"The batter is completely rattled!"
The more he collaborates with Nishiyama, the more surprises he brings to Miyuki.
Even though he never threw super-fast pitches, he easily secured three Outs, sending the Akamaji High School batters down in order.
For a freshman, such a start was simply a perfect disaster for the opponents.
In the Seidou High School dugout,
The previously tense rivalry between Sawamura and Furuya had vanished, replaced by a solemn focus on the young pitcher on the mound.
They sensed a significant threat emanating from this rookie.
"It looks like there's another contender aiming for the Ace pitcher position," Ochiai remarked, stroking his goatee and nodding approvingly.
While Furuya and Nishiyama could not replace Sawamura's position, their extraordinary talents did not go unnoticed. However, they still lagged behind him in every aspect.
This did not deter them from competing fiercely for the Ace title.
In fact, if they could apply some pressure on Sawamura, they were already performing remarkably well.
Given Sawamura's current abilities, finding a pitcher who could truly challenge him was a rarity.
"Not bad! Not bad!"
'Competition breeds motivation!'
More importantly, even after Sawamura and Furuya retire, it seems Seidou High School won't have to worry about the Ace pitcher position.
Though Nishiyama isn't the only freshman pitcher, he's the only one who can truly shoulder the role of Ace.
Coach Ochiai's careful thoughts, however, couldn't influence the game's progression.
The match continued into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Seidou High School was on the attack.
In this inning, they solidified their grip on the game's outcome.
With one Out and a runner on second base, Kuramochi had just hit a double.
Then, as Kominato Haruichi stepped up to bat, the pitcher went all out to face him, allowing Kuramochi to seize an opportunity.
As the pitcher pitched, Kominato took off for third base.
The Akamaji's catcher scrambled to tag him Out, but he was too late.
Before the ball arrived, Kuramochi's foot was already on third base.
"SAFE!"
Now, with one Out and a runner on third, Haruichi quickly shifted to a bunt, seeming to intend to walk Kuramochi home.
The Akamaji players weren't fooled; they recognized Kominato's potential fake bunt.
However, they had to advance, or they risked losing everything.
As the baseball flew towards him, Kominato pulled back his bunt and hit it hard.
Paak!
Hit and run!
This strategy was executed without hesitation.
The moment Kominato struck the ball, Kuramochi dashed toward home plate like a flash of blue.
"SAFE!!!!"
And just like that, Seidou High School secured their seventh point of the game.
Now, with one Out and a runner on first, the stands erupted.
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
The Seidou High supporters went wild, chanting their team's name with fervor.
What could make them happier than such an exhilarating offense?
Of course, if they could crush Sankou with this momentum, it would elevate the excitement even more.
But that was unrealistic.
The audience wasn't expecting such a feat, and they understood that it wasn't feasible.
Yet now, they sensed hope for an early game conclusion.
Shiratsu, the third batter, stepped up to the plate.
Having taken over the third batting spot from Sawamura Eijun, he was brimming with confidence, ready to deliver a decisive blow to the opponent.
Ping!
After a few tense pitches, Shiratsu finally found his chance.
He connected cleanly and ran to first base.
The situation changed to one Out, with runners on first and second.
Now, the next batter for Seidou High was the fourth hitter, Miyuki Kazuya.
In this scenario, if Akamaji chose to face Miyuki directly, they risked a home run.
After all, Miyuki had the power for it.
Once he had runners on base, he was almost unstoppable.
With the current score at 7-0, if Miyuki hit a home run, it would become 10-0, reaching the threshold for an early termination of the game.
In the Akamaji Osagara High School dugout,
The Coach shook his head vigorously, unable to accept the situation.
His tenure with the team was still new; losing to Seidou High wasn't a disgrace.
This was Seidou's Golden Era, and very few teams could compete with them nationwide.
Even in defeat, the pressure from the board or the school would be minimal.
After all, they were adults, not some hotheaded youths indulging in unrealistic dreams.
