In the first inning, an impressive score of 3-2 was recorded. Even for a powerhouse like Seidou High School and a pitching-centric team like Ugumori, the probability of such a score happening from the start is quite low in an ordinary game.
Originally trailing by three runs, Seidou closed the gap to just one run.
After falling behind in the first inning, Seidou quickly responded, which was a commendable performance.
However, by the second inning, the game shifted into a pitching duel!
In this inning, neither Seidou High School nor Ugumori High School managed to score, turning the game into a showcase of the pitchers' skills from both sides.
The momentum Seidou had just gained inevitably started to wane.
'This won't do!'
A stern look appeared in Miyuki's eyes.
In the top of the third inning, Ugumori High School was at bat.
The first batter was still Ugumori's second batter. Although he had previously been at bat, since he didn't get an Out, he still had his turn to hit.
The penalty for failing to steal bases is severe, essentially negating any previous hits…
With the lineup advancing slowly, the batter naturally had fewer chances to face the pitcher, and with fewer chances, it became less likely to overcome the opposing pitcher. This forms a complementary, or rather vicious, cycle.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
Three consecutive pitches and the batter didn't connect. Even though he let the low-course pitches go, he still couldn't hit Furuya's pitching.
"Damn, the ball seems to be faster!"
It might have been the batter's imagination, but he felt that Furuya had transformed into an even more terrifying monster.
In Ugumori's dugout:
Matsubara Nao, sitting in a wheelchair, frowned slightly and bitterly smiled.
'Oh no, we've really given a boost to those who need to be cautious!'
Currently, Furuya is on fire, and Ugumori's players have no way to handle him.
After Matsubara Nao's bitter smile, he devised a new strategy for the team.
"We will tire him out!"
If there's no way to defeat Furuya quickly, they must resort to simpler methods.
Exhaust Furuya's pitch count, which means draining his stamina, to create more opportunities!
'Though this method is simplistic, simple strategies can be very effective.'
So, Ugumori's third batter annoyed Furuya for seven or eight pitches, eventually swinging at Furuya's Forkball before being struck Out.
Including the first batter, Furuya had thrown twelve pitches in this inning!
From the catcher's position, Miyuki frowned slightly.
To be honest, Ugumori's strategy was somewhat puzzling!
'What exactly are they trying to achieve? Aren't they afraid of Sawamura coming in after Furuya?'
Looking at the scoreboard, Miyuki understood.
Ugumori probably isn't afraid! Or perhaps, Ugumori is just a team that acts wildly.
'Interesting!'
Such an opponent is truly rare, and Miyuki found himself intrigued.
"Fourth Batter, pitcher, Umemiya-kun!"
Now, it was Umemiya's turn to bat. He was the one who hit a home run in the first inning, causing Seidou to be at the back.
Seeing an opponent like this stirs intense senses of competition.
This opponent, for Miyuki and Furuya, must not be allowed to get away.
'Let's settle this right here!'
Miyuki signaled Furuya, who was ready for the first pitch—a low-course straight ball.
After two Strikeouts, Furuya's hands were hot!
He could definitely control the ball with precision now.
'Come on, throw it right into my Mitt.'
Miyuki's open mitt seemed to radiate some sort of magic, drawing the pitcher's focus.
Furuya's eyes locked in concentration, and his pitching more focused than ever.
Roaar!!
With a mighty stride, the baseball shot out like a missile. Fast and intimidating.
In the strike zone.
Umemiya grinned, eagerly waiting for this pitch.
He had been targeting straight balls from the start!
Ping!
The ball grazed the bat and rebounded behind the umpire.
Dassh!
Even after hitting the net, the ball seemed to bounce several times before falling.
Umemiya's face momentarily showed a loss of expression.
His hands felt like they were about to be broken.
'Wow~'
'It's a joke. I hit a home run before, but now I can't even hit the ball forward?'
"Ha ha!"
Instead of being discouraged, Umemiya looked even more eager.
'Hit it out! Hit it out!!'
He raised his bat higher.
Ping!
Almost the same situation. The baseball was grazed and bounced off.
