Baseball: A Two-Way Player

Lin Guanglai didn't rush into the batter's box; instead, he stopped just a step away from it and began to think about his next strategy.

In his mind, the pre-game information he gathered started to flash back continuously: Kawamata Angi, right-handed pitcher and batter, with a fastest pitch speed of 141 km/h, skilled in sliders, curves, and forkballs—his pitching habit mainly revolves around fastballs, but one must also beware of his forkballs, which have a significant downward break.

The gaze of 50,000 people at the stadium, along with hundreds of thousands watching on television, was now focused on Lin Guanglai—top of the ninth inning, two outs, runners on first and third. His next at-bat would determine the outcome of the entire game, and even the direction of this Summer甲 tournament.

After reviewing his opponent's information once more in his mind, Lin Guanglai stepped forward, placing himself firmly within the batter's box.

From the catcher's area behind home plate, Konan's catcher Yamakawa Daisuke keenly noticed a subtle difference in Lin Guanglai. Typically, with two outs and a runner on third, and the team trailing by one run, most players would opt for a base hit to bring the runner home and tie the game;

Konan had studied Waseda's matches against Waseda Real and Narita—previously, when trailing, Lin Guanglai would choose a safer, bunting stance to make up the run; but today, unexpectedly, he hadn't changed his batting stance, which made Yamakawa Daisuke wary.

As the lead defender, Yamakawa Daisuke immediately signaled his teammates to crouch back a bit—it's essential to show enough respect from the start of the at-bat for a power hitter like this.

Lin Guanglai's choice wasn't made without reason or responsibility; it was a collective decision by the entire Waseda team, supported by the approval of their supervisor and encouragement from teammates.

The reason being that Waseda could no longer afford another extra-inning game: Suzuki Kensuke's unexpected injury and Uchida Saint's early exit before completing three innings had left them with depleted pitching options. Lin Guanglai's control had noticeably waned as his stamina declined—Waseda's pitching staff was virtually running on fumes.

Continuing like this, even if they unexpectedly made it into extra innings, the outlook would still be bleak; even if Waseda managed to win against Konan today, Lin Guanglai would be completely unable to pitch again tomorrow, whether facing Hotoku Gakuen or Tokai University Sagami High School, the odds would be slim.

Given the situation, it was better to seize this opportunity with runners on base and overturn the score in one go—as the team's supervisor, Izumi Minoru was fully aware that this was a gamble, but Lin Guanglai's performances in this tournament had never let people down. At this critical moment, naturally, the Waseda players were willing to partake in such a high-stakes gamble.

On the pitching mound, Kawamata Angi lifted his front foot, then delivered the first pitch.

The baseball tracked towards the high and outside corner, clearly aiming to suppress the batter and secure a good count.

Bearing everyone's expectations, Lin Guanglai swung his bat at Kawamata Angi's first pitch—the intense collision between the bat and the ball produced a tremendous explosion.

"Bang——!!!"

The stadium became instantly clamorous, with everyone's gaze following the cameras towards the outfield.

The baseball flew quickly with enough height; Kawamata Angi held his head in disbelief, while Konan's outfielders frantically chased after the ball.

Under the watchful eyes of more than 45,000 people, the ball scraped the foul pole and went out of the stadium—the faint cheers among the crowd died abruptly, replaced by sighs of disappointment.

In the Waseda Industries player section and stands, those who were ready to celebrate had to let their uplifted hands fall, feeling regret for how close it was.

"Ahhhhh!!!" The commentator in the broadcasting booth clenched his fists empathetically as he saw the ball scrape the foul pole and fly out of bounds, clearly feeling it was a pity.

"Ah, what a shame—this hit was of very high quality, and if it were just slightly more to the inside, it would have been a three-run home run!"

"Konan High School narrowly escapes! Substitute pitcher Kawamata Angi almost made a grave mistake—his high fastball was quite average and Lin Guanglai completely anticipated its path."

If anyone in the entire stadium were to feel relieved, it would be Konan High School and their supporters: on the Alps Stand, the narrowly-escaped Konan fans patted their chests, evidently not yet recovered from the recent scare.

Returning to the batter's box, Lin Guanglai's mood was also somewhat affected—so close! He was just that close to a three-run homer, Waseda was just that close to a thrilling comeback! Even someone usually so composed felt a twinge of indignation now.

Standing next to home plate and taking several deep breaths, he suppressed his inner regret and annoyance, stepping into the batter's box once more—the current count was 0 balls and 1 strike.

Perhaps influenced by the previous pitch, when faced with a slightly obvious ball, Lin Guanglai again chose to swing, of course, missing the ball.

"That pitch… really didn't need to be swung at—However, given the previous pitch, as a commentator, I can understand Lin's eagerness to make contact."

"But in the end, baseball is a sport that balances patience and determination—Lin, keep it up! Adjust quickly!"

As the most attention-grabbing player of this tournament, the first-year prodigy, Lin Guanglai naturally garnered a large following—including the commentator now cheering him on.

Slightly calmer, Lin Guanglai began to carefully discern the pitch trajectory—with two outs and an 0-ball, 2-strike disadvantage, he again showcased his precise dynamic vision and steady nerves:

Facing Kawamata Angi's pitches, he shifted from his previous aggressive approach, refraining from swinging at three consecutive pitches—each time Kawamata Angi pitched, fans on both sides drew in deep breaths.

After five pitches, the count was at 3 balls and 2 strikes, full count—Lin Guanglai stubbornly held on against unfavorable odds, forcing the pitcher to face him for a decisive battle.

On the mound, Kawamata Angi was breathing heavily—although he'd only just been subbed in this top half of the inning and had faced just four batters, including Lin Guanglai, the pressure on him might even exceed that of Shimabukuro Hiroshi's after consecutive complete games.

Especially considering the first pitch of this at-bat, if not for luck being on Konan's side, Kawamata Angi was nearly on the verge of giving up a three-run reversing homer, making him even more hesitant to pitch recklessly now.

The three wild pitches after the two strikes also stemmed from similar reasons: ultimately, it was still Lin Guanglai's historical performance and current game form putting immense pressure on him.

Yamakawa Daisuke, seeing his pitcher's condition, quickly called for a timeout, running to the mound to gather all the infield teammates for a strategy discussion.

On the side of the playing area, players from both teams came off the bench, standing just outside the player's area, watching intently the field circumstances; from the stands, Konan's supporters clenched their fists tight, earnestly praying, hoping for divine favor; Waseda's fans tirelessly cheered wildly, wanting to transmit their strength to Lin Guanglai on the field.

This Summer甲 semifinal performance had reached its climax at this moment.