"How incredible!"
Seeing Sawamura pitch with his own eyes, Kotari Yuuto's first reaction was disbelief.
It was the first time he had witnessed such an unusual pitching form. Because Sawamura's mitt and body blocked the view of his arm, he couldn't see the pitching hand at all.
In other words, he couldn't see where Sawamura released the ball.
By the time he saw the baseball, it had already been thrown from Sawamura's hand.
This made the ball seem exceptionally fast.
From his own observation, it appeared to be at least over 155 km/h.
'How monstrous!'
Although he wasn't a typical monster fastball pitcher, he managed to produce the same effect.
If Yuuto hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it if someone told him.
'Kazuto would probably be even more surprised when he comes up to bat soon.'
What was meant to be an intense battle made Yuuto's thoughts wander.
Before he knew it, he was reminiscing about the first time he saw Sawamura.
That was two years ago when the Akagi Middle School baseball team had just won the national championship.
It was astonishing.
Anyone who followed that national tournament couldn't help but remember Sawamura and the Akagi Middle School team he led.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
Almost single-handedly, Sawamura took a mediocre team to the pinnacle of national baseball.
Since then, the two brothers have become fans of Sawamura.
They gathered all the information about him and even bought some brands that he endorsed.
The batter was daydreaming, but Sawamura, the pitcher, was not.
Under Miyuki Kazuya's direction, he maintained a rapid pace, continuously throwing the ball to the four corners of the Strike zone.
'High inside corner.'
'Low outside corner!'
'And finally, another high inside corner.'
SNAP!
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!"
Kotari Yuuto in the Batter's Box seemed completely absorbed by Sawamura's pitching.
Strikeout looking!
Sawamura Eijun didn't use a single breaking ball throughout the entire sequence—just fastballs.
He struck out the first three batters of one of the top eight teams in the nation using nine straight fastballs.
"OOOH!"
"SAWAMURA!"
"SAWAMURA!!!"
There was nothing more astonishing than this scene!
At least, the fans of Sawamura thought there was nothing more.
Sawamura had achieved the best they could have imagined.
"Keep up the good work and use the Ace pitcher's momentum to extend the lead."
Coach Kataoka was very impressed with Sawamura's pitching.
Although he felt Sawamura was too focused and wasn't conserving his energy.
'But today, Sawamura would only pitch five innings.'
'That should be manageable.'
'Displaying this invincible momentum could boost the players' enthusiasm to some extent.'
"YES!"
The teammates responded loudly.
With the Ace performing so well, how could they not support him?
They needed to score.
"Fifth batter, outfielder, Shiratsu-kun."
The first batter was Shiratsu.
He felt he had a chance.
Just moments ago, Sawamura's pitching momentum had been so strong that even their teammates were excited watching it.
From the opponent's perspective, Sawamura Eijun's performance was even more impressive.
That terrifying rhythm was enough to shake the opponent's confidence.
The moment the opponent was stunned was a prime opportunity for them to Strike.
'Bring it on!'
Shiratsu was confident and decided not to miss any good pitches.
Whoosh!
Then, the hittable ball appeared.
'Good!'
Shiratsu naturally didn't let this chance slip by.
He calmly swung his bat and connected with the fastball.
Ping!
The white ball soared high.
Eventually, it landed above the second baseman.
The second baseman from Yamamori High School opened his mitt and effortlessly caught the white ball.
Snap!
"OUT!!"
The process was clean and neat—one pitch, one Out for Shiratsu.
Everyone at Seidou High School looked at each other in confusion.
Shiratsu's strength was likely best known by his teammates, who trained day and night with him. Given his hitting power, it was surprising that he struggled to make good contact.
Next up were Maezono in the sixth spot and Toujou in the seventh.
Neither were weak.
Both had their own batting skills.
"OUT!"
"OUT!"
Yet, neither showed any performance and were retired one after another.
Yuuto, the older brother on the mound, was flushed with excitement as if he had just won a five-million-dollar lottery.
With such a good performance, he probably didn't even expect it himself.
Sawamura glanced thoughtfully at the other cheerful brother in the catcher's position.
Honestly, Yuuto, the older brother, has good pitching skills. Though he lacks major standout features, his overall strength is average.
His fastball speeds are above 135 km/h, approaching 140.
His breaking balls are also distinctive.
He can place the ball in the corners effectively.
Very comprehensive!
If you rank the 32 ace pitchers in Koshien, he will definitely be in the top fifteen if not the top ten.
His strength is very good.
'But, that's all.'
'If we're talking about raw power, it shouldn't be a problem for our batters to handle him.'
'Even if they don't score, they should at least get one or two hits easily.'
'The reason for this situation might be the catcher who provides the pitches.'
Kotari Kazuto.
'It seems he's the one to watch out for.'
Three Outs, offense and defense.
Sawamura took the mound and continued to use his fastball.
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
He quickly secured three Outs.
At this point, Yamamori High School had started to figure out Sawamura's rhythm.
Sawamura relied on fastballs.
This made them feel more at ease, as they could focus solely on hitting the fastballs.
If Sawamura hadn't been pitching to every corner in sequence.
Maybe he would have already been conquered.
The game proceeded in this back-and-forth manner for three full innings.
After those three innings, the score remained 1-0.
Aside from Sawamura's home run, Seidou High School had not yet recorded any other hits.
"This can't go on!"
Coach Ochiai, stroking his goatee, said in a deep voice.