"FOUL!"
"FOUL!"
'My hand is a bit numb!'
Two consecutive foul balls left Umemiya's hands numb!
He never expected Furuya's pitching to be this terrifying.
'When we faced each other before, it didn't feel this daunting…'
Before Umemiya could think too much, Furuya's fourth pitch came!
This pitch looked faster than the previous ones.
'Straight ball!'
Intuitively, Umemiya aimed for the straight ball and swung.
Faster than a straight ball and not a straight ball—what else could it be?
Unfortunately, Umemiya guessed wrong!
As the baseball approached, it suddenly dropped, successfully evading the bat and landing in Miyuki's mitt.
SNAP!!
"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!"
Three Strikeouts!
Though the process was arduous, Furuya's monster engine is now in full force.
At this point, Ugumori's players finally understood why Furuya was called The Monster before!
Once this guy starts going all out, he really does resemble a monster.
"Good job, kid!!!"
"Nice pitching Furuya-kun!"
"Hyaa-ha-haa, see? You can do it if you set your mind to it!!"
"Let's finish off Ugumori like this!!"
The Seidou players also recognized Furuya's performance.
They smiled and cheered him on.
As long as Furuya maintains this level of play, Sawamura probably won't need to step in for this game. And be more ready for Inashiro's game next.
Back in the dugout,
Coach Kataoka nodded approvingly. "Great pitching!"
It was rare for him to give such direct praise to a player.
Furuya's poker face was now full of excitement.
"Keep it up!" Coach Kataoka instructed Furuya before turning his attention to the batting lineup.
"You can't rely solely on the pitcher in a game. To seize victory, you need to surpass the opponent in scoring. Furuya's performance just now will certainly intimidate the Ugumori's players. Now is the time for us to press on and defeat them. The opposing Ace has only two types of pitches—Curve balls and Straight balls. Before you're pressured, aim for the fastballs; after you're pressured, focus on getting on base and advancing steadily. Got it?"
""""YES!!!""""
The Seidou batters all responded with spirit.
"Now go and take down our opponents!!"
""""YEAAH!!!""""
Although he had only twenty players, the momentum was powerful.
Bottom of the third inning, Seidou High was on the attack.
At this point, Seidou's batting lineup completed a full round.
"First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi!"
Kuramochi used a bunt strategy this time.
"Ping!"
The white ball was bunted, and Kuramochi dashed toward first base like a Cheetah.
His speed was incredible! The ball rebounded directly to the pitcher, and Umemiya reacted quickly.
"You're not getting away with this!"
Umemiya rushed forward, picked up the ball, and threw it to first base.
The ball and Kuramochi arrived almost simultaneously, making it difficult to tell who was faster.
Simultaneously, both Kuramochi and Ugumori's first baseman looked at the umpire.
The umpire at first base hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and spread it apart.
"OUT!"
"Damn it!" Kuramochi was somewhat frustrated.
Umemiya's fastballs were sharp. Kuramochi couldn't adjust his swing properly, otherwise, he would have reached base.
'Relying solely on speed wasn't enough; I need to work more on my batting and bunting skills.'
Kuramochi found inspiration from Ugumori's Kondou Daiki.
If he had Kondou Daiki's bunting and hitting skills, he could make more use of his speed.
'Just thinking about it was exciting!'
Kuramochi resolved to practice hard once he got back.
One Out, no runners on base.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Haruichi."
After Kuramochi was out, Haruichi took his turn. Despite Kuramochi's out, Kominato remained unfazed and performed steadily.
'His pitching isn't complicated, his biggest gimmick is the Change-up like Curve ball that has a lot of spin.'
Haruichi started reviewing the capability of the pitcher in front of him and looking for the best course of action.
His eyes were fixed on pitcher Umemiya, continuously adjusting his swing as if searching for the right moment.
'I can hit both of his pitches easily, the tricky part is where to aim them. From the lack of reaction of the fielders to my adjustments, there isn't a specific fielding plan. So it would mean that I can aim the ball...there!' Haruichi was aiming to hit the ball at the far left field.
