Chapter 353: Cunning and Sly as an Old Fox
"If it's autumn, things will get interesting! That kid's sharp tongue isn't just a little annoying!" Coach Kataoka looked at Sendo on second base and chuckled.
"Huh?" Ota didn't quite understand what Coach Kataoka meant, although he knew how terrifying Sendo's sharp tongue could be.
"All along, Miyuki and the other second-years have relied on our generation to some extent. But after we retire, it'll probably be hard to maintain the lineup's offensive power for a while. Especially Miyuki…
Sendo is about the same, though he has the ability himself. When he realizes that the support he gets from his teammates at the plate isn't on the same level as our generation…" Chris-senpai said, letting out a light laugh.
The surroundings were noisy, and the game had clearly reached a critical moment. The people on the bench were almost rushing out to cheer, so no one paid attention to their conversation.
Ota understood what they meant. With Sendo's personality, if his teammates couldn't keep up and he had to carry everything himself, what would he do?
He'd "motivate" them properly.
With Sendo's sharp tongue, Ota silently mourned for the future members of the new team for three seconds…
Especially Miyuki, who would probably receive special "care."
Coach Kataoka, in that moment, even imagined a scene where the two free spirits parted ways, with Sendo relentlessly nagging Miyuki.
It was somewhat similar to when Harada first became captain and the white-haired guy kept talking endlessly beside him—but that guy wasn't as sharp-tongued as Sendo.
Because Sendo was now the main cannon of the lineup, with the strength to back it up. When he criticized others, no one could refute him and could only endure it.
Harada could still resort to hitting someone if he couldn't hold back, but Miyuki's generation—if they couldn't produce results—would only be on the receiving end.
Then again, even if they did perform, it might not matter—it would depend on the standard Sendo used.
If Sendo used himself as the benchmark to criticize everyone, he could keep going until they all retired…
For a moment, Ota even felt like he wanted to see that "joyful" future.
Though for some, it might be hell.
….
On the field, Tetsu was already set, but at that moment, Coach Matsumoto stepped out of the bench and sent captain Shibata to deliver instructions.
…
"Coach's order! Walk him!" Shibata said to everyone gathered at the mound.
"Why? Wouldn't walking him make the situation worse?" Nagumo immediately objected.
"Coach said, with that guy on second, we can't face off against Yuuki!"
"I still don't get it!" Nagumo grew agitated—this would hurt their ace's fighting spirit.
Tate wasn't incapable of facing Tetsu head-on.
"So don't rush—let me finish! That guy and Yuuki probably communicated beforehand and decided on a pitch type. That guy can see Tachi's grip at the moment he pitches. If he recognizes the grip of the chosen pitch, he can use a fake steal to signal Yuuki.
And then…" Shibata didn't finish his sentence, but his emphasis made everything clear.
"Are you serious?" Nagumo said in disbelief.
Tate also glanced at Sendo, somewhat shaken.
"We don't know! But the coach said that, based on some strange patterns in previous games, this possibility is very high!"
"But then… wouldn't other batters be able to…?" As he spoke, Nagumo understood.
"That's true. Other batters can't multitask like that—not even for a moment." Nagumo said the latter half in a strange tone.
"As long as you understand! The reason I was sent to deliver this is so you don't overthink! Coach has never doubted you." Shibata smiled and patted Nagumo's shoulder.
After all, the captain had an easygoing personality.
The real purpose was to ensure the pitcher and catcher could stay focused and suppress the following batters without distractions.
Giving up a few runs didn't matter—the ace's mentality absolutely couldn't collapse.
…
Soon after, Kiryu intentionally walked Tetsu under everyone's shocked gaze.
This was the gap in information—Seidou didn't know that Coach Matsumoto had seen through Sendo and Tetsu's plan.
Faced with such an unreasonable walk, essentially handing over the advantage, Seidou was completely confused.
But since the opponent willingly put Tetsu on base, they could only accept it.
