moment, Seido's first batter, Zhitian Jiangtai, stepped into the Batter's Box.

On the Pitcher's Mound, Matsumoto Takuhai felt relieved after seeing the smile on Huangqian Yangyi's face; he himself had broken into a cold sweat when that ball flew out just now. If Huangqian Yangyi had really been injured because of him, he would never have been able to forgive himself.

Composing his emotions, Matsumoto Takuhai looked toward the Batter's Box; with Seido's first batter and Huangqian Yangyi already on base, if he let Zhitian Jiangtai reach base as well, the situation would become very dire.

Soon, Matsumoto Takuhai threw the ball, a Forkball shooting toward Home Plate; Zhitian Jiangtai swung his bat decisively, but just as it was about to make contact, the baseball dropped and evaded it.

"Strike!"

Zhitian Jiangtai licked his lips; this inning was a great opportunity to score, and he absolutely could not miss it!

Whoosh!

"Strike!"

Another Forkball, and Zhitian Jiangtai swung and missed again.

As Matsumoto Takuhai's signature pitch, the Forkball was something he could throw with ease and great sharpness; even now, having reached the fifth inning with his stamina somewhat depleted, Matsumoto Takuhai could still throw it very well.

Having paired one Forkball each for the inside and outside corners, Harada Masatoshi immediately signaled for a low, outside High-speed Slider.

The little white ball flew in an arc; Zhitian Jiangtai held his breath and focused, his bat hitting the baseball with a 'bang', driving it through the infield defense and onto the ground.

Huangqian Yangyi dashed to Second Base, and Zhitian Jiangtai also successfully reached First Base thanks to his speed.

Runners on First and Second, no outs; Inashiro was truly in a crisis this time.

Kominato Ryosuke, standing in the Batter's Box, was somewhat excited; such a situation was truly great—just looking at it made one feel happy, and if he could also reach base, that would be even better.

As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly; following Zhitian Jiangtai's base hit, Kominato Ryosuke also caught up to a Forkball from Matsumoto Takuhai and hit it behind Second Base.

"Third Base!" Harada Masatoshi shouted; at this moment, they definitely had to put Huangqian Yangyi out first.

Huangqian Yangyi was sprinting at full speed, and after the baseball was caught, it was thrown toward Third Base.

Slap!

The moment his foot touched the base, the sound of the baseball entering the glove followed.

"Safe!"

"Whoa!!" The spectators immediately erupted in cheers; the bases were loaded!

On the Pitcher's Mound, Matsumoto Takuhai wiped his forehead, his hands covered in sweat, and his breathing became somewhat rapid.

Bases loaded, no outs; next to face were Seido's heart of the order: Yuki Tetsuya, Dong Qingguo, and Tanaka Wataru.

Clenching his fists, Matsumoto Takuhai turned to look at the Inashiro Dugout; Coach Kunitomo nodded at him—this situation was no longer something that could be solved by a substitution.

"Hoo~"

Matsumoto Takuhai had never been as nervous as he was right now; this was the Semi-finals, and the opponent was Seido. If they gave up runs here, it was very likely to cost Inashiro their summer.

His expression was too stiff!

Noticing the change in Matsumoto Takuhai, Harada Masatoshi frowned deeply; if he didn't intervene now, this inning would truly be over.

Requesting a timeout from the umpire, Harada Masatoshi trotted over to Matsumoto Takuhai.

"Relax, take a deep breath!" Harada Masatoshi placed his gloved hand gently on Matsumoto Takuhai's chest.

Harada Masatoshi didn't know what else to say; whether it was offering encouragement or criticism, neither seemed appropriate.

Looking at his teammate's worried expression, Matsumoto Takuhai looked up at the sky and took deep breaths; after a while, he finally felt a bit better.

"Alright, I'm fine," Matsumoto Takuhai said.

Harada Masatoshi nodded; although he was still somewhat uneasy, the game had to continue.

Returning to Home Plate, Harada Masatoshi exchanged a look with Yuki Tetsuya, who gave him a polite smile.

This guy was a wolf in sheep's clothing!

Harada Masatoshi thought to himself, then gave the signal to Matsumoto Takuhai.

Forkball! If he could use this pitch to make Yuki Tetsuya hit a grounder, with some luck, they might be able to turn a Double Play.

Matsumoto Takuhai understood this as well, but since the opponent was Yuki Tetsuya, he had to keep the pitch as low as possible.

Lifting his left leg slightly, Matsumoto Takuhai took a large stride, swung his arm, and the baseball was released!

Whoosh!

Watching the baseball fly in, Yuki Tetsuya twisted his body and swung his bat; with a 'bang', the bat grazed the baseball, sweeping it away directly between Second and Third Base. The Inashiro Shortstop stretched his glove out with all his might to intercept it, but it was all in vain.

Great chance!

"Huangqian!!"

A chorus of shouts rang out.

Huangqian Yangyi took off toward Home Plate.

"Third Base!" Harada Masatoshi shouted.

It was already too late to throw back to Home Plate to put out Huangqian Yangyi; putting out Zhitian Jiangtai to keep him from reaching Third Base would be better.

The baseball flew toward Third Base, putting Zhitian Jiangtai out, while Huangqian Yangyi returned to Home Plate to score a run.

Runners on First and Second, one out; the situation seemed to have eased. As long as they could get two more outs, giving up one run wasn't unacceptable, the Inashiro players calculated in their hearts.

Matsumoto Takuhai rubbed his eyes hard; the weather wasn't particularly hot today, and he had been in good condition when the game started, yet now he felt somewhat tired.

Calming his mood once more, Matsumoto Takuhai faced Seido's fourth batter, Dong Qingguo.

Standing in the Batter's Box, the pressure Dong Qingguo exerted on the Catcher and the Pitcher was unquestionable; Harada Masatoshi felt this pressure clearly, but the current situation did not allow them much time to think.

Just at this moment, Harada Masatoshi noticed that Director Kunitomo on the sidelines had made a move.

A signal, Base on Balls!

Harada Masatoshi's mind stirred; intentionally creating a bases-loaded situation?