Chapter 35: Daring Pitch Calling, Trust Between Pitcher and Catcher

"Strike! Three pitches, three strikeouts!"

"Seido High School's First Year Pitcher Huangqian Yangyi, with three identical outside fastballs, has cleanly and efficiently secured the first out!"

The commentator was so excited he even stood up; the performance of this battery makes one unable to help but cheer for them.

The field also erupted in shouts, interspersed with scattered calls of Miyuki's name.

Soon after, the second batter arrived, the leadoff hitter for Ichidai Sanko; according to intelligence, this is a player extremely skilled at hitting inside pitches.

However, having already thrown three outside pitches just now, the opponent was bound to be on guard against them. After a brief moment of thought, Miyuki made his decision and shifted his position slightly.

Seeing the signal given by Miyuki, a flash of excitement crossed Huangqian Yangyi's eyes. Very good, I like it like this.

Whoosh~

Huangqian Yangyi threw the ball, aiming straight for the batter's chest.

Inside!

The batter's pupils constricted; the bat, swung in advance, could no longer change its trajectory, and the small ball jammed straight into his chest.

"Strike!"

A powerful inside pitch completely disrupted the batter's train of thought. He was someone who excelled at hitting inside pitches; the opponent couldn't possibly not know that. Moreover, the three outside pitches just now were so sharp; facing him, they should have thrown outside even more.

Could it be!

A daring guess suddenly popped into the batter's mind: could this battery be planning to throw three inside pitches to finish him off?

This, that's impossible, right? Who calls a game like that?

Thinking too much led to a cluttered mind, and under those circumstances, facing a pitch with such high velocity, his reaction was naturally a beat slow.

"Strike!"

"Strike!"

Just as expected, Miyuki really did call for three high inside fastballs, and Huangqian Yangyi was bold enough to throw them. The effect was obvious; the batter was already stunned.

The audience was stunned too. No one had expected this First Year battery from Seido to have such nerves of steel, actually pulling off three outside pitches followed by three inside pitches.

One dared to call it, one dared to throw it; just how much do you two trust each other?

Having secured two outs, Miyuki Kazuya stood up excitedly and threw the ball back to the Pitcher's Mound. This guy, he really dares to throw anything.

The feeling of being his partner is just amazing!

Catching the ball, Huangqian Yangyi bent down to pick up the rosin bag from the ground, bounced it in his hand twice, and then tossed it back down.

Haa~

Blowing off the excess white powder from his hands, Huangqian Yangyi looked at Miyuki, his eyes filled with intense confidence.

Next, the third batter for Ichidai Sanko stepped up. Miyuki fully utilized the combination of different inside and outside pitches, and together with Huangqian Yangyi, secured another strikeout.

"Top of the fifth, Seido's substitute First Year pitcher Huangqian Yangyi, nine consecutive pitches to strike out three batters! An incredible pitching performance, a perfect display!"

The commentator had gone mad. In all his years of commentating on high school baseball, this was the first time he had encountered such a formidable newcomer. No, not just the pitcher; that catcher's performance was equally stunning.

If it were any other catcher, Huangqian Yangyi might still have struck out these three batters, but it would never have been as brilliant as this: three outside, three inside, followed by an exquisite combination of inside and outside.

Such daring pitch calling completely played the opponent in the palm of their hands.

Miyuki Kazuya—this name will surely sweep through the entire Tokyo high school baseball world after this game ends.

Stepping down from the Pitcher's Mound, Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki bumped fists, and the already boiling spectator stands instantly became even more frenzied.

"Kid, you're pretty good!"

Dong Qingguo caught up from behind and draped his arm over Huangqian Yangyi's shoulder.

"Glad I didn't let you down, Senior," Huangqian Yangyi laughed.

"Hahaha, a fastball that even I find tricky—for the guys at Ichidai Sanko to hit it easily is just wishful thinking." As Dong Qingguo said this, he looked back at the Ichidai Sanko dugout; it was silent over there, which made him feel even better.

"Senior Dong is right. We also had to adapt to the speed and see your pitches many times before we could start hitting them," Yuki Tetsuya didn't know when he had followed behind Huangqian Yangyi.

As the strongest batters of Seido's third and second years, the words of these two carried immense weight. The initial anxiety about Huangqian Yangyi taking the mound was out of fear that he would be nervous and unable to perform, leading to a total collapse.

Who could have imagined that Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki Kazuya could pull off such crazy coordination under such tense circumstances? In 9 pitches, Ichidai Sanko hadn't even put a ball in play, making the seniors defending behind Huangqian Yangyi feel a bit bored.

Returning to the dugout, Kataoka stood before the battery, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Well pitched. The next inning is Ichidai Sanko's heart of the order; be even more careful."

"Understood, Boss."

Manager Kataoka nodded, then looked at Miyuki: "Decide how to call the next inning yourself. I won't give you any advice."

"Yes, Manager." Miyuki was somewhat delighted. Being able to call the game entirely according to his own ideas, with the manager not interfering and the pitcher not objecting—to him, this was the greatest recognition.

"Go get some rest," Manager Kataoka said.

The two walked into the dugout. As soon as Huangqian Yangyi sat down, Fujiwara Takako walked over with a towel.

"Yangyi, wipe your sweat."

"Thanks, Senior." Although he wasn't really sweating, Huangqian Yangyi still took the towel and wiped his face; it was about the ritual.

Fujiwara Takako then held a cup of water and walked over, handing it to Huangqian Yangyi.

"I want water too," Miyuki reached out from the side.

"Get lost, you're even trying to snatch my water."

Huangqian Yangyi swatted Miyuki's hand away and downed the water Fujiwara Takako had handed him in one gulp.

"Miyuki, I'll go help you pour some water," Fujiwara Takako said, turning to leave.

"No need, no need, I'll do it myself. I'm not like some useless person who needs others to take care of them," Miyuki got up to pour water, not forgetting to jab at Huangqian Yangyi.

"Heh, water containing a senior's thoughtfulness is much sweeter than the regular stuff. Some people are too proud to enjoy this kind of treatment," Huangqian Yangyi retorted without backing down.

Miyuki poured himself a cup of water. Hearing Huangqian Yangyi's mockery, he glanced at Fujiwara Takako, who looked a bit unnatural, and a smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Thoughtfulness, huh."

"Why that look?" Huangqian Yangyi found it strange.

"Nothing, as long as you're happy," Miyuki laughed.

"Crazy."

At this moment, Fujiwara Takako on the side suddenly walked away quickly, returned to her seat, and sat down, holding a small notebook in her hand while pretending to be busy.

It was clearly a confrontation between Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki, yet she was the one who suffered a critical hit.

Feelings or whatever, words like that are just too embarrassing.

At this time, a sudden exclamation came from the field; in the bottom of the fifth inning, Seido's third batter Yuki Tetsuya hit a high-speed curveball from Zhenzhong Yao, sending it flying to the Left Fielder's position, and he successfully reached First Base.

A scoring opportunity appeared once again, and the next to bat, Fourth Batter Dong Qingguo, lived up to expectations by hitting a base hit, creating a situation with runners on first and second base and no outs.

"Miyuki! Hit it!"

Taking over Tanaka Wataru's spot, it was time for the 5th batter Miyuki to step up to the plate, and Huangqian Yangyi shouted at Miyuki's back.