Chapter 89: Akikawa's Offense and Defense in Battle
Compared to Eijun's outstanding performance, Akikawa High School's ace, You Shunshin, began to struggle starting in the middle innings.
However, the difference in the strength of the batting lineups the two pitchers faced was substantial, with at least a two or three-level gap between them. Describing it as a wide disparity is not an exaggeration.
You Shunshin stumbled a bit but somehow managed to hold on until the fourth inning without conceding a run, which was already quite impressive.
In the bottom of the third inning, it was Eijun's turn to bat. Lacking power and finesse, and with Akikawa High School being highly cautious of bunts, he barely managed to