"Hit It!!!"
On the field, the situation changed rapidly.
The Cuban team sent in Katro, who had contributed significantly in their previous match.
Although he had given up some points in the previous game, based on the strength the opponent displayed, he was undoubtedly a very powerful pitcher.
Even though he was facing a batting lineup from Japan, logic would suggest that the Japan team would need some time to adapt before they could hit Katro's pitches. But the situation now was completely different. The first batter, Kamiya Carlos, barely needed any time to adapt and immediately knocked the ball out.
What was most terrifying was that after the ball was hit, the Cuban players seemed to be caught off guard.
They probably never imagined that their ace would be so easily hit. He had barely stepped onto the mound and was already struck by a critical blow.
In the Cuban dugout, the portly manager had already broken into a cold sweat.
They knew they were about to face Japan team's Ace, Eijun Sawamura, a man known as "The Great Demon King," who had previously competed with the Son of Baseball, Allen Ward, without losing his ground.
This man, Sawamura, was unknown to them, and they knew very little about him.
Although they had looked up some information and knew he was famous in Japan, the sports media in Japan were known for boasting. It was a well-known fact in baseball. Even if their local media praised someone, people from other countries usually took it with a grain of salt.
However, they knew Allen well.
A pitcher who could compete against Allen in the same game without losing was certainly someone they couldn't ignore.
In preparing for the game, the Cuban players had made defense their top priority. After all, they were facing a pitcher who could be compared to Allen, someone who could hold his own in the same game.
They were well aware that it would be difficult for them to score in this match. If they wanted to take control of the game, they would have to put all their efforts into defense.
Otherwise, if they allowed too many runs early in the game, it would be almost impossible to catch up later.
A strong pitcher is a terrifying entity.
One player alone could shut down the entire team's offensive chances.
The Cuban players, knowing this, had made a concerted effort not to let the Japanese team score early, especially in the beginning.
They knew their ace was a slow starter.
Katro needed time to get into the groove, and generally, the stronger the opponent, the faster he would get into his rhythm.
But this quick adaptation came only after taking some hits.
So, facing the strength shown by the Japanese team, the Cuban players had devised a strategy to prevent them from scoring in the early innings.
They needed to stay solid and hold onto their defense no matter what.
What they didn't expect was that Carlos, the first batter, would so swiftly and decisively knock the ball forward, leaving them completely unprepared for the defense.
By the time they reacted, they could only silently praise the opponent.
Incredible!
The man, who looked like he was of mixed descent, displayed such skill in the Batter's Box that it was awe-inspiring.
Previously, they hadn't noticed his true power when he played against Italy, but now his abilities were on full display.
The Cuban manager frowned.
Although he was reluctant to accept it, he couldn't ignore the thought.
When they played Italy, the Cuban team didn't even show their full strength, did they?
His suspicion wasn't without basis.
Carlos's performance in these two games had been so different from the previous one.
Had the Japanese team known that, they would have been taken aback.
It wasn't that they had deliberately held back against Italy, but subconsciously, they had restrained their power.
Italy's team didn't pressure them enough to fully showcase their abilities.
But Cuba was different!
Despite the Japanese team's confidence in winning, they had to admit one thing.
The Cuban players were strong, and they posed an immense threat to them.
If they weren't careful, they could easily be overwhelmed.
Japan team had that feeling during today's match.
It was completely different from when they played Italy.
Although they felt Italy's persistence and strength, their mindset was much more relaxed. Throughout the game, the Japan team never felt a truly life-threatening situation. No matter how tense or stuck the game became, they always believed they would win in the end!
They never sensed the taste of defeat against Italy.
With Italy's strength, it was very hard for them to defeat the Japanese team.
But Cuba was different.
Even though they had the terrifying Sawamura on the mound, Japan team couldn't fully relax.
Maybe it was their intuition, but they felt something was off about this Cuban team. It wasn't a good feeling. As experienced players, they knew this feeling meant that there was a hidden terror within the Cuban team that they hadn't uncovered.
Once that terror emerged, and if it exploded, the result wouldn't be good, even if they didn't face complete destruction.
This made the Japanese team nervous.
To ease their unease, they had to give everything they had.
Cuba was in trouble.
Japan team began their fierce attack right from the start.
No outs, a runner on first base.
Terrifying, simply terrifying!
The feeling was hard to describe.
In the first inning, the first batter reached base immediately.
This was already a bad omen, especially for the pitcher. This kind of omen was never good.
It could very well lead to an irreversible disaster.
This was already enough to trouble the pitcher.
As Carlos ran the bases, they felt an even greater threat.
The guy who had reached base wasn't wasting any time with his long legs.
Those legs were practically cheating.
