When Coach Kataoka initially decided to have Lee-Hyun replace Miyuki as the pinch runner at first base, 99% of the fans at the scene didn't understand it.
Even the hardcore supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team, though they didn't voice their objections out of respect for Coach Kataoka's reputation, felt the same way internally.
Coach Kataoka was undoubtedly taking a huge gamble.
And it was a gamble with no foundation or reasoning behind it—just reckless behavior.
Some people even sadly wondered to themselves if Coach Kataoka, under the intense pressure of the situation, had become desperate and was simply trying anything at this point.
The Seidou High School baseball team was in a situation where they absolutely had to score.
That was why Coach Kataoka made such an unconventional move.
He was hoping to win by surprise, trying to confuse the Inajitsu High School baseball team's players.
Although everyone knew that Lee-Hyun's speed must be exceptionally fast (otherwise, there would be no point), no one had ever expected someone's speed could be this fast.
The combination of Narumiya and Tadano, though not the absolute strongest battery duo in the country, was definitely among the top three.
Their basic skills were incredibly solid.
For example, when the pitcher throws the ball and the catcher attempts to throw it to second base to make a pickoff, their time is incredibly short—no more than three seconds.
Yet, under these circumstances, Lee-Hyun still managed to steal second base.
Tadano didn't even have time to throw the ball after receiving it.
By the time he got to second base, Lee-Hyun had already reached it.
This speed was absolutely unparalleled in the entire country.
No other runner could match Lee-Hyun's speed.
"Did Anyone Time That? How Fast Was That Guy?" someone asked.
"Who Knows? I Was Too Busy Being Shocked To Time Him," another replied.
"Now I Understand Why Coach Kataoka Put Lee-Hyun In."
"Although I still feel it's a bit odd to replace Miyuki, I have to admit this guy really has potential!"
A murmur of astonishment spread across the stands.
It was clear that everyone was surprised, but they also truly admired Lee-Hyun's speed.
It was Cool, truly Cool!
It was impossible not to admire him.
That lightning-fast speed and movement made people completely forget the previous unease.
In fact, they even began to feel a bit excited.
They were eager to see if Lee-Hyun could return to home plate.
"Wow, that guy's body… that's a foul, right?" someone exclaimed.
During the pitch, Narumiya caught a glimpse of Lee-Hyun's movement.
Lee-Hyun had started running and instantly hit his maximum speed.
Narumiya thought about taking Lee-Hyun to the research institute to have him studied by those mad scientists.
'How could a person increase their speed so quickly without even a proper start?'
'Even the fastest sports cars couldn't achieve that kind of acceleration.'
"Not only is he fast, but his explosive speed is also shocking!" Narumiya said to himself, realizing they had little chance of stopping Lee-Hyun's stolen base.
His speed had reached an unstoppable level.
"I didn't expect Seidou High to have such a monster hidden in their ranks?" someone on the stands wondered.
"I thought that guy should be in track and field! If he runs sprints..." another person suggested.
In fact, that thought reflected the opinion of many people in the stands.
In baseball, speed is a huge advantage. It's not just in baseball, but in almost every sport, speed is a significant advantage.
Track and field is the root of all athletics!
This isn't just an empty saying; it's backed by facts.
Speedy athletes often enjoy a huge advantage.
In baseball, this is most evident when stealing bases.
Top-tier teams often train each player specifically in base stealing.
Moreover, these teams usually select one or two players who are especially fast.
They are used as pinch runners in critical moments.
Having a player like this, whether they are a starter or a substitute, adds a lot of tactical options for the team, especially during strategic play.
But even with that, it's rare to see a runner as fast as Lee-Hyun in a baseball game.
Runners with that kind of potential are usually poached by track and field teams.
And from a young age, they're participating in all kinds of competitions.
A person like Lee-Hyun would never be overlooked by any track and field team.
It's hard to imagine him being in a baseball game, and from what everyone could observe, his speed was even more impressive than expected.
At this moment, someone was already eager to use a stopwatch to time Lee-Hyun.
Having successfully stolen second base, Lee-Hyun had become more relaxed.
He stood up and started to move from second base toward third base!
"Oi! Do you think I'm dead?" Narumiya, on the mound, suddenly turned and threw the ball back to second base.
Inajitsu's second baseman, having anticipated this move, was already positioned to catch the ball.
Snap!
But when he caught the ball and turned to tag Lee-Hyun, he was stunned to find that Lee-Hyun had already slid into the base and touched it.
"SAFE!"
