In the last round of tests similar to the finals, all three took it seriously.
Kuramochi didn't need to say anything. Sawamura and Toujou also understood that the coaching staff was testing their speed in such conditions. They wanted to see what level of speed they could maintain under conditions of significant physical exertion.
Understanding this, the coaching staff could naturally judge whether they needed to attempt steals based on the situation on the field.
This point could make or break the game, as Seidou's style is to aggressively aim for the next base. With this information in hand, a lot of tactics could be improved.
It's obvious that without, Yuuki Tetsuya, Kominato Ryosuke, Isashiki Jun, the heavy artillery Masuko Toru, and the team's batting formation, Seidou High School's batting power has declined. At this point, if someone were to say that Seidou High School's batting strength has not declined, Coach Kataoka would definitely not hold back and say: "Are you blind?"
After the decline in batting power, it was uncertain how many games they could win.
Fortunately, the offense doesn't have to rely solely on hitting. With proper coordination, base running, and tactical scoring, it's also a very good option.
Especially after the formation of the new team, Seidou is destined to build a team centered around the battery of pitcher and catcher.
For such a team, trying to win games by directly competing with opponents in scoring is foolish. Instead of focusing on full-force scoring, it's better to strengthen defense. To score, Seidou can use the aggressive harassing and advancing tactic to get Runs.
Currently, Seidou is selecting players who could become the corner of these tactics.
Kuramochi is definitely one. In the original Seidou High School, he was a very important part of the offense.
Now, Sawamura and Toujou also seem to have great potential for development!
Especially Sawamura has a significant advantage that Kuramochi lacks. That is his on-base percentage, which far exceeds Kuramochi's.
As for Toujou, it depends on his performance in batting afterward. Although he voluntarily stepped down from the pitcher's position and took on the role of outfielder for the team, if his batting strength isn't up to par, he still won't be able to become a mainstay player for Seidou High School.
If he could perform well in the batting and there is an opportunity, getting a comeback as a pitcher is not impossible.
Looking at the starting line, the three of them are preparing to sprint.
Kuramochi, Sawamura, Toujou—the trio resembled beasts poised to pounce, primed to unleash their speed at any moment.
Kuramochi kept a keen eye on Sawamura's every move as they prepared.
"Everyone, take your positions!"
Upon Coach Kataoka's command, Sawamura tensed up entirely.
Kuramochi's start was erratic, making it uncertain if he could outpace him.
"Get ready!"
As Coach Kataoka signaled, all three seemed like taut bows, poised to unleash their speed at any moment.
Kuramochi smirked confidently, adjusting his stance, ready to burst forward.
He didn't adopt a sprinting stance, merely positioned himself to dash at any second.
Beep!
With a slight adjustment upon hearing the whistle, Kuramochi surged forward with all his might.
Toujou followed close behind, trailing Kuramochi by a few steps.
'Heh, isn't this guy slow?'
Kuramochi smirked as he glanced sideways at Toujou's start. Crossing him, he focused ahead to spot Sawamura already two steps ahead.
'How did he get there so fast?'
This time, Sawamura was dead serious. He knew his slow start was a disadvantage, so he devised a new tactic.
Each time Kataoka called them to position and blew the whistle, Sawamura silently counted in his head.
When the whistle finally blew, Sawamura shot forward. Despite starting behind Kuramochi, there was no chance of catching up.
He decided to anticipate the whistle and start the moment the moment he was.
Simple in theory, precise in execution. Sawamura had calculated this timing meticulously.
With preparation, everything changed.
Again, as Kataoka called them to position, Sawamura counted the beats silently.
'One, two, three'
'Now!'
Sawamura's feet pounded the ground.
Almost simultaneously, Kataoka's whistle sounded.
Beep!
Sawamura surged ahead, three positions ahead of Toujou and two steps ahead of Kuramochi.
An opening!
Having succeeded in his gamble, Sawamura couldn't contain his joy.
But he knew it was just the beginning.
Kuramochi's true strength lay in his acceleration. His agility was unreal; he closed the gap swiftly.
"Think you can pass me? Dream on!"
From two steps behind, Kuramochi caught up to Sawamura.
His acceleration was nothing short of impressive.
At one meter difference, they were neck and neck, Kuramochi inching slightly ahead.
Toujou, trailing behind, had already lost considerable ground.
Gritting his teeth, Sawamura alternated his strides, pushing harder to catch Kuramochi.
But the gap widened as Kuramochi pulled ahead by a meter at the meter mark.
'This guy!'
Sawamura had to concede; Kuramochi was indeed the undisputed king within thirty meters.
'Thirty meters.'
Kuramochi was leading by a meter and a half, an impressive feat considering his not-perfect start.
This gap couldn't be bridged by mere starting stance and preparations, it was a significant distance. Starting two steps behind Sawamura, Kuramochi effectively outpaced him by over 0.2 seconds within thirty meters.
And he hadn't reached the end yet.
Add another 0.1 seconds every 10 meters.
Thirty meters, 0.3 seconds!
In baseball, this difference could mean the world.
Past thirty meters, Sawamura's pace quickened, closing in on Kuramochi.
It wasn't that Kuramochi slowed down; Sawamura's full speed was simply faster once he hit his stride.
Toujou, far behind, was three meters behind both.
This was a disappointing distance for Toujou.
'How could the gap be so wide?'
He knew he lagged far behind Sawamura, but he hadn't expected such a stark difference, even in running bases.
Leaving Toujou's concerns aside, Kuramochi and Sawamura raced ahead, Sawamura closing the gap in the final stretch.
At this moment, every ounce of power in Sawamura's body surged.
Meanwhile, Kuramochi, into the second half of the meters race, began to slow a bit. Despite maintaining his speed, fatigue set in, impacting his performance from the earlier burst.
Nonetheless, Kuramochi's pace remained remarkable.
But Sawamura was waiting for this.
'Closer, closer.'
With the finish line in sight, Sawamura edged closer to Kuramochi.
His blood surged, eyes fixed on the goal.
'Now!'
Five meters to go, four strides!
At the last second, Sawamura adjusted his stride length, maintaining his momentum and crossing the finish line a hairbreadth ahead.
Miracle!
At Seidou High School, where Kuramochi's speed had been unbeaten, Sawamura tasted the sweet victory of overcoming the odds.
Final scores:
Sawamura: 6.38 seconds.
Kuramochi: 6.40 seconds.
And Toujou, despite the gap, still gave a stellar performance:
Toujou: 6.75 seconds.
"Ooooooooooooo!!!!"
Witnessing Sawamura's miraculous feat, Seidou's players erupted with renewed vigor.
Who said Seidou was finished after their third-years retired?
With an Ace like Sawamura, how could they ever lose this easily?
…
T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!! And I hope you all have a nice day!
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