Chapter 28: The Stance of an Ace!
"Whoosh!"
As that flash of light blazed through the air, the roaring white streak speeding straight towards the batter's box sent a fierce chill through Masuko Tooru.
An inside pitch, just as expected!!!
Masuko's eyes flickered, revealing a hint of ferocity. His foot slammed down, and with a powerful twist, he lowered his bat, bringing it up from below with all his might.
"Swish!"
In front of the tensely watching crowd, the white ball drew near as the bat swung fiercely to meet it.
Got it!!!! Masuko's eyes gleamed with determination, but at that very moment—
The white ball suddenly cut into the inside corner, taking an unexpected curve, bending even further inside.
"Crack!"
What!?
The ball and bat connected earlier than Masuko had anticipated, his eyes wide with surprise. Meanwhile, Eijun on the mound had a faint smile on his lips.
As the spectators around them stared in shock—
"Whoosh!"
The ball shot out, rebounding off the ground.
"Thud!"
A loud collision echoed, and the ball bounced straight back toward the mound.
With a quick reflex, Eijun extended his gloved right hand and caught the ball cleanly.
"Smack!"
Without hesitation, he swung his left hand, whipping the ball toward first base.
As Masuko stood there, disbelief etched across his face, the white ball streaked by.
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Out!!!!"
As the word "Out" rang through the air, a moment of stunned silence fell over the crowd before they erupted into excited cheers.
"Whoa, what was that pitch just now!?"
"A cutter!?"
"Does this guy really have a secret weapon?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this kid—this kid."
"Wow, I feel like I just watched an unreal showdown. Is this guy really just a first-year?"
It wasn't just the crowd of spectators who were visibly shaken; Coach Kataoka, Rei Takashima, Director Oota, Captain Yuki, Miyuki, and the rest of the senior players, first-years on the bench, and even the extra media reporters all showed varying degrees of shock at that moment.
First-year student Eijun Sawamura had just taken down Masuko Toru, the former No. 5 batter of the first-string team, in a head-to-head battle.
"This kid…," Miyuki's eyes widened in disbelief. The pitcher he had placed so much hope in had once again exceeded his expectations, causing Miyuki's right hand to tremble slightly with excitement.
I want to catch it. I want to catch this kid's pitches so badly!!!
In the press box, Director Oota's mouth hung wide open, unable to close, while the always calm and composed Rei Takashima was now showing an expression of utter shock.
This kid really knows how to surprise people...
Rei Takashima shook her head slightly, feeling a mix of emotions—mostly joy, though. After all, this was the future ace she had scouted.
"One out!!!" Standing on the mound, Eijun raised a finger and shouted loudly to his teammates, his voice brimming with determination, his expression radiating confidence.
"Oooohhhh!!! One out!"
"Nice pitch, Sawamura!"
"That was fantastic, Sawamura-kun!"
"Haha, I knew you could do it, kid!!!"
"SAWAMURA!!!!"
As if waking from a daze, the first-year players on the bench and those on the field erupted in cheers at Eijun's shout, their voices contrasting sharply with the somber expressions of most of the seniors on the other bench. At this moment, standing on the mound, Eijun looked every bit the ace.
Majestic, incredibly reliable, with a faint smile on his face that only emphasized his commanding presence.
Just having left the dugout but not the field, Furuya watched Eijun in the center of the field, surrounded by the first-years who praised him as an ace. His eyes showed a hint of envy, sadness, and a mix of other complicated emotions.
In the batter's box, Masuko looked at the beaming Eijun and sighed inwardly. Shaking his head slightly, he also allowed a faint smile to appear on his face.
"Sawamura-kun, you really might become the team's ace in the future."
With that, he slung his bat over his shoulder and headed back to the dugout.
That figure on the mound was the true stance of an ace!
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Strike! Batter out! Game over!!!"
"Teams, line up!!" Coach Kataoka, standing at home plate, shouted loudly to both benches.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud."
Eijun and the others quickly jogged out from the dugout. Even if it was just an intra-squad game, the important on-field etiquette couldn't be forgotten.
"Salute," Coach Kataoka said in a deep voice.
"Thank you for the game!!"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Eijun wore a bright, refreshing smile. The game was over. It had been tough, but it was the kind of tough that was worth it.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap
As the loud cheers of the senior and first-year players echoed, the internal red-and-white game concluded with a resounding round of applause. The victory, of course, belonged to the senior team.
The final score was 20 to 1.
It was a crushing victory for the seniors, but when everyone saw the zeros on the scoreboard for innings five, six, and seven—where the seniors had gone scoreless—everyone's eyes inevitably turned toward Eijun in the first-year lineup.
He took the mound in the fifth inning, pitched three innings, and gave up no runs and no hits, completely shutting down the senior team's batting lineup.
He even single-handedly secured the only RBI for the first-years.
Eijun had delivered a flawless performance.
And thanks to the momentum Eijun brought to the first-year team, the other first-year pitcher who came in for innings eight and nine showed impressive intensity as well. With Haruichi's lightning-fast infield defense backing him up, the seniors only managed to score four more runs.
In just this one game, everyone took note of this first-year pitcher, Eijun Sawamura.
And almost everyone couldn't help but think the same thing:
This kid might just become Seidou's ace pitcher one day.
As the sun set, casting a warm glow over the earth, the crowd that had gathered to watch had already dispersed. They had enjoyed a thrilling red-and-white game in the morning and had spent the afternoon watching Seidou's regular training sessions.
When the time came, they all left.
At this moment, on Field A, the first-year players, having finished their basic training for the day, gathered in front of the dugout. Almost all of them looked nervous and expectant as they stared at Coach Kataoka, who stood before them.
"Starting tomorrow, Eijun Sawamura and Haruichi Kominato will join the second-string training," Coach Kataoka announced in a deep voice.
As soon as he spoke, the remaining players showed visible signs of disappointment, except for Eijun and Haruichi, whose expressions subtly shifted.
"Yes, sir!!!" Eijun and Haruichi both responded loudly and in unison.
So, it's just like in the original story? Eijun thought to himself.
Although there was some regret and disappointment that he hadn't been promoted to the first-string team,
he had taken the first step.
Second-string, huh? A new starting point, a new journey. I, Eijun Sawamura, am coming!!!
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A/N: The cutter is different from Sawamura's no.7 improved cutter.
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