Three balls, three Outs!
Although the process seemed a bit turbulent, both exchange students and Aoki managed to make contact with Sawamura's pitching rhythm on the first try and hit the ball.
However, this did not change the fact that the rhythm of the game was entirely controlled by the Seidou team.
"Dear, are you serious? Did the opponent intentionally let us hit? How is that possible!"
Until Sawamura achieved three outs, Emil could not believe Aoki's words.
Aoki actually claimed that Sawamura was deliberately using a 'fishing ball'?
This was almost unimaginable for them. Unlike Japanese baseball, which emphasizes tactics and tricks, U.S. baseball focuses more on ball velocity and direct confrontations between players.
This is what is known as a hard-hitting approach.
It's hard to fathom that a player with Sawamura's speed would actually use a fishing ball in a duel.
Emil's confusion was something Aoki Sugi couldn't explain, but he was very convinced of the outcome.
Sawamura was deliberately controlling the rhythm of his pitching and intentionally letting them hit the ball to get the Outs.
And this plan went very smoothly.
If one needed evidence, one could look at the Seidou players walking off the field.
Each one wore a relaxed smile.
Indeed, the Seidou High School players exiting the field all looked calm and composed.
The outcome matched their expectations perfectly.
Although the process differed significantly from before, the result remained the same. As long as Sawamura pitched, getting Outs would always be an effortless task.
In the bottom of the inning, Seidou went on the offense.
Before the attack, the players of Seidou High School gathered to prepare for a meeting.
They had some understanding of their opponents. Although the main players hadn't watched them live, Watanabe had observed and analyzed their games.
Coach Kataoka, wearing sunglasses, had a stern expression.
His voice was not loud but rather low.
"Have you memorized the opponent's information?"
"Memorized!"
"Very good. The opponent is not an easy one to defeat. We'll verify the validity of the information we have during the game…"
"YES!!"
"First up, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."
The first to step into the Batter's Box was Kuramochi.
Before Kuramochi took his place, Sawamura ran over to him and advised, "That guy's pitch will feel faster from the Batter's Box."
"Huh?"
Kuramochi looked at Sawamura with confusion and directly asked, "What do you mean?"
'Could it be that this guy's pitching is like Sawamura's, where you can't see where the ball is thrown?'
Though hard to imagine, the world is full of surprises. In fact, during Koshien, Seidou High School encountered a pitcher similar to Sawamura.
Only, unlike Sawamura, a polished gem, this opponent was still rough around the edges.
"That's not it. His pitch—how should I put it? It's just violent," Sawamura said.
At first glance, it seemed like Sawamura didn't even learn the right words.
Pitching can be described as fast, slow, or tricky.
But violent? What does that even mean?
'Could that guy really throw at people?'
'Ridiculous!'
Kuramochi raised his bat high, focusing intently on the pitcher on the mound.
He was eager to see what this pitcher named Jack April was all about.
'I want to find out what this so-called violent pitching looks like!'
"Humph!"
On the mound, Jack April let out a heavy sigh, then decisively threw the ball.
Whoosh!
The moment the ball was pitched, it seemed to be propelled by thrusters, speeding toward Kuramochi's eyes.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Kuramochi still found it hard to believe when he saw April's delivery.
'Wha…!'
The overwhelming sensation of speed was disorienting.
Kuramochi didn't even have time to react before the small ball was already in the catcher's Mitt.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!!"
The count was one Strike, no Balls, with the batter trailing behind.
Despite being behind, Kuramochi's expression didn't change much.
He glanced indifferently at Jack April on the mound, replaying the previous pitch in his mind.
'Honestly, the speed was incredibly fast—almost as fast as Furuya's.'
'While April's control might not be top-notch, the course was difficult to hit.'
'With such power, it was no wonder Sensen was overwhelmed and unable to find his footing.'
A year ago, Kuramochi would have felt helpless against such pitches.
But now it was different; he was confident he could hit the ball.
Could he hit it well? That depended on luck.
After all, with a ball coming in that fast, just making contact was already challenging, let alone hitting it beautifully.
However, as long as he could hit it, there was a chance for a base hit.
Kuramochi could see the opportunity.
Though his progress over the past year might not be as obvious compared to others, he has indeed improved.
Just like now, facing a ball he could never have hit before, he was confident he could do it now.
'Come on!!'
Kuramochi seemed to have switched on a certain gear within him, focusing all his energy and cells.
His eyes were locked onto the pitching mound, watching Jack April closely.
Aoki didn't relax his observation of Kuramochi. Seeing that Kuramochi showed no intention of bunting, he immediately understood his plan.
'He was going to confront April head-on.'
'This was a death wish!'
'April's ball speed wasn't his only weapon.'
April's pitching style is staying true to the style of the Major League, which focuses heavily on velocity and power.
Kuramochi, or more like most of the players in Seidou and high school in general is not a power-type batter.
Facing such a pitching head-on where you are already at a disadvantage is unwise.
With determination, the battery threw the ball without hesitation.
Whoosh!
It was like a sharp arrow suddenly shot out, crossing a distance of over ten meters in an instant and appearing right in front of Kuramochi.
'Even faster!'
It looked even quicker than the first ball!
Yet, facing this pitch, Kuramochi showed no intention of backing down; instead, he moved forward to meet it.
'Don't look down on me!'
He was confident he could hit the ball.
Over the past year, he had dealt with such monsters repeatedly and felt ready to face them.
Ping!
The moment the bat made contact with the ball, Kuramochi's expression soured.
'Such weight!'
The heavy feeling was as if his arms were no longer his own but crushed by a truck.
His palm felt like it was splitting open.
He almost lost grip on the bat, which was about to fly out of his hands...
The results of his rigorous training finally manifested.
Kuramochi managed to grasp the bat just before it slipped away, barely stabilizing his stance.
He prepared to force the ball out.
But could he do it?
The moment the ball hit the bat, it bounced back to the ground.
Jack April, standing on the mound, effortlessly picked up the ball and sent it to first base.
SNAP!
"OUT!!"
Kuramochi Yoichi, the speedy leadoff hitter, was cleanly solved Out.
"What a monster!"
Even now, Kuramochi felt the shock in his palm.
He looked at Jack April on the mound, who seemed unfazed.
He finally understood why Sawamura called him a 'violent boy'.
Not to mention anything else, just the pitch alone was indeed violent enough.
And the ball seemed exceptionally fast.
One Out, no runners on base.
Now it was time for the second batter, Kominato Haruichi.
Kominato walked past Kuramochi, who was about to head back to the dugout.
According to tradition, the two needed to exchange information.
Kuramochi hesitated for a moment.
It wasn't that he had no information to share with Kominato; on the contrary, he had plenty.
But with so much information, how could he convey it all at once?
There was no choice but to make a trade-off.
"Give up the long hits! Focus on getting hits steadily," he finally suggested, which sounded like a compromise.
"Eh?"
Haruichi's eyes were filled with confusion, clearly unable to understand Kuramochi's intent.
"Just be careful," Kuramochi added, withholding more information.
He simply didn't know how to express it.
Meanwhile, Sawamura in the dugout picked up his bat, preparing to wait for his turn.
"That guy?"
Curiosity was evident in Kuramochi's gaze.
Sawamura, however, smiled confidently.
"Don't worry I will avenge you!"
...