Take Down the Top Team 3
Tying the score and catching their breath as they returned to the dugout, the stadium's atmosphere was already electric. What had seemed like a pitcher's duel had exploded into a slugfest between both teams, and the fans' cheers grew louder by the second. The broadcaster's excited voice cut through the noise.
"Can you feel how hyped the fans are right now? This game's turning into a real thriller."
Lee Seo-jin, the commentator beside him, chimed in.
"Absolutely. Both teams are playing small-ball at lightspeed. Games where chances are made and stolen back and forth like this? Rare treat. Super fun."
The moment Kim Hu-seong stepped into the dugout, his eyes met Manager Kim Young-ho's.
"Kim Hu-seong, that was excellent. Keep it up."
"Yes, sir. Got it, Manager."
Whew... I'm beat, so beat... The manager's praise barely registered; exhaustion had hit him like a truck. They'll handle the rest, right?
Jeong I-hun. Son of a Gwangju Pheasants legend. With his near-certain MLB posting next year, the guy shone in clutch spots like this. Everyone expected him to deliver.
Shweeeek! Pop!
First pitch: ball. The pitcher was playing it safe. Second pitch—Jeong I-hun unleashed a powerful swing.
Crack!
The ball rocketed up, slicing toward deep left-center. Kim Hu-seong shot to his feet.
"Go... go...!"
The outfielders turned and sprinted back; the crowd hushed. The drive kept carrying... but the center fielder halted at the warning track. Then, at the last second, he leaped at the wall and snagged it. A razor-close shot that nearly cleared.
"Ahh~! It settles into center fielder Chae Ji-hoon's glove. Fly out for Jeong I-hun. So close."
"Ah..."
A collective sigh of regret rippled through the dugout. Jeong I-hun shook his head, helmet off, pure disappointment. Damn, just a bit farther and it's game over... Tch. But it's not done yet. Another chance'll come.
Bottom of the eighth, another of the Turkeys' closers, Lee Tae-sin, took the mound. He'd already pitched the seventh, so maybe gassed—he surrendered a single to leadoff hitter Jang Min-ho. But he'd fanned the nine-hole, leaving one out, runner on first.
Up next: the opponent's two-hole, Ryu Seong-jae. Lee Tae-sin fired a low, hard fastball first pitch. It kissed the outside corner perfectly, but Ryu hung in there.
Thwack!
Pulled hard, rolling toward second. Second baseman Kim Han-seong charged in, snagged it, and tossed to shortstop Edison covering the bag.
Double play. Easy.
Perfect timing. Wait—what?!
Edison fielded smoothly, pivoting to first... but collided with the incoming Jang Min-ho. The runner's speed was no joke; he hadn't slowed much to beat the DP, and Edison, lunging for it, couldn't fully evade.
Wham!
The sudden impact buckled Edison's leg; he crumpled. The dugout erupted—Turkeys players on their feet, Crows looking stunned. Tension crackled like it could ignite into a brawl.
But first-base runner Jang Min-ho raised his hands first.
"Whoa whoa... not on purpose, man. You good?"
His frantic gestures de-escalated things; both teams sorted it without blows. Still, Edison writhed in pain, unable to rise. Medics rushed out, forcing a tough call.
"Haa... what the hell... Put in Hong Yu-chan at second, shift Han-seong to short."
"Understood."
Manager Kim Young-ho's order sent backup infielder Hong Yu-chan to second; Kim Han-seong slid to short. Two outs now. Up: Crows' three-hole, Kim Yong-hun—already a key hit today. No pushover.
Lee Tae-sin attacked inside with a fastball. Kim Yong-hun swung hard.
Thwack!
It screamed deep down the third-base line. Instinct kicked in—Kim Hu-seong dove right, full extension.
Got it!
He snared the roller hugging the line toward left. Deep contact; his brain screamed to pop up and gun to first. His body obeyed. He sprang up, locked in.
The batter was halfway down. Too late!
