first pitch; opening pitch
Baseball term for the pitcher's first pitch to a batter or the first pitch of the game.
I'll swing aggressively from the first pitch.
He hit the first pitch into center field.
He swung hard at the first pitch.
The batter took the first pitch.
The pitcher got a strike on the first pitch.
sphere; globe; ball; bulb · ball; sphere · counter for pitches
Compound of 初 (first) and 球 (ball, pitch). The reading しょきゅう follows standard on'yomi.