It's a hit!
As the bat swung, Shiratsu seemed to expend all his strength.
He gasped for air, momentarily forgetting what to do next.
With his mind blank, his body instinctively reacted. The bat slipped from his grip, and Shiratsu sprinted toward first base.
He didn't even have the energy to watch the ball he had just hit.
The baseball was hit into a very fast grounder between the third baseman and the shortstop.
The quality of the hit was very good and the speed was very fast; the ball bounced off the ground, ready to fly to the outfield like a bullet.
But as if he was waiting for this moment, a swift figure darted in, scooping up the ball into his mitt.
Shirakawa didn't even adjust himself and sent the ball straight to second base.
Snap!
As the ball was hit, Inajitsu High School's second baseman had already returned to his position.
He caught the ball, stepped on second base, and relayed it to first.
Snap!
"OUT!!"
After Seidou High School had the bases loaded, the situation shifted in just a few minutes.
With that double play, Inajitsu High School completed their defensive assignment for the inning.
The score seemed to freeze on the scoreboard as if under a spell.
3:1.
This score pierced deeply into the hearts of Seidou's players and their supporters.
Seeing their opponents on the brink of collapse, only to have it end like this?
No matter how you looked at it, it felt utterly unreasonable. Yet, no matter how unreasonable it seemed, it was still the truth.
The stands at Koshien fell into an eerie silence.
It took two or three seconds for Inajitsu High School's supporters to react.
"DID THEY REALLY HOLD IT?!"
"WHAT WAS THAT PLAY JUST NOW?"
"CAN YOU EVEN STOP A HIT LIKE THAT?"
"INCREDIBLE!!"
"INAJITSU!"
"INAJITSU!!!"
"SHIRAKAWA!!"
In the stands, Fujio, a senior reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, suddenly felt a surge of clarity.
That's it!
He began to grasp Inajitsu High School's tactics.
Although the strategy seemed bold to him, it was likely the truth.
'Such an elaborate trap!!'
Even if the player's mentality is strong and calm, the full bases pose a significant disadvantage for the offense.
That means any hit will lead to scoring. So even the most mentally resilient player will still! Swing!
The battery didn't have to lure the batter to swing, he would swing at anything in the zone.
Now all they had to do was throw a tricky ball in a tricky course and trust their defense.
The fielders have no need to worry about baserunners only the hit ball.
Once a batter hit a ground ball, the situation reversed immediately.
In a full-base scenario, if the batter hit a grounder, all runners had to advance.
In this situation, the defense could eliminate players one by one!
All of this requires strong trust between the players and a high level of cooperation.
Thinking of this, Fujio cast a deep look at Coach Kunitomo in the Inajitsu dugout.
Although he had long recognized Kunitomo's exceptional skills, witnessing him in action was a completely different experience.
'Incredible!'
This level of strategic thinking was beyond what most high school coaches could match.
Previously, Inajitsu High School had dominated West Tokyo, making Koshien appearances every year for over a decade.
Their reputation was well earned.
For Inajitsu, this outcome was welcome.
But for Seidou's players, the situation was entirely different.
Their expressions were grim.
The game wouldn't pause for their emotions, and before long, they found themselves in the first half of the fourth inning.
Inajitsu High School was up to bat.
Before the players took the field, Coach Kunitomo gathered all the batters.
"Furuya of Seidou is undoubtedly a tough opponent," he stated bluntly.
This was Inajitsu's first direct encounter with Furuya.
"We must take down this pitcher no matter what. The plan is simple: attack the opponent's weaknesses, and don't hold back!"
As he spoke, Kunitomo maintained an expressionless demeanor.
Narumiya Mei murmured in dissatisfaction.
"Do we really have to sound like villains?"
As Kunitomo delivered his speech, the atmosphere in the Inajitsu dugout grew oddly tense.
It felt as if they had become the scum villains in a movie.
But the truth remained: they can't hold back, they have to do everything they can do to win.
Furuya had already pitched at Koshien before.
His biggest challenge now was stamina.
"This kind of dirty work isn't really suited for me," Carlos said as he stepped into the Batter's Box.
Assuming a bunt stance, he was ready.
Roaar!
Furuya delivered the pitch, and Carlos pulled back his bat.
Boom!
"BALL!!!"
Furuya had intentionally thrown a Ball.
'The opponents seemed quite alert.'
On the next pitch, Carlos used the same strategy.
At this point, Furuya couldn't afford to throw another Ball.
He had to stick to the rules and deliver Strikes.
Getting a hit from this position was quite easy.
To counter this, Furuya had to sprint after each pitch.
"Damn, that's despicable."
Inajitsu High School aimed to wear down Furuya's stamina.
This left Kuramochi feeling quite displeased.
Miyuki was unfazed.
In Miyuki's eyes, Inajitsu High School was the most adept team he had ever seen at playing to win.
It was no surprise that such a team would devise such a strategy.
"STRIKE!!"
As Carlos first set up for a bunt and then pulled back his bat, it became clear what the strategy of Inajitsu High School was.
'They aimed to exhaust Furuya's stamina.'
'Next, they would likely entangle him up with foul balls. '
Miyuki also thought the same.
Aside from using the bunt to trick the pitcher into running forward, the best way to drain a pitcher's energy is to make him throw more pitches.
If Inajitsu High School could think of this, so could Miyuki.
'The only way was to face the opponent head-on using the power and velocity of the ball.'
'Furuya's pitch velocity and power are exceptional; even if a batter wants to bunt, it's not easy.'
'Throw it just above center.'
This is the type of pitch Furuya excels at and where he can display his full strength.
When Furuya saw Miyuki signal him, his blood was boiling with excitement.
He concentrated all his strength into his fingertips and threw the ball with all his might.
Roaar!!
The small ball zipped through the air like an explosion.
'Incredible!'
'If we're just talking about straight balls, Furuya might even have surpassed Mei.'
Of course, Carlos would never say this in front of Narumiya Mei.
But it was clear to see Furuya's potential.
'I never intended to bunt from the start!'
Ping!
Although Carlos was surprised by Furuya's pitch, he didn't show any fear as he swung.
He swung hard and connected, sending the ball flying toward third base.
'Ouch!'
Carlos felt his hands tingle; that pitch was heavier than he anticipated.
'Seidou High School's Furuya Satoru, I'll remember your name.'
As the ball flew, Carlos immediately transformed into a rocket, racing toward first base.
Kanemaru rushed forward, picked up the ball, and threw it to first base.
His reaction time was impressive, but it still couldn't stop the advancing Carlos.
"SAFE!"
"YEAAAH!"
Carlos reached first base successfully, pumping his fists and shouting in excitement.
Meanwhile, Miyuki's face darkened.
Carlos's speed had left a deep impression on him.
'Once this guy gets on base, the damage will be significant.'
'This is a problem!'
No Outs, and a runner on first.
And the guy on first is a strong runner.
Even Miyuki had to internally complain.
'This damn luck.'
However, the game continued.
He still needed to take charge.
"Don't worry, focus on the batter."
Even though Miyuki said that it was easier said than done for Furuya.
Carlos at first base was restless, constantly positioning himself to steal.
"Safe!"
"Safe!"
Furuya threw two pickoff pitches, but they didn't work.
In desperation, he decided to take Miyuki's advice.
He chose to confront the opponent head-on.
Ping!
The ball rolled out of bounds as Shirakawa adjusted his grip on the bat, raising it again.
'Now in the fourth inning, Furuya's pitching showed no signs of weakening.'
'His velocity remained blistering, and his power was still formidable.'
When the bat connected with the ball, the tremendous recoil even made Shirakawa's hands feel numb.
'But!'
'I am finally catching up.'
He managed to match Furuya's pitch speed, sending the ball soaring out of bounds.
Next, all he had to do was keep tangling.
Whether Furuya had previously completed a full game or not, as long as he pitched, it would fall within Shirakawa's strike zone.
Shirakawa had the confidence to hit the ball.
'Bring it!!!'
He couldn't wait to hit Furuya's pitch.
Miyuki noticed this tense scene.
The situation seemed more intense than he had imagined.
'What to do?'
When this question arose, Miyuki didn't hesitate and immediately signaled.
'A Forkball!'
He couldn't let the opponent entangle.
To hit the ball accurately out of bounds, the batter had to predict its path.
Straight balls are easier to predict, but what about breaking balls?
The ball was traveling at 155 km/h and suddenly dropped before reaching home plate.
'You want to hit it out of bounds? I won't let you hit it at all.'
Miyuki launched an aggressive attack, which was quite frightening.
Roaar!!
The white ball flew toward Shirakawa.
Shirakawa swung his bat without hesitation.
'Wha…!?'
As the ball approached the bat, it quickly dropped, successfully evading the swing.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!"
After Carlos reached base, Furuya cleanly struck out the batter.
His performance seemed unaffected.
"This guy is really strong."
Carlos on first base narrowed his eyes, realizing how difficult this opponent was.
Seidou High School's own teammates weren't surprised.
They knew Furuya's strength all too well.
As long as he's pitching well, he's undoubtedly one of the top pitchers in the country.
He could easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Sawamura Eijun and Narumiya Mei.
Just look at how effortlessly he dispatched Shirakawa.
"Damn!"
Shirakawa's expression remained frustrated.
He had miscalculated just now.
…