In the rest area of Hirotaka High School.
The middle-aged superintendent, who is chubby and round, wept and grieved as though he had received some distressing news.
"I have said it before, we're not opponents of Seidou High School at all."
The Hirotaka High School players, who were originally frightened by Sawamura's pitching, suddenly felt that their lungs were about to explode with anger!
"Is that what you're supposed to say as a coach?"
"Can you act like a Coach please!"
"The game has just started, how can you say something depressing…"
The players began to condemn their own Coach.
They glared at Superintendent Haku Yutaka one by one as if they were going to eat him alive.
Superintendent Yutaka may have been frightened by his own students, opened his mouth, and finally said nothing.
"It's useless to say anything now. After all, we didn't score points in the first inning. We can only pin our hopes on the next inning! Of course, before that, we have to find a way to deal with Seidou High School's line-up."
In the second half of the first inning, it was Seidou High School's turn to attack.
Seidou's leadoff batter remains Kuramochi, and it might be fitting to rename the position in his honor at Seidou High School by now.
At this moment, he was looking at the players of Hirotaka High School with a bad face.
The whole feeling is very bad.
"Hyaa-ha-haa!"
Reciting his own signature laugh in a low voice, Kuramochi muttered, "Sawamura pitching just now can't have no impact at all."
While the opponent was still immersed in shock, he worked his way to the bases and destroyed the opponent.
There is nothing more ideal than this result.
Kuramochi definitely doesn't mind making things go downhill for the opponent.
In that instant, a glint of coldness sparked in his eyes.
Kosuke on the pitcher's mound was speechless when he saw Kuramochi who was eager to try and steal a base.
Now that there is no one on the base at Seidou High School, Kuramochi's move is so obvious.
If he didn't make it, he would be embarrassed himself.
'Since that is what you want, then you can have it!'
Whoosh!
Kosuke Ishizue threw his first ball!
'Here it comes!'
As the white ball soared over, a sinking feeling subconsciously gripped Kuramochi's heart.
When I watched Hirotaka High School's game video before, Kosuke Ishizue's pitching felt like the most common Straight ball, no big deal.
It's not that he didn't drop points in the games he pitched, and his strikeouts count was even more pitiful.
It is such a guy who has become the Ace pitcher of Hirotaka High School.
Just thinking about it will make anyone feel incredible.
Nevertheless, this is a fact.
Kosuke is undoubtedly the core of Hirotaka High School's offense and defense. He used to be the Ace and the fourth batter, but now he has been transferred to the first batter.
This is not to say that his batting power has regressed!
On the contrary, Hirotaka High School arranged this just to increase their probability of scoring and hitting hits.
The seemingly unremarkable pitching gives a faint feeling of unease.
Kuramochi hesitated for a moment but finally did not swing his bat.
At the same time, he saw the first and third basemen of Hirotaka High School, after the pitcher pitched, running forward…
'Oh, are you watching out for my bunt?'
Kuramochi instantly understood what was going on. The opponent threw an ordinary Straight ball, probably to tempt him to use a bunt.
As long as Kuramochi used a bunt, the one who ran ahead could catch the ball and pass it to first base.
In this way, Kuramochi can be blocked at first base effortlessly.
"How cunning!"
In this regard, Kuramochi-kun's response is only two words.
Hirotaka High School's response forced Kuramochi to be cautious. In the semi-finals of Koshien, even if media reporters have predicted that Seidou High School has an absolute advantage.
But Seidou couldn't be careless.
Before they really won the national championship and dominated the country. Any accident is likely to lose their hard-earned opportunities.
And those who can make it to the top four in the Nationals, even if there is a factor of luck, their strength is definitely not to be underestimated or looked over.
After taking a long breath, Kuramochi's eyes became focused.
Although the opponent has begun to be on guard, Kuramochi still has to rely on his own speed to get to base.
If the bunt is not possible, just hit the ball forward!
Ping!
On the second ball, Kuramochi swung very decisively.
After the white ball was hit, it flew straight in front of the second baseman.
This direction is definitely unfavorable, but fortunately, its speed and position are just right. It was not easy for the second baseman of Hirotaka High School to catch the ball.
After hitting the ball, Kuramochi threw away his bat and ran forward.
He's so fast, it's like he's got an engine in his calves.
In the blink of an eye, he ran out several meters.
SNAP!
The white ball was caught by the second baseman of Hirotaka High School. The second baseman changed his stance and posture as he caught the ball like he had trained on this a hundred times.
"OUT!"
Kuramochi was directly solved Out.
"Damn, bad luck!"
Kuramochi himself was very dissatisfied with this.
When passing by Kominato Ryosuke, he shared the information he had observed.
"It's very similar to Nanami's Straight ball before. The ball is mixed with slight irregular breaks. It should have some characteristic."
Another Pitcher with characteristics!
This is not unfamiliar to the players of Seidou High School. Their current Ace pitcher, Sawamura Eijun, is the king of characteristics.
"To what degree is his breaks?" Kominato Ryosuke asked.
Just know that a Moving ball pitcher is not the same as a pitcher with characteristics.
Some can only have small traits to their Straight ball with some small breaks. And some can rely on the Moving ball to win the Championship.
"The specific degree is not clear, but when the bat hits the ball, it feels very strange, as if it didn't hit the ball perfectly!"
Kominato Ryosuke nodded and looked at Kosuke on the pitcher's mound.
A pitcher with an unknown characteristic in his Straight ball!
Among pitchers who didn't receive formal instruction in middle school, there were occasional oddballs like this.
However, when they were in West Tokyo, they only met Sawamura. But at Koshien, they have seen two such pitchers.
'I really don't know what to say.'
Ping!
"FOUL!"
Ping!
"FOUL!!"
After tangled with several balls in a row, Kominato Ryosuke had a deeper understanding of Kosuke's Straight balls.
To put it bluntly, Nanami's pitching is a perfect combination of Straight and Breaking balls that he honed himself in the later period.
And Kosuke Ishizue of Hirotaka High School is born with this characteristic in his pitching.
'There is no way to guess the specific key and reason. The only thing I know is that his Moving ball is not easy to deal with.'
Ping!
After tangled with six balls, Kominato Ryosuke failed to hit a ball out of bounds, and the small white ball flew right in front of the pitcher and was caught in the Mitt by Kosuke.
SNAP!
"OUT!!"
Two Outs, no one on base.
right now, everyone thought that Seidou might not score in the first inning.
But no one thought that Seidou High School's attack had just begun.
...