Lee-Hyun's pickoff counter was surprisingly skilled.
What Inashiro didn't know was that during practice, it was the legendary Sawamura Eijun who had been working with Lee-Hyun on his anti-pickoff.
When it came to pickoff and tag-out techniques, Sawamura was the ultimate nightmare for runners.
Some online experts said that Sawamura could become a high-class pitcher with this set of skills alone.
Under Sawamura's tutelage, Lee-Hyun's skill in base running and anti-pickoff was exceptional.
Even Narumiya would find it difficult to catch him, he never expected Lee-Hyun's speed to be this incredible!
He hadn't even had time to react before Lee-Hyun easily made it to the base.
"This little monster!!"
It had been heard that Seidou had recruited many talented new players this year.
Inajitsu also had Akamatsu.
Narumiya had always thought that although these new players had a lot of potential, their skills weren't quite up to par and wouldn't pose a serious threat.
For Seidou High, players like Nishiyama and Yui Kaoru were national team Captain and Ace who had risen to fame at a young age. Among the new recruits, they were definitely the standout players.
No one could deny their potential and skill.
However, when compared to the star players of Inashiro or Seidou, these newcomers were still inexperienced cubs.
Narumiya stopped paying attention to Lee-Hyun on second base and immediately pitched.
But Lee-Hyun wasn't idle.
As soon as Narumiya began his pitching motion, Lee-Hyun quickly dashed toward third base.
At the Batter's Box, Maezono clenched his teeth and swung his bat.
His task was just as critical; Coach Kataoka had given him one instruction.
He must not hit a pop fly!
Everything else didn't matter...
Maezono understood and aimed to swing at the ball just above the middle of the strike zone.
Then he watched in shock as the ball suddenly dropped.
SNAP!
Maezono missed.
Tadano, who received the pitch from Narumiya, hesitated for a moment before trying to throw it to third base.
Although he didn't think he could tag out Lee-Hyun in time, he had to try.
"Don't!" Narumiya shouted.
He stopped Tadano's actions.
"Just let him go!"
Rather than letting Lee-Hyun continue running around second base, it was better to just let him reach third base.
Even if Tadano managed to throw to third, it would be too late to stop Lee-Hyun, and it would only strengthen Seidou's momentum.
By allowing him to advance, they could avoid giving the opponent even more momentum.
Now on third base, Lee-Hyun had reached his limit.
Narumiya could roughly guess what Seidou would do next.
"SAFE!!!"
Lee-Hyun successfully ran to third base, with two outs already on the board.
When considering his speed, the voices of doubt regarding Seidou High School, especially concerning Coach Kataoka, suddenly quieted down a lot.
It seemed that this point might really be within Seidou High School's reach.
Narumiya Mei, the Ace of Inajitsu High School's baseball team, for some reason, stopped his own catcher from attempting to hold Lee-Hyun on base.
Although Tadano's skills may not be enough to stop Lee-Hyun, one should at least try, right?
By not attempting, he was essentially ensuring that no opportunity to test the situation even existed…
Tadano passed the ball back to Narumiya. But Narumiya suddenly changed his previously slow pitching rhythm and threw the baseball right from his hand.
On the Batter's Box, Maezono was already on two Strikes and was being forced into a corner.
Fortunately, he had already planned ahead and quickly adopted a bunt stance.
As long as he could hit the ball, with Lee-Hyun's terrifying speed, getting back to home plate would be an easy task.
Roaar!
However, the baseball that came toward him suddenly dropped rapidly as it approached the strike zone. It struck the home plate and bounced directly into Tadano's mitt.
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"
Lee-Hyun had already run five or six meters past third base, but luckily, Narumiya's faster pitch rhythm caught him off guard.
If it weren't for that, he probably would have already been halfway home by now.
Lee-Hyun quickly slammed on the brakes and tried to retreat back.
Tadano quickly passed the ball to third base.
Snap!
"SAFE!!"
Although the ball was thrown to third base, Lee-Hyun's speed was clearly superior.
He safely returned to third base.
However, what should have been a golden scoring opportunity for Seidou High School had now disappeared.
Two Outs, with a runner on third base.
At this point, Narumiya just needed to get the final Out. No matter whether Lee-Hyun returned to home plate, it wouldn't matter.
…
T/N: Well, That's it for now!
As always, Thank you all for reading guys!
Have a good day!
You also can check my Patre0n for extra Chapters.
https://www.patre0n.com/ColdColt
There are +180 Chapters there.