"If the game becomes a drawn-out pitching duel like this, we won't be able to continue with our plans. We'd be facing a strong opponent like Inajitsu with exhausted bodies. That's not a good choice."
The Seidou High School baseball players agreed with Coach Ochiai's assessment.
However, their agreement was of no use, as the opponent had shown no obvious flaws they could exploit.
"First, we need to get on base!"
After three innings, the score was still 1-0, with Seidou High School leading.
Their opponents are one of the top eight teams in the country, so this result might not seem entirely unacceptable.
But Miyuki didn't see it that way.
His perspective wasn't limited to just this game.
'If it were only this game, with the stamina that Sawamura has left, he could pitch the entire game comfortably. Even if he had to pitch two more innings in the playoffs, it wouldn't be a problem.'
'But there are still the semifinals and finals to consider.'
Given the opponents in the semifinals and finals, Sawamura might have to pitch in two consecutive games.
'So, in this game, Sawamura must not be overexerted.'
That's what Miyuki saw.
They had to cut off Yamamori High School's momentum here; they couldn't let this game become a prolonged struggle.
Ping!
Kominato was Out.
He hit the ball, but it landed in the outfield.
He had chosen a good hitting position, but the problem was that there was already someone waiting there.
The outfielder from Yamamori High School, for some reason, had positioned himself near the sideline and caught the ball perfectly.
Snap!
"OUT!"
One Out, no runners on base.
"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun."
And just like that, it was Sawamura Eijun's turn to bat.
He squinted, scrutinizing where the outfielder had just caught the ball.
The strange feeling in his mind grew stronger.
At first, it was just the first baseman, now even the outfielders feel very familiar too.
There is no way a team full of future stars will be unmemorable, so the reason should be something else.
'It was not the players themselves, but their play style.'
The scene before him was very much like fishing. The battery of Yamamori had set the hook and bait.
The batters from Seidou were like small fish, chasing the hook and biting.
'And then, of course, being caught.'
This tactic seemed so familiar. It felt like he had seen it before but couldn't remember which opponent had used it.
Sawamura racked his brain but couldn't recall when he had encountered it.
It was puzzling.
Facing an opponent who had previously hit a home run, the battery decided to give up.
They didn't choose to challenge Sawamura in the Strike zone but opted for aggressive pitching to Walk him.
"Four Ball Walk!"
Sawamura was Walked to first base.
One Out, one runner on first.
"BOOOO!!!"
"BOOO!!"
"BOOOOOOOO!!!!!"
The stands erupted in boos.
The Kotari Brothers' choice to Walk Sawamura instead of facing him head-on did not sit well with the audience.
"As a man, you should choose to confront challenges directly."
"Instead of waiting for a direct confrontation with Sawamura, they backed down first."
"What was going on?"
The brothers didn't seem to care at all, leisurely waiting to deal with Miyuki.
'I Am Being Underestimated!!'
It would be a lie to say Miyuki wasn't angry. The opponents deliberately Walked Sawamura and chose to face him instead.
This clearly showed they had little regard for him.
'I wonder what trick you'll use to fish us out this time?'
Not only Sawamura but Miyuki also noticed the tactics used by the Kotari Brothers.
He and Sawamura saw almost the same scene.
'It was all about fishing.'
Miyuki was even more convinced than Sawamura that it was the catcher, not the pitcher, calling the shots.
With Miyuki's insight, he could almost instantly see through the opponent's character.
The next step was simple: prediction.
'Given the previous game calling, how would he call the pitches?'
Snap!
"STRIKE!"
"FOUL!"
"BALL!"
"BALL!"
"FOUL!!"
Miyuki seemed extremely patient, calmly engaging with his opponent.
More and more data was gathered in his mind.
He put himself in the opponent's environment, understanding their pitching strategy.
Corner!
BALL!
Corner!!
BALL!!!
It seemed like a repetitive rhythm but with different meanings.
To an average observer, it might seem like simple logic.
But in Miyuki's eyes, it was a moving melody.
He couldn't help but get immersed in it, feeling the joy, anger, and sorrow within.
Then the rhythm stopped.
Miyuki continued to compose his melody.
'The next pitch would be to the outer corner!'
Suddenly, Miyuki's eyes widened.
The white ball flew toward him.
Miyuki raised his bat high and swung fiercely.
Ping!
The white ball was struck and soared over the shortstop's head into the gap in the outfield.
"Nice hit!"
"Beautifully done!"
"Captain!"
As the captain of Seidou High School and the fourth batter in the lineup, Miyuki was reliable in critical moments.
Sawamura, who had been on first base, started running early according to the ball's trajectory.
His start was a bit slow, but once he reached full speed, he was incredibly fast.
He darted past second base and headed straight for third base.
"It's too late!"
By the time the outfielder picked up the ball, Sawamura was already on third base.
The outfielder attempted to throw to second base.
In his view, stopping Sawamura was impossible now.
He could only try to limit Miyuki to first base.
The outfielder's hesitation was noticed by Seidou High School's third base coach.
"KEEP GOING!"
He decisively signaled for Sawamura to continue.
Seeing the sign, Sawamura smiled and continued.
The ball had been hit far enough that even if it were caught, Sawamura had a chance to return to home plate.
Not to mention, he was running at full speed.
"SAFE!"
Before the ball returned to home plate, Sawamura touched the plate.
He helped the team secure their second run smoothly.
…