Especially Carlos, whose legs seemed like high-speed engines ready to launch at any moment.
Having already reached first base, his speed was illegal.
Would he stay at first base?
Of course not.
So, in the ensuing battle, the pitcher had to worry about Carlos.
This alone was enough to give anyone a headache.
But Katro seemed like he had angered God, and one misfortune after another befell him.
The worst part was that they were about to face the dreaded Sawamura.
This was someone they had already been keeping an eye on.
Sawamura!
What a terrifying name. Even though the Cuban players had never faced him before, just the fact that he had once competed fiercely against the Son of Baseball, Allen, made them wary.
And from what they knew, Sawamura's abilities weren't limited to pitching—his batting skills were just as troublesome.
He had even hit Allen's pitches before.
Facing such an opponent, Katro had initially been excited.
He had a rebellious streak and wanted to challenge the best players in the world.
The thought of facing Sawamura head-on thrilled him to no end.
But now was not the right time for him to face Sawamura.
With a runner like Carlos on base, one mistake, and Japan team might score first.
This was exactly what Cuba had been trying to avoid.
Under these circumstances, directly facing Sawamura, Japan team's best batter, wasn't a wise choice.
The best strategy would have been to play cautiously and try to corner him with a few edge pitches. It would be ideal to get him out, but even if they didn't, they could still accept the result.
This was the logic of a sensible person.
Out of 100 pitchers, 99 would make the same choice.
But unfortunately, Katro wasn't that kind of person.
When facing a crisis, he didn't run away like others would.
On the contrary, his eyes gleamed with desire.
He longed for this kind of challenge.
Sawamura, standing in the Batter's Box, lifted his bat and gently swayed it.
His stance was very formal, similar to that of major league batters.
The bat swayed slightly, as if ready to strike at any moment.
But that wasn't the most terrifying part. The most terrifying part was his past record.
When people didn't know about him, all they could see were his past glories.
Thinking of Sawamura's terrifying achievements made the Cuban players very nervous.
At this moment, someone wanted to tell Katro, "Don't try to be a hero."
Even though Katro was considered number one in Cuba, that was only in Cuba.
He wasn't even close to being an outstanding, world-shaking figure.
Not like Allen.
Not to mention Allen, even compared to Sawamura, Katro's fame was far less.
Given this, what gave Katro the confidence to face Sawamura head-on?
Was he out of his mind?
But no matter what others thought, Katro didn't care. His eyes were fixed solely on Sawamura.
He didn't choose to avoid the challenge; instead, he boldly attacked.
His leg shot up high and then came down forcefully.
Using his body's weight shift, the small baseball whistled out.
Whrroosh!
At the same time, Carlos, already on first base, wasn't just standing around.
He immediately shot forward like an arrow from a bow.
Sawamura, in the Batter's Box, saw the ball coming and watched as Carlos tried to steal second base. He couldn't help but admire these two players.
Although he admired them, Sawamura didn't swing at the pitch. The ball flew straight into the catcher's mitt, who stood up, preparing to throw it to second base.
But there wasn't enough time.
Carlos, like a hunting panther, had already reached second base and was set up there. The catcher couldn't even throw the ball.
"Wow!"
"Too fast!"
It was just too fast!
The Cuban catcher stared in disbelief at Carlos standing on second base.
His eyes were filled with confusion. His skills as a catcher were world-class, even among players his age.
He had successfully ended many stolen base attempts with a success rate of over 70%.
A genuine monster—ordinary people didn't even have the qualifications to carry his shoes.
But, as they say, people differ, and goods differ.
Even with his impressive stolen base defense, when he faced Carlos, he was completely stunned. Carlos's speed was beyond his comprehension.
It was too fast. It was simply too fast!
He didn't even have time to react.
The catcher wavered, and the pitcher was deeply shaken.
At that moment, they realized they were in serious trouble.
It seemed like it couldn't get worse, but it did.
The Cuban players had put all their attention on Carlos.
He had successfully stolen second base, but would he continue? Would he steal third?
This would be much harder than stealing second.
But based on Carlos's speed, it wasn't impossible.
If he did attempt it, how would Cuba respond?
Everyone was focused on Carlos, but they had forgotten something very important.
Even though they had forgotten, Japan team had not.
But Japan team wouldn't kindly remind their opponents about the terrifying presence they had overlooked.
Carlos was fast, but Sawamura was the true monster here.
The Cuban players couldn't understand this feeling, but the Japanese team and spectators could.
They were far more afraid of Sawamura's abilities than Carlos's.
As they were too focused on Carlos, the pitch was thrown.
Before pitching, Katro had deliberately kept an eye on Carlos to prevent him from stealing.
Sawamura stood in the Batter's Box, a cold smile curling on his lips.
…