On the mound, Umemiya looked at Haruichi who was adjusting his form, and sneered in his mind.
'Not ready, huh?'
'Baseball isn't child's play; if you're not prepared, don't step up to bat!'
Whoosh!
A pitch came at him like a laser. Kominato remained calm and focused on this pitch.
'Here we go!'
He stepped forward, and though his swing wasn't yet steady, it suddenly became precise.
Pak!
The bat connected accurately with the ball, sending it soaring into the left outfield.
Kominato seized the opportunity and sprinted to second base.
"SAFE!"
The Ugumori High players had no way to handle this hit; they could only pick the ball and throw it at the third base to stop Haruichi's advancement.
One Out, one runner on base.
"Third batter, right fielder, Shiratsu-kun!"
Shiratsu stepped into the batter's box and immediately took a bunting stance, seemingly aiming to advance Kominato to third base.
In the situation with One Out, this move seemed a bit questionable.
But Seidou High had a potential reason for doing this—after all, the next batter was Miyuki.
Seidou might be aiming to advance Kominato into a better scoring position and then have Miyuki face the pitcher. If Miyuki could get even a simple hit, Kominato would have a chance to score.
"Nice try!"
Seeing through Seidou's strategy, Umemiya wasn't going to throw a slow curveball to let Seidou's players get what they wanted. He threw a Straight ball instead.
To increase the pitch's power and speed, Umemiya even exaggerated his pitching motion…
Whoosh!
The baseball came in fast and intimidatingly.
Against this pitch, Shiratsu, who had initially set up for a bunt, suddenly pulled the bat back and swung fiercely.
'A slash bunt!'
The seemingly plain Shiratsu was actually very cunning.
This deceptive bunt caught Umemiya and Ugumori's fielders off guard.
Ping!
The white ball was hit, piercing through the second baseman's defense and flying to the outfield.
Shiratsu safely reached first base, and Kominato, taking advantage of the opportunity, ran to third base.
If it wasn't for Kondou's fast save, Haruichi could have run home.
One Out, runners on first and third!
This consecutive series of attacks flowed smoothly, without any obstacles.
In the stands, Seidou's supporters were entranced.
They were so captivated that they forgot to cheer.
"Fourth batter, catcher, Miyuki-kun."
Now it was Miyuki Kazuya's turn to bat. He calmly walked to the batter's box, raising his bat high, ready for a long hit.
Bottom of the third inning, one Out, runners on first and third.
The score was 3-2!
It was Miyuki's turn as the fourth batter.
A mysterious smile curved Miyuki's lips. Despite his expression being unreadable, his aura conveyed a fierce determination, almost intimidating.
'You little…!'
On the mound, Umemiya's eyes widened, and his competitive spirit flared.
After continuously using Straight balls, Umemiya unconsciously backed himself into a corner. He wasn't only capable of throwing fastballs—why limit himself to just that? It felt like he was being led around by Seidou's players.
'I have other weapons!'
With the baseball in his grip, Umemiya prepared to pitch.
Whoosh!
To maximize the impact of a curveball, it needed to be paired with a Straight. Realizing this, Umemiya decided to throw a Curveball against Miyuki.
In their previous encounter, Miyuki had hit a Straight.
Umemiya had used only Straight against Kominato and Shiratsu!
'The Straight had likely become ingrained in Seidou's mind, so a sudden slow Curveball would surely disrupt their rhythm.'
Confidently, Umemiya thought.
Then he saw something incredible.
Miyuki in the batter's box swung without hesitation as if he had been anticipating a slow Curveball all along!
PAAANG!!!
The ball was struck and soared high, flying further and further…
PAK!!
The baseball flew over the entire field, traveling over 120 meters, and landed in the outfield stands.
In the batter's box, Miyuki looked strikingly cool.
'A curveball on the first pitch; it seems I guessed right!'
A three-run home run!
The scene erupted into madness!!!
The score changed to 5-3.
Seidou High had turned a one-run behind into a two-run lead.
The person responsible for this was Miyuki.
Seidou's Captain and main Catcher, Miyuki Kazuya.
…