Chapter 252: The Gap

Following Yuki Tetsuya's home run, Seido took a two-run lead in the bottom of the first inning. Next, the fifth batter, Huangqian Yangyi, stepped into the batter's box. He cast his gaze toward the pitcher's mound, and Yang Shunchen looked over at that same moment. He had already forgotten the previous home run; now, he needed to focus all his spirit and unleash his full strength to have any chance of retiring the man before him.

"Come on, let me see just how accurate your pitching really is." Huangqian Yangyi swung his bat a few times before settling into his stance. Yang Shunchen's pitches were very accurate, hitting almost exactly where he aimed, but his flaw was his slow pitch speed. Huangqian Yangyi did not feel that such pitching could pose a threat to him.

In the stands, the reporter Fujio fanned himself vigorously; the weather today was truly too sweltering.

"Yang Shunchen must realize the terror of the Seido batting lineup now. I wonder how he will pitch to Huangqian Yangyi next; the pressure is just too great."

Beside him, Ms. Akiko replied after hearing this, "It looks like a one-sided situation. Meikawa's batting lineup is several levels below Seido's."

"Indeed, Meikawa has placed almost all their hopes and expectations on Yang Shunchen. While the others aren't bad, facing Seido is like throwing an egg against a rock—it's meaningless."

"If Meikawa could have a Seido... no, if they could just have the batting lineup of an average strong team, combined with Yang Shunchen's pitching, they would be enough to contend with any team in West Tokyo. It's a pity."

After hearing Fujio's words, Ms. Akiko also sighed. When they went to Meikawa for an interview before, they had already developed a great fondness for Yang Shunchen. It is truly not easy for him to carry a team alone, serving as the ace, fifth batter, and coach, and leading Meikawa to where they are now.

On the field, Yang Shunchen first threw a low, outside fastball. The pitch path was very tricky, but Huangqian Yangyi did not swing, watching with a smile as the ball entered the catcher's mitt.

"So accurate. It was just half a ball's width away from being outside the strike zone."

Having seen Yang Shunchen's pitch path up close, Huangqian Yangyi couldn't help but imagine: if his own pitches, which approached 160 km/h, had this level of control, he would be unstoppable.

Thinking of this, Huangqian Yangyi shook his head. Now was not the time for such thoughts; he had already seen the pitching he wanted to see, so the next thing to do was to hit it.

On the pitcher's mound, Yang Shunchen was also thinking after receiving the return throw from the catcher: did Huangqian Yangyi not swing because that pitch was hard to hit, or was he simply selecting his pitch?

Regardless, he just needed to carry out his own pitching.

First, use a pitch on the edge to deepen the umpire's impression, then use a borderline ball that isn't obviously a ball to fight for a strike count. Although there was no one on base and he could easily walk Huangqian Yangyi, Yang Shunchen still wanted to try; if he could retire Huangqian Yangyi here, it would be a great boost to his team's morale.

Thinking this, Yang Shunchen threw the ball toward a similar path as before. With only a ball's width of difference, it was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Since the umpire had just seen the first pitch, it was easy for him to call this one a strike.

That was indeed the case. Seeing that it was a ball, Huangqian Yangyi chose not to swing—not because he couldn't hit it, but because it was difficult to hit such a tricky pitch well and high. When the baseball entered the mitt, the umpire ruled it a strike.

Thus, Meikawa had already secured two strikes. In the stands, Seido's supporters were somewhat surprised to see Kuramochi Yoichi not swing twice. Could it be that he would be struck out?

Just then, Huangqian Yangyi suddenly moved closer to home plate. Seeing this, Yang Shunchen's pupils trembled violently.

In this way, it would be impossible for him to throw another outside-edge ball to gain a strike count.

"He's got guts. Since you're standing so close to home plate, I'll use an inside pitch to decide the outcome!"

At this distance, just watching the ball fly toward oneself would instinctively make one want to dodge; it was human nature. Yang Shunchen did not believe Huangqian Yangyi was completely unaffected. Moreover, because of the forward stance, the swinging space was limited, making it difficult to hit even a fastball far.

In the batter's box, Huangqian Yangyi remained calm and composed. When he saw the ball thrown by Yang Shunchen flying toward him, he swung his bat fiercely, pulling the ball that was jammed toward his chest.

"Right Fielder!!" the catcher shouted as he stood up.

Watching Huangqian Yangyi run toward first base, Yang Shunchen clenched his fists secretly. This was the gap. Even though he had pitched that ball very well, for the vast majority of batters, it would have been impossible to hit it that far; nine times out of ten, it would have gone foul or become a pop fly.

He truly is the monster who has already hit thirty-six home runs!

It seems that going head-to-head still doesn't work.

After Huangqian Yangyi, Chris stepped into the batter's box, hitting an extra-base hit to left field that sent Huangqian Yangyi to second base.

Next, the seventh batter, Ceng Zitou, hit an outside curveball. The baseball flew rapidly toward third base, almost face-to-face with Meikawa's third baseman, Hashimoto.

Hashimoto reacted quickly, taking a step to catch the ball, and Huangqian Yangyi was directly forced out.

With that, the first inning ended with a score of 2:0, Seido in the lead.

"Tch, only two runs."

As soon as Huangqian Yangyi returned to the dugout, he heard Kuramochi Yoichi complaining.

"Not satisfied with two runs? You're quite greedy."

"Exactly, Yang Shunchen's pitches are still quite hard to hit; they are all on the edges."

"Yeah, there wasn't even a single pitch in the middle of the strike zone, so waiting for an easy ball is impossible."

"Swing when the ball comes, don't hesitate, put pressure on him!"

"Hey Huangqian, did you go easy on that first pitch? You could have hit that one, right?"

Hearing this, Huangqian Yangyi smiled. Indeed, of the three pitches Yang Shunchen used against him, the first one was the easiest to hit.

"I just wanted to see the pitch path first. Don't worry, in the next at-bat, I'll definitely blast a big one."

After Kuramochi Yoichi finished speaking, he began to change his glove. In the top of the second inning, after Tanba retired Meikawa's fourth batter, Baichiao, that guy with glasses finally stepped into the batter's box. Yang Shunchen was not only a great pitcher but also quite skilled at batting. Although he was the fifth batter, his hitting was much stronger than the others.

Tanba glanced at Yang Shunchen. To be honest, he didn't take him to heart. Even if he gave up a hit to him, it was difficult for the others on Meikawa to string together an offense. The only way Meikawa could score off him was if someone got on base before Yang Shunchen.

*Hoo~*

Yang Shunchen adjusted his breathing while setting his stance. Tanba Koichiro, third-year, his specialty breaking balls were the curveball and the vertical curveball.