As he stepped into the batter's box, the sharp instincts unique to the catcher position prompted Uesugi Yasuyuki to glance around the field:
After the intentional walk strategy collapsed, East Asia Academy opted to face the challenge head-on: Seeing that the batter was a first-year catcher who hadn't played before and was lower in the lineup, their outfielders moved significantly forward, leaving only a central fielder with good speed and a large defensive coverage area standing further back.
Having lost 2 consecutive runs, East Asia Academy was desperate to get an out to relieve the immense defensive pressure on their players:
If Uesugi Yasuyuki hit a weak grounder, they could easily turn a double play and keep the losing score within 2 runs;
If the opponent hit a high-flying outfield ball, with East Asia Academy outfielders' speed and arm strength, there's a chance they could catch it and throw home to tag Lin Guanglai who was on third base.