Grit!
He unleashed full throttle.
Sweeeee!
The ball lasered like a bullet to first baseman Hwang Do-yoon's mitt.
Pop!
Hwang Do-yoon's eyes widened. 'Whoa, Hu-seong's throws are insane today.'
The ump pumped his fist.
"Out!"
Nice! Cheers exploded from the Turkeys' dugout. Tripling the Crows' cleanup hitter sealed a scoreless eighth. Kim Hu-seong adjusted his cap, heaving a deep breath.
Whew... close one.
As he walked to third-base dugout, Lee Tae-sin caught up.
"Great play, Hu-seong. That was defensive poetry."
Kim Hu-seong nodded cockily and headed in.
Bottom ninth, still 5-5. The top half yielded nothing; now the Crows could end it. Closer Jo Seon-jae climbed the mound.
Leadoff: their cleanup, Go Ju-seok—already a homer today, prime threat.
Shweeeeeek! Tick!
Jo Seon-jae's low-inside curve dipped, but Go Ju-seok poked it up into shallow left-short-center. Texas leaguer dropped untouched in no-man's-land.
"Hah... damn..."
Worst-case. Bottom ninth—one run wins it for them. Crows immediately pinch-ran for Go Ju-seok with speed.
Five-hole Tommy Nople stepped up... and squared to bunt. A merc bunting? Clear intent to close it out.
Jo Seon-jae fired a strike near inside... but Tommy tapped a perfect sac toward third. One out, runner to second.
Kim Hu-seong tensed, inching forward into shifted position. Sidle to block the line—ideal for bottom ninth. He settled, exhaled, refocused. Any grounder now meant home-plate gamble. The infield crept in as one.
Up: six-hole Lee Ji-hoon. Crows' catcher, solid contact guy.
Please... just...
Sweeee!
Jo Seon-jae, ace closer, unleashed 157km smoke inside. Left-handed Lee Ji-hoon flailed—grounder between short and third, but closer to short.
Kim Hu-seong shifted right, eyes locked. Kim Han-seong dove, fielded clean. Good...
But disaster: his throw to first sailed wild.
"Ah!"
Bad hop past the mitt, ricocheting off the fence behind.
"Wooooaaah!"
Home crowd roared—hope reborn on the error. Catcher Jang Ha-jun bolted after the rebound.
Wait—no!
Kim Hu-seong scanned: runner tagging from second to third. Pitcher chasing the carom. Catcher too. Wrong direction—too close to them. Home's wide open!
He bolted home, abandoning third. Runner rounded wide, momentum building. They raced neck-and-neck.
Swoosh!
Kim Hu-seong tagged first... but the ball? Way late. By the time he fielded Jang Ha-jun's throw from foul territory, the runner had crossed.
"Safe!"
Game over.
"Wooooaaah!"
"Lee Ji-hoon! Lee Ji-hoon!"
The stadium detonated in Crows fans' ecstasy. Their players swarmed, spraying water and drinks in victory.
Kim Hu-seong watched, gutted. Head down in defeat, low voices buzzed from the dugout.
"Goddamn it... what kind of throw was that? Whole infield's defense sucks. Only the third baseman's human? Sigh... head coach, Edison?"
Manager Kim Young-ho scowled, curses brewing.
"Not critical. Just... needs to shrink his range a bit."
The chief coach glanced nervously, relaying the message.
"Tch... no shortstop duties for a while then. But... can't leave error-prone Kim Han-seong there."
The chief coach sighed softly.
"Well... Han-seong was never elite at short anyway. Good bat, fast feet—that's why we used him."
"True. But screwing up in a spot like this? Unusable..."
Manager Kim Young-ho eyed the slumping players filing in.
"We got one."
Huh? Got one? What?
Kim Hu-seong froze as the manager stared him down, dropping the cryptic line.
"Kim Hu-seong!"
"Yes, Manager."
"Starting shortstop tomorrow. You."