A few minutes before the game began, Coach Kataoka gathered all the Seidou High School players who were about to take the field.
"In this game, Seidou will be on defense first," Coach Kataoka said, tapping his head.
"You all know the opponent's details by now, so keep them fresh in your mind. When you play, make sure you know exactly what to do and adjust your strategy based on your opponent. Pay close attention to the balls they are targeting and base stealing!
While their strategy might seem risky, it's actually quite systematic. Don't rush, stay steady, and use your strength to crush them. Understand?"
"Understood!" the Seidou players responded in unison.
Meanwhile, in Ugumori High School's rest area, Captain Ace Umemiya was giving his final pep talk.
"If we win, we move on to a bigger stage! We have a psychological advantage in this game.
As Nao-chan said before, we have our advantages. We're challengers. Compared to our opponents, we're the underdogs.
It's expected for us to lose, so if we win, it will be a huge success. As long as Seidou doesn't gain a substantial lead early on, victory will gradually tilt in our favor."
"We are the challengers, fighting from below! With this determination, let's go!"
"Yeahhhh!!!"
The players from both teams lined up and rushed to the field.
Thus, the second round of the Fall Tournament between Seidou High School and Ugumori High School officially began.
In the top of the first inning, Ugumori High School was up to bat!
Before taking the field, Miyuki had his usual pre-game chat with Furuya.
"Don't worry too much. You've made significant progress recently. Even if Ugumori trained specifically for you, their preparation is based on your old information from Koshien. They don't know your current skills."
"I won't lose!" Furuya said determinedly.
"Good!" Miyuki replied, satisfied. Furuya's fighting spirit made him an excellent pitcher.
The game started.
"First Batter, outfielder, Kondou-kun!"
Kondo Daiki, known for his "dead fish eye" look, was the first to bat for Ugumori High School. His half-closed eyes gave him a drowsy appearance.
Great players often have a commanding presence, but Kondou seemed to lack any intimidation factor. Without Seidou's detailed scouting, it might be easy to underestimate him.
However, Miyuki knew better. 'According to our scouting report, this guy is very fast. Don't be careless—swing your arm completely to unleash your full power. If you pitch well, you can handle him.'
Miyuki signaled Furuya. Unlike Sawamura, Furuya focused mainly on fastballs, so the signal was straightforward.
Trusting Furuya's speed and power, Miyuki's signals guided Furuya's pitch almost instinctively.
Furuya took his stance and threw the ball with all his might.
Roaarr!!
The ball shot through the gap and soared above the home plate.
Before Kondou could react, the ball slammed into Miyuki's open glove.
Boom!!
The ball's impact was unmistakable.
"STRIKE!"
"What was that?!"
"That ball was so fast!"
"Seeing it live is even more impressive than on TV!"
"Even from here, you can hear the ball. How fast was that?"
"Does anyone have a speed gun?"
Indeed, someone did.
The speed gun displayed an astonishing number.
153 km/h! (95 mph)
Furuya's first pitch of the Fall Tournament was a staggering 153 km/h.
"This guy is a monster!" Fujio was astonished.
Throwing a 150 km/h fastball and maintaining that speed are entirely different feats.
Across high school, only five high school pitchers can throw a 150 km/h fastball, including Tokyo's Narumiya Mei and Hongou Masamune. Their fastest speeds exceed 150 km/h, but that's their top speed.
In a game, pitchers throw many balls, and their average speed is what counts (excluding Change-ups). Narumiya's fastest ball exceeds 150 km/h, but his average speed is between 147 and 148 km/h. There's a significant gap from the 150 km/h mark.
The same applies to Hongou Masamune. His average speed, though close to 150 km/h, doesn't reach it.
Sawamura's fastest ball is around 144 km/h, averaging about 143 to 144 km/h.
Currently, Furuya is the only high school student in the country with an average speed of over 150 km/h.
He truly deserves the title of the fastest high school pitcher in the country!
'What a monster!'
