"Always think it might be your last chance." Pitcher Riku Kawahara, a trained professional baseball player from Hanshin, showed off his results in the practice game on the 20th by keeping three scoreless innings.
Hanshin held a practice match against the South Korean team at the Okinawa camp, with a team consisting mainly of young players.
Among the fielders, Ukyo Maekawa, a 20-year-old third-year high school graduate who continues to use his unique batting skills to become a regular outfielder, showed off his long-hitting ability.
In his first at-bat, with two outs and 3rd base, he persevered for a foul and was forced to hit the eighth pitch, an out-of-course curveball, and hit a home run.
Maekawa said, ``I got two strikes and held the bat short. I hit the ball well and I think it was a good turn at bat. I want to practice more so I can compete at a high level.'' .
As for the pitcher, pitcher Kawahara, a developmental player who has high expectations from manager Akifu Okada, started and took the mound for the first time in the camp practice game.
He made a big impression by keeping two scoreless innings and getting two strikeouts with his characteristic sharp fastball and sharply curved slider.
Pitcher Kawahara said, ``I'm relieved that we got a result. I always go into the game thinking that it might be my last chance. I don't think too much about it, and I want to attack the next time, attack, and gain control.'' The frantic pitching continues.