Ping!
The ball took off like a rocket, catching everyone off guard, even Takigawa, who was set up behind the plate.
Most folks probably missed the connection, but as the catcher, he saw it all.
The bat barely grazed the ball; it wasn't even close to a solid hit.
Normally, that'd be an easy pop-fly.
Their guys should have had no problem snagging it.
But this guy was just too strong.
He managed to send a barely-hit ball flying, almost to the back of the stadium.
'Seriously? First batter? How's he got that much juice?' Takigawa wondered to himself.
Did Seikō really need that kind of hitter leading off?
Shouldn't that guy be batting third or fourth?
No one answered him, of course.
The Seidō fans were just staring, eyes wide. Like Takigawa, they couldn't believe it.
Yoshida was usually rock-solid on the mound.
Even when he wasn't at his best, he was still one of the best pitchers in Tokyo.
If Takumi hadn't shown up, he'd still be the ace, hands down.
How could such a good pitcher get rocked like that? It was unreal. Everyone was just speechless.
Eyes glued to the ball, everyone wondered where it would land.
"Too deep! It's gonna hit the wall!" one fan shouted, clearly worried.
Any baseball fan knew that outfielders couldn't play right up against the wall.
They had to cover the whole field, so they usually played in the middle or a little closer.
Everyone figured the ball would land, bounce, and Seikō would have a leadoff hit.
But then something unexpected happened.
Coach Kumakiri from Seikō saw it first.
Years of experience told him exactly where the ball was headed.
He glanced over, and his eyes widened.
Someone in a blue and white uniform was standing right there.
"It's Yamamoto! What's he doing there?" he blurted out, confused.
Everyone else was thinking the same thing.
Even some of the Seidō players looked surprised.
"As expected of Takumi-kun; he never disappoints." Kuramochi Yōichi smiled confidently.
He didn't even need to see what happened next.
In his mind, Takumi's glove was like a giant net, covering the entire outfield.
If the ball was anywhere near him, he wasn't going to miss it.
Kataoka had put him in the outfield temporarily, just to get a feel for the game.
Now, even Kataoka had probably forgotten why.
Takumi was just too good.
Kataoka was used to seeing him out there when he wasn't on the mound.
That spot was usually reserved for the Aces of other teams.
Takumi wasn't the team's Ace yet, but Kataoka was definitely grooming him for it.
Snap!
Just like Kuramochi had predicted, Takumi snagged the ball.
"Whoa!" someone in the crowd gasped, amazed.
"Out!" The umpire shouted authoritatively.
Even the commentator was impressed.
"Seidō's outfielder, Yamamoto Takumi, seemed to know exactly where that ball was going. He was waiting right there and made the catch! Seidō gets the first out!" The commentator announced, enthusiastic.
One out, no runners on base.
The Seikō players were stunned by Takumi's play.
He moved so effortlessly.
They'd never felt anything like it before.
It was like their opponent was in complete control.
Their powerful swings seemed to have finally met their match.
Then their second batter stepped up to the plate.
Just like the first guy, he was a big dude, wielding the biggest metal bat you could get.
As soon as he got into the batter's box, he raised the bat high.
Whoosh!
Facing Yoshida's pitch, the second batter swung without a second thought.
The swing was smooth, almost effortless.
Even Takigawa was impressed.
Seikō's team, much like their cleanup hitter Azuma Kiyokuni, was all about brute force, even if they weren't always precise.
They swung for the fences every time.
'These guy's swings are their style,' Takigawa thought, a bit worried.
He knew Yoshida couldn't just aim for weak hits.
He needed those Seikō batters to completely whiff or barely touch the ball.
Suddenly, the crowd went wild.
He glanced over to see Takumi in the outfield, glove raised high, ball secure.
"He got it!" One of the fans cried joyously.
Some guys are just born to shine. Takumi shut down two big Seikō swings.
The first one? Maybe luck.
The second? No way.
The Seidō fans were losing it, pure hype filling the air.