CHAPTER 67: CHAPTER 67: THE PITCHER’S MOUND AT KOSHIEN

The first half of the first inning ended with Waseda Jitsugyo unexpectedly leading Chukyo University by a staggering 8-0 margin.

As the teams switched roles, the Waseda Jitsugyo players were warming up with passing drills; meanwhile, the stadium announcer was introducing the defensive players on the field to the audience, both onsite and watching on TV:

"Pitcher, Lin Guanglai, first year.

Catcher, Tsuchiya Ryota, third year.

First baseman, Sugai Natsuki, third year.

Second baseman, Fukasawa Kouta, third year.

Third baseman, Chongxin Shen Zhong, second year.

Shortstop, Matsunaga Kenta, second year.

Left fielder, Kakiwara Yosuke, third year.

Center fielder, Kenshu Yasuda, second year.

Right fielder, Onoda Shunsuke, third year."

"Bottom of the first inning, Chukyo University’s offense, the batter is their leadoff, right fielder, Koizumi Shu."

As Koizumi Shu from Chukyo University entered the batter’s box, the tune of marching band music started playing from Chukyo University’s Alps Stand; the baseball club members at the front of the stand were shouting loudly, trying to boost their team’s batter while putting pressure on Lin Guanglai on the pitcher’s mound.

"Koizumi! Hit the ball! Whatever they can do, we can do it too!"

"We’re the defending champions! Get it together!"

Stepping onto Koshien’s pitcher’s mound for the first time, Lin Guanglai could clearly feel the soft texture of the soil underfoot, with the cleats of his shoes digging deeply into the ground, giving him a refreshing sense of freedom—since the West Tokyo Conference finals, this was his first time pitching in an official game.

Meanwhile, Tanaka Shuji in the commentary box began introducing him:

"Waseda Jitsugyo’s starting pitcher today is first-year Lin Guanglai—he’s extremely gifted physically, standing at 188 centimeters tall, weighing 72 kilograms, right-handed pitcher, left-handed batter, with excellent control and a top speed of 147 km/h. He excels in two-seam fastballs, sliders, and curveballs, and is a highly promising rookie pitcher."

Looking towards Koizumi Shu at home plate, Lin Guanglai began pondering his strategy: a batter with a hitting average nearing sixty percent in the regional tournament cannot be underestimated, patience and careful maneuvering are necessary.

After some back and forth, the count reached 2 balls and 2 strikes, slightly favoring Lin Guanglai as the pitcher.

Communicating with his catcher, Lin Guanglai decided to make the next pitch his decisive pitch.

His arm swung, the baseball flew off his fingertips, drawing a beautiful arc through the air, nearly grazing the edge of the strike zone.

Seeing this pitch, many viewers in front of their TV screens gasped—this pitch demanded extremely high precision from the pitcher, and any slight error could result in hitting the batter and allowing a free base.

"Strike!"

"The batter struck out!"

As the umpire’s voice rang out with the ruling, a dejected Koizumi Shu walked back to his team’s dugout after being struck out by Lin Guanglai—facing this first-year from Waseda Jitsugyo, his task of getting on base for the team felt impossible.

Chukyo University’s second batter was their shortstop, Kawamoto Yu, and the pre-game information did not provide much on his stats. After discussing with Tsuchiya Ryota, Lin Guanglai decided to try a simpler pitch.

To take him out, Lin Guanglai first precisely placed two fastballs over 145 km/h in the strike zone, quickly securing two valuable strikes; with the third pitch, he continued targeting Kawamoto Yu’s strike zone, forcing him to swing—Kawamoto Yu’s batting skills turned out to be mediocre, only managing a weak ground ball, which the shortstop Matsunaga Kenta easily picked up, throwing it to first base to tag out the running batter.

After Kawamoto Yu was tagged out, Chukyo University’s ace, Moriyama Junpei, took the field—he was not only the defensive core of the team but also key to their offensive lineup.

As soon as he entered the batter’s box, the sound of an cheering song echoed from Chukyo University’s support stand—the theme from "Lupin III," a song reserved for their powerful batters.

Squatting behind the plate, Tsuchiya Ryota signaled with a pitching sign towards the mound--facing a strong batter, as catcher, Tsuchiya Ryota preferred to prioritize stability;

But Lin Guanglai shook his head in the direction of his catcher, youthful exuberance motivating him to face Moriyama Junpei directly.

The baseball in hand, familiar sensation at his fingertips; Lin Guanglai gripped the seams with his right fingers tightly, raised his left leg high, lower body and hips powering together to propel his body forward—

His arm cut through the air, emitting a faint sonic boom, the baseball became a blur, darting toward home plate.

In the right-handed batter’s box at home plate, Moriyama Junpei seemed hesitant—the painful experience from the first half inning was too vivid, making it hard to adjust his mindset quickly.

As the ball approached, he briefly lost focus, his arm instinctively swinging the bat under muscle memory, yet as the bat swung out, he clearly missed the ball.

"Pa."

"Strike."

The scoreboard above the outfield displayed the speed of this fastball clearly: 147 km/h, right at the start of this at-bat, Lin Guanglai had thrown his fastest pitch.

It wasn’t until the baseball burrowed into the catcher’s mitt behind home plate that Moriyama Junpei snapped out of it; feeling a bit frustrated, he couldn’t believe he lost focus.

Gathering himself, Moriyama Junpei re-entered the batter’s box.

On the second pitch, with the advantage of one strike, Lin Guanglai and Tsuchiya Ryota exchanged signs briefly, pitching a slider towards the outside corner of the strike zone.

With his mindset adjusted, Moriyama Junpei showcased his qualities as a center lineup batter: swinging the bat at the low outside pitch where most would let it pass—

The baseball was struck by the bat, hopped a few times on the infield dirt, but ultimately bounced out of play; Moriyama Junpei, having discarded his bat and started running to first base, halted midway, then returned to the batter’s box side.

balls, 2 strikes.

The third pitch, again towards the low outside corner, was a tempting trial slider—against such capable and threatening center lineup batters, outside pitches are an excellent choice to maximize the pitcher’s advantage.

Moriyama Junpei chose not to swing this time, allowing the ball to pass; the baseball moved laterally as it approached home plate, sliding just outside the strike zone before reaching it.

ball, 2 strikes.

After two consecutive breaking balls, Lin Guanglai opted to speed up for the fourth pitch in this at-bat, aiming towards Moriyama Junpei’s high inside corner, giving the batter no time to react, simply leaning forward and flicking his arm to release the ball.

Moriyama Junpei, whose eyes were locked onto the baseball trajectory, resented so much he could almost grind his teeth: such inside pitches are the most disliked by all batters, even if lucky enough to hit it, it’s likely to result in a pop fly to the infield or home plate.

But the 2-strike situation was like a bone stuck in his throat; in the brief seconds the baseball flew from the pitcher’s mound to home plate, Moriyama Junpei ultimately decided to swing the bat, and the outcome was as expected:

"Strike."

"The batter struck out."

The bottom of the first inning concluded with Chukyo University going three up, three down, unable to even get a single runner on base.