Kondou Daiki's face was trembling in the batter's box. Despite having practiced hitting super-fastball pitches numerous times with a pitching machine, the real experience of facing him was still overwhelming.
The ball's speed was far more terrifying than they had imagined! As the ball came toward him, it felt almost alive, radiating an astonishing presence. This sensation was completely different from what he had experienced with the pitching machine.
'But it wasn't all bad!'
'Thanks to Nao-chan's advice, we had trained their eyes to adjust to 160 km/h fastballs.' So while Furuya's pitch was sharper than they had expected, Kondo had no intention of backing down.
"Whew!"
After a deep breath, Kondou fixed his gaze on Furuya, determined not to flinch.
'I'm not backing down at all!'
From his position as catcher, Miyuki felt a sense of foreboding.
'The detailed preparation of Ugumori was evident. The news of Sawamura's illness was internal to Seidou; outsiders mostly thought Sawamura was undergoing secret training and were unaware of his illness.'
Given the situation, the sudden switch to Furuya as the starting pitcher should have caught Ugumori High School off guard. However, it seemed they had prepared specifically for Furuya.
'Did they prepare for Furuya after learning the news, or did they prepare for all of Seidou High's pitchers?' Miyuki wondered. Either way, it wasn't good news for Seidou High.
'To gain an advantage against a prepared opponent, we need to use our toughest pitches!' Miyuki decided.
He firmly signaled Furuya.
Boom!
"BALL!"
"BALL!!"
After a Strike, Furuya threw two consecutive Balls. Miyuki's heart sank.
'Furuya's old problem had resurfaced!'
One of Furuya's weaknesses is an unstable start. Previously, didn't appear partly due to opponents swinging recklessly, regardless of whether the pitch was a Strike or a Ball. They often swung and missed his over 150 km/h fastballs.
This created the myth of Furuya!
The opponent in front of him, Kondou Daiki, might seem unremarkable, but his prowess should not be underestimated. Moreover, he had exceptionally sharp eyes that could clearly differentiate between Strikes and Balls.
If the opponent doesn't make mistakes, Furuya's starting issues will be magnified.
From his position as a catcher, Miyuki felt the weight of the situation and could do little but encourage Furuya.
'We've all seen your hard work! Don't rush—just pitch steadily.'
Furuya nodded calmly. He knew his own issues well; the Coaches had often pointed them out during training.
"Don't rush!"
"Stay steady!"
"We are behind you!"
The fielders' cheers sounded behind him, giving him confidence.
Roaar!
The small ball shot towards home plate like a laser.
In the batter's box, Kondou's initially relaxed nerves suddenly tensed.
He raised his bat high and swung with all his might, but the ball was too fast. He could only watch as the ball zipped into Miyuki's glove.
Boom!!
"STRIKE!"
In an instant, the count was two Strikes and two Balls.
Miyuki was satisfied with the pitch, threw the ball back hard, and gave Furuya an encouraging nod to continue.
Ping!
"Foul!"
Ping!
"Foul!"
"BALL!"
On the fourth pitch, Kondou finally timed his swing correctly and hit the ball foul. Another foul ball and a Ball later, the count was two Strikes and three Balls.
In the stands, the audience watched in shock.
"Wow, how many pitches has this been?"
"Seven pitches!"
"It's like facing Devil Brother Kominato Ryosuke!"
"I didn't expect Ugumori High School to have such a player!"
"Not only is he a great hitter, but his speed is also impressive. Once he's on base, he's a huge threat."
"Does that mean he's even more terrifying than the previous Devil Brother, Kominato Ryosuke?"
The discussion among the audience reached the field. At shortstop, Kuramochi grumbled.
"Like anyone can be Ryo-san! Ryo-san is a hundred times better!"
With a snort, Kuramochi decided to take matters into his own hands and teach the opponent a lesson.
Boom!
"BALL!"
"WALK!"
On the final pitch, Kondou didn't swing. The pitch was called a Ball, and he Walked to first base.
…