Coach Matsumoto couldn't be certain his judgment was correct, but Tetsu wasn't incapable of hitting for power—he just prioritized consistency.
However, with Sendo's help, if he could know the pitch type in advance, it would be terrifying.
So he would rather risk the following batters hitting extra-base hits than face Tetsu with Sendo on second.
One out, bases loaded—this was also a difficult situation for Seidou.
A squeeze play could work perfectly if executed well, but more often it could result in a double play.
Generally, with one out, a squeeze or a sacrifice fly would be the most stable way to score, and a straightforward confrontation might actually be best for Kiryu.
But being handed an out for free…
Even though Seidou held the initiative, the decision was not easy.
So when Masuko stepped into the batter's box and looked toward the bench, Coach Kataoka hesitated for a moment.
But after just two seconds—and a glance at Sendo—he gave the signal.
Masuko nodded and stepped into the batter's box.
The signal was clearly: a direct confrontation.
What gave Coach Kataoka confidence was that they were targeting specific pitch locations, and with his earlier instructions to Kuramochi plus Sendo's cover, he was certain the opponent hadn't noticed.
With a heavyweight batter like Masuko at the plate, it was worth giving up the guaranteed run to take this risk.
At this moment, one out versus two outs created completely different pressure on the opponent, so they couldn't easily give away an out.
After all, not every batter is like Sawamura, who leaves you no choice… (laugh)
…
"Crack!"
"Huh?" Nagumo looked in disbelief as the ball was hit.
"Thud!"
"It dropped!"
"A long hit to right field!!!"
Isashiki and Sendo both scored, celebrating with teammates who rushed out from the bench.
This was Masuko's timely two-run hit.
The score became 5–2, and the situation remained one out with runners on second and third!
"After targeting the outside, everyone's hitting well!" Ota said with relief.
"Yeah! It's the third round, and they've battled this pitcher enough—the lineup has adapted to some extent. If we target the decisive pitch without the opponent realizing, we can still hit it. After all, Masuko is strong enough to be part of the core lineup!" Coach Kataoka nodded seriously.
"Seventh batter! Catcher, Miyuki!"
"I'll crush you instantly!!!" the crowd chanted along.
"Keep it going, Miyuki!"
"Eat up all the good stuff, you lucky bastard!"
"This is your favorite situation—runners in scoring position!"
"Hit it!"
"Go!!!"
"This is your moment to become a man, Miyuki Kazuya!!!"
"Hit one out here, you scheming glasses!" Sendo thought to himself after Sawamura's shouting.
Because Sendo had also realized that simply trying to overpower Tate wouldn't be enough—they needed to secure the advantage through the score, and this was their biggest chance.
As Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, Coach Matsumoto frowned, thinking.
He then picked up the scorebook and, still looking puzzled, gave several signs toward the field.
Then—
"Whoosh!"
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Batter out!"
"Side change!"
That's right—after Coach Matsumoto gave two signs, Miyuki and Tanba were struck out consecutively.
"You really can't relax for even a moment, Kataoka!
And Sendo… that kid is really cunning!" Coach Matsumoto sighed in admiration.
Coach Matsumoto hadn't completely seen through Coach Kataoka's strategy. It was just that, looking at the scorebook, something felt off—aside from Sendo, every hit had been on outside pitches!
The moment he realized that, he almost wanted to curse.
The main reason was that Coach Kataoka had concealed it too well, and on top of that, Sendo had thrown in a smokescreen.
If it weren't for Coach Matsumoto's experience, sensing that something was off and checking the scorebook, he would have been completely kept in the dark.
Even after seeing the scorebook, it was only a possibility—but once he issued signals and tested it in real time, everything was exposed.
Miyuki isn't Sendo—there's no way he could outmaneuver Coach Matsumoto one-on-one.
You could say Coach Matsumoto temporarily acted as the catcher, while Nagumo became the one just receiving the ball. Using outside pitches—which Miyuki wouldn't swing at—as a decoy, he struck him out with inside pitches.
Then, carefully observing the movement of Seidou's bench, he reversed the pattern—using inside pitches as bait and finishing Tanba with outside pitches.
This completely disrupted Coach Kataoka's original plan. After being seen through, the strategy of targeting inside pitches was broken, allowing Kiryu to survive the crisis.
That's why Coach Matsumoto could now complain inwardly about Coach Kataoka's "cunning."
In short, Coach Matsumoto was experienced—and sly like an old fox.
This was something young coaches simply couldn't do. Even Coach Sakaki wouldn't reach this level.
Coach Sakaki's style is actually similar to Coach Kataoka's—strong and flexible in straightforward tactics, but not deeply focused on psychological warfare.
It's not that they don't understand mind games—they just aren't suited to this kind of constant guessing battle.
In this aspect, even Sendo surpasses this mentor-disciple pair. Sendo may not have Coach Matsumoto's experience, but in terms of cunning and caution, he far exceeds him.
If those two ever faced each other directly, it would be quite a spectacle.
But no matter what, results are everything.
After observing for so long, Coach Kataoka made his move and achieved this result—scoring four runs in one go, turning a one-run deficit into a three-run lead.
And if it weren't for the highly experienced Coach Matsumoto, if it had been someone else—whether Inashiro's Coach Kunimoto, Seihou's "red-nosed" coach, or the old coach from Komadai—they probably would have been overwhelmed in one wave.
Kiryu's rapid rise from an unknown school wasn't because their players were overwhelmingly strong—it was because of how formidable their coach was.
No matter how brilliant a strategy is, it's still not as direct and effective as seeing through the opponent's thoughts.
"He completely saw through us… that old man is really something," Miyuki said as he returned to the bench.
"That's true. It's pretty rare to see you being played like that."
"Sendo! You bastard! I'm your teammate! Aren't they the enemy?" Sendo's jab made Miyuki extremely uncomfortable.
Ota wore an expression that wanted to laugh but didn't dare, though there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.
After all, a three-run lead wasn't that big.
"Tanba! Core lineup! This inning, when it turns to their core hitters, I'll make a substitution! The lead is enough—focus on shutting them down! Then rest well and prepare for tomorrow's game!" Coach Kataoka said to Tanba, who was about to take the field.
"Yes!!!"
Tanba had no objections to this arrangement. After all, he would still face a strong batter—it wasn't avoidance.
After spending most of the summer qualifiers sitting on the bench, Tanba had come to fully trust everyone on this team.
"Furuya! After this game, it'll be up to you! If you can handle it!" After saying that, Coach Kataoka turned to Furuya, whom he had called back.
Then—
"Boom!!!"
"Huh?"
"!!!"
Furuya's aura surged.
"I understand!! Leave everything to me! I'll shut them all down!" Furuya said firmly.
"Put that aura away!" Oniisan immediately chopped him on the head.
"Th-that idiot! He's going in so soon! And the boss actually expects that much from him…" Sawamura clenched his fist on the bench railing, his expression twisted—part frustration, part bitterness, his usual resentful look as he sulked.
"Eijun-kun! Your eyes turned into cat eyes again!" Kominato Haruichi reminded him.
The others also noticed Sawamura sulking, but at this stage—
Now that Tanba had fully recovered, although Sawamura could still pitch thanks to his hidden release point, his pitches down the middle were still too frequent.
This had also happened often in the previous fall tournament.
Even after overcoming his pitching yips, both inside and outside pitches would occasionally drift too much toward the middle—though not as predictably hittable as Tanba's used to be.
But with Tanba's full revival, there wouldn't be many chances for Sawamura to play this summer.
Unless the game went into extra innings—very long ones.
Speaking of that, there was once, in ancient times (decades ago), a game where two pitchers dueled endlessly, both teams carried entirely by their aces.
No one could score, and the game went on until the scoreboard couldn't even display more innings.
In the end, after who knows how many hours, one team finally scored a single run in the 25th inning, and the game ended.
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