The ball flew through the air, finding a gap in the defense.
Hachiya Oji players dove in, trying to reach it.
They tried their best, but the ball was too fast.
It whizzed past before they had a chance.
Seidō's dugout erupted, voices high with excitement.
"It went through!" they cried out, their eyes glued to the ball.
With no one in the way, the ball rolled into the outfield.
Takumi took off for first, dropping his bat.
He had a quick start, but his overall speed was kinda average, almost like he was taking a walk.
"Look at him, just taking a walk out there," she sighed dreamily, her gaze fixed on the field.
"Guess that's what true power looks like," she mused, a soft smile playing on her lips.
The girl in blue was clearly smitten.
Sayuri sighed, shaking her head.
She didn't know how to deal with her friend's crushes.
Even so, you had to admit, the guy seemed pretty chill.
Probably just super confident.
If the Seidō players knew what they were thinking, they'd be cracking up.
Chill? Please. He's just not that fast to begin with.
And with that relaxed running style, he always looks like he's barely trying.
Azuma, stuck on second, couldn't help but feel a twinge of respect.
That rookie's been getting on his nerves lately, but after that hit, he decided to give him some slack – just this once.
Spotting his chance, Azuma kicked it into high gear, going full "metabolic mode." He tore around the bases like a rocket, heading straight for third.
The team's base coach was locked in at third base, eyes glued to the ball.
Azuma didn't even bother checking the outfielder; he trusted the coach's call.
The coach signaled: "Keep going!"
In that split second, the coach's word was law: go or stay put.
Azuma, sprinting as fast as he could, didn't have time to look back or second-guess.
Seidō, known for their tough training, had prepped for this. He trusted the coach to get him home.
Without a second thought, Azuma tagged third and bolted for home, the coach's signal ringing in his ears.
The Hachiya Oji outfielder grabbed the ball and chucked it with everything he had. Talk about a Hail Mary.
Usually, a throw from way out there would be a total long shot, but this time, they got lucky.
Against all odds, it was a perfect strike, right into the catcher's mitt.
The catcher, who'd basically given up, was shocked by their luck.
It was like a gift from the baseball gods, and he wasn't about to waste it.
"Got you!" he roared, whirling around to tag Azuma. But Azuma had already touched home plate.
"Safe!"
"Seidō scores the first run!"
While the other team was still trying to figure out what just happened, Takumi casually strolled into second. Now it's 1-0, two outs, runner on second.
Forgetting his earlier jealousy, Azuma gave props to Takumi for setting up the run. He was instantly mobbed by his teammates when he got back to the dugout.
"Whoa, you were flying out there!" Isashiki Jun exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.
"What'd you expect? I'm Seidō's Human Rocket! Ain't nothin' faster!" Azuma boasted, puffing out his chest.
And he had every right to be proud.
Natsume, the pitcher, was no joke. He'd already given Seidō's heavy hitters a tough time.
But instead of going head-to-head with Azuma, he played it safe, choosing to pitch around him and face Kadota Masaaki, Takigawa Chris Yū, and Takumi.
Those three were the heart of Seidō's offense.
Natsume didn't back down, and impressively, got two of them out.
Only Takumi managed to get the best of him. A player like that could easily take over the game if you let him.
So, Azuma's run was a game-changer for Seidō.
"Way to go, Yamamoto-san!" a voice called out, filled with excitement
"Perfect! Just what we needed!" another added, their eyes sparkling with delight.
The crowd went wild, all the cheers aimed at Takumi. He had a knack for grabbing everyone's attention whenever he played.
Over in the Hachiya Oji dugout, the mood had shifted. The guys who were all pumped up before now looked a little bummed.
Their confidence about just needing one run? Yeah, that seemed to be fading, now that they'd given up a run in the second.
The thing is, it was only the second inning, and they were already down by one.
What probably stung the most was knowing they were so close to stopping it.
A little more hustle, a little more awareness, and they could've kept it tied.
If things had gone differently, even if they hadn't gotten that third out, they wouldn't have let Azuma waltz home like he owned the place.
He probably would've been stuck at third. But hey, no use crying over spilled milk, right? They just had to shake it off and move on.
Their offense wasn't exactly crushing it, and now they were trailing by one. The Hachiya Oji players were probably starting to sweat about how they were going to turn things around.
And their ace? He was probably feeling the pressure. He'd been so sure he wouldn't let Seidō score, but now that they had, you had to wonder if he could keep his cool.