Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Lin Guanglai managed to slightly stem the momentum of Nihon University's offense. Walking off the field, he stood outside the player's area, casually chatting with his teammates while watching the ongoing battle between pitchers and hitters.

It must be admitted that Yoshinaga Kentarou's state and performance today were like a freshly serviced supercar, fueled and ready from the showroom. Although Lin Guanglai broke Waseda Jitsugyo's hitless streak with a solo home run, it didn't mean his teammates would quickly regain their form:

The eighth hitter, Egami Kenji, and the ninth hitter, Uchida Saint, were not in the starting lineup for their batting prowess. Facing Yoshinaga, who was in exploding form today, they naturally didn't stir much trouble, getting struck out one after another without even a chance to counter.

Up next was Chongxin Shen Zhong at bat, as a top order hitter, he still faced the same problem as before: when lower order hitters can't share the offensive pressure by getting hits or reaching bases to pressure the opposing pitcher and defense, the top order often faces the pitcher directly with two outs, leaving nearly no room for error.

Even though Chongxin Shen Zhong fought hard to hit a single and then capitalized on Nihon University's defensive error to advance to second base;

Unfortunately, Yoshinaga Kentarou's composure remained unaffected by one or two errors, quickly reverting to stability. With coordination from his teammates, Nihon University's infield unit shut down Matsunaga Kenta at second base, ending the top half of the second inning.

In the bottom half of the second inning, Nihon University's batting lineup once again breached Waseda Jitsugyo's defense:

Hirao Toshitaka capitalized on an unstable pitch control by Uchida Saint to leadoff with a hit;

Following that, Nihon University employed a forced scoring tactic involving steals and hit-and-run to extend their lead back to five runs.

Standing in right field, Lin Guanglai watched helplessly as the situation on the field deteriorated, feeling extremely anxious;

Yet at the same time, he felt a sense of powerlessness: right field was a position with relatively fewer incoming balls and less defensive pressure, and its influence on the team's overall defense wasn't significant. No matter what, Lin Guanglai couldn't possibly run to the infield every time to help his teammates defend.

Unable to pitch and with limited defensive options, he could only concentrate on offense—sooner rather than later, Lin Guanglai's second at-bat of the game came in the top of the fourth inning.

Standing in the batter's box, preparing to hit, Lin Guanglai's expression remained unchanged, as if completely unaffected by the scores on the field.

The third batter, Kenshu Yasuda, stood on first base, continuously pressuring the pitcher, forcing Yoshinaga on the mound to spend some energy to keep him in check.

After ensuring Kenshu Yasuda wouldn't move recklessly again, Yoshinaga Kentarou narrowed his eyes, carefully assessing Lin Guanglai standing resolutely at home plate not far away.

In this match, Yoshinaga's performance up till now would make anyone give a thumbs-up and say it's excellent: in less than four innings, he had already delivered 7 strikeouts, single-handedly suppressing Waseda Jitsugyo's entire lineup—even the strongest central lineup was no obstacle for Yoshinaga.

Yet, this person in front of him had caused him quite a loss, and made what was supposed to be a nearly perfect game for him not so perfect.

Seeing Lin Guanglai raise his bat in preparation, the umpire at the baseline gave the signal to start the pitch.

On the pitcher's mound, Yoshinaga Kentarou's body instantly unfurled, and driven by his body, the baseball was thrown with an arm swing, slicing through the obstructing air swiftly, shooting toward home plate like a bullet from a barrel.

Saying the speed of this pitch was at least 145 km/h, and its entry point was tricky, Lin Guanglai didn't rush to hit, but let the ball pass.

"Strike."

Facing such a fast and sharply angled pitch, it's not always necessary to confront opponents head-on—when there is leeway in strikes, Lin Guanglai usually lets it pass, waiting for the next hitting opportunity;

Of course, if the count is at two strikes, even if such a pitch can't be hit out, Lin Guanglai would do his best to foul it out.

The dirt-covered baseball was caught by Suzuki Takahiro squatting in the catcher's area; after exchanging it for a clean baseball with the umpire behind him, he stood up and threw the ball back into their pitcher's hand. Then squatting down again, he continuously switched signals between his legs with his right hand, aiming to determine the next pitch strategy.

A moment later.

Yoshinaga Kentarou swung his arm a second time, hurling the baseball toward home plate.

Compared to the first fastball, the speed of the second ball was much slower, and from its big trajectory movement, it was obvious it was a curveball—a challenging pitch to hit, with significant speed differences and angle judgment required for its entry.

But Lin Guanglai felt this ball was hittable!

Facing the incoming ball, Lin Guanglai's body quickly moved, swinging the bat with full force, catching the flying baseball solidly.

"Clang——!!!"

The baseball, falling from the strike zone, was scooped up forcefully by him and, driven by his entire body, soared towards the sky, heading straight toward the outfield.

Tossing the bat to the ground, Lin Guanglai impulsively sprinted along the first base line—focusing on the airborne baseball while running.

A short while later, his pace slowed as there was no need to expel energy on a full-speed sprint anymore.

The red-and-white baseball flew past Takaguchi Hideaki in left field of Nihon University, landing in the stands outside the field for the second time in this game, causing a stir and scramble among the audience.

"Ooh-oh-oh-oh!!!"

"Lin Guanglai, it's him again!!!"

"Two consecutive home runs in two at-bats!!!"

"Waseda Jitsugyo's captain! A timely hit! Bringing the team back by two more runs!"

"The score is 3:6, narrowing the gap to three runs!"

"This is Lin Guanglai's fourth home run in this autumn tournament, two consecutive home runs in two games!"

Sugai Masakazu in the commentary booth watched the baseball fly into the stands, feeling a wave of exhilaration:

"That was a spectacular hit, Lin Guanglai swung solidly to scoop up the plunging baseball, and his entire body's forceful action was very fluid—which is why he could hit it out of the park so directly."

"Counting this at-bat, with just four innings in the game, batters from both Waseda Jitsugyo and Nihon University have already hit three home runs!"

"This final match of the autumn-winter tournament has truly turned into a fireworks display!"