But if Seidou secured an early win in five innings, that would be a different story.
Now, Akamaji had stopped hoping for a win; they only wished to minimize their loss.
The coach, now visibly frustrated, had lost his once-commanding presence from the professional baseball scene.
He resolutely signaled his players on the field.
'Walk him!'
By choosing to intentionally Walk Miyuki, they could then face off against the rookie fifth batter.
He still had some confidence in handling this newcomer.
The pitcher had faced him twice before and easily secured Outs.
Despite the impressive swing, if it didn't produce results, it meant nothing.
"BALL!"
"BALL!"
"BALL!"
"BALL!!!"
"Walk To Base!!!"
Miyuki was Walked intentionally.
Silence fell over Seidou High's dugout.
Sawamura felt a strange sense of anticipation.
He vaguely sensed that something significant was about to happen.
No one can recall every detail in their memories, except for the most exceptional moments.
Sawamura's memory was neither too good nor too poor—just average.
He didn't remember much about Yuuki Masashi.
But one thing he did recall:
That was when Yuuki Masashi made his high school debut, hitting a home run.
A true sensation!
Though he hit a home run then, Sawamura could be 100% sure it wasn't a grand slam.
If it had been, he would have remembered it more vividly.
Yet now, he sensed something similar brewing.
He glanced at Nishiyama on the bench, then at Yuuki in the batter's box.
If everything unfolded as he felt, this year's freshman was nothing short of incredible—this was bound to explode.
Sawamura's hunch turned out to be right.
The small white ball was pitched, and he saw Yuuki swinging with all his might.
PAAAAANG!!
The sound of Yuuki's bat striking the ball echoed clearly even in Sawamura's dugout.
After being struck, the ball flew away with incredible force.
Everyone in the stadium, the players, team members, the audience, the scouts, the commentator, the management, everyone was following the hovering ball with their eyes and their mouths agape.
PAK!
The ball soared and finally passed the center field fence.
It traveled at least 130 meters!
Yuuki Masashi hit a Grand Slam!
"Wow, it really happened."
A wry smile crept across Sawamura's lips.
Despite his earlier intuition, seeing it happen was still surreal.
"Seidou High's Yuuki Masashi Made A Stunning Debut!! Hitting A Grand Slam And Achieving Four-rbi For Seidou!!!!"
The commentator's voice shifted in tone.
'Incredible!! Truly Incredible!! Who Would Have Thought Such A Talent Existed Among Seidou High's Freshmen?!!!'
"AMAZING!!!"
"IS HE REALLY A FREASHMAN?!!!"
"SO COOL!!"
"Seidou have struck gold!!"
"Damn, I wish my youth was this wonderful too!!"
"YUUKI!!!"
"YUUKI!!!!"
"SEIDOU!!"
"SEIDOU!!"
In the stands,
A group of remarkable freshmen watched with wide eyes.
Especially Hirota and Yui Kaori.
"The first home run for a freshman should have been mine," Yui Kaori chuckled.
Though he was still in the second string, his spirit soared.
Hirota was more straightforward.
"That was amazing!"
Matsumoto admired Yuuki Masashi!
Just watching that swing was exhilarating.
"Come on, if he can't even do that after earning a spot on the first string, it's long overdue for a replacement."
'I CAN DO IT TOO!!'
Hirota was very confident about that.
Meanwhile, Nishiyama felt the blow deeply.
Originally, he intended to showcase his abilities in both pitching and batting.
But now it seemed, that no matter how hard he tried in batting, he could never surpass Yuuki.
After all, a grand slam was a rare occurrence.
"Akamaji High School changes pitchers…"
The game continued, but the score was already locked in.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
With the final Out recorded, Seidou High concluded the game early in five innings.
They triumphed with a commanding score of 11-0, defeating the once-great Akamaji Osagara High School.
…
T/N: The new first-year pitcher has made his debut!
And the other first-year lived up to the legacy and expectations.
As always, Thank you all for reading and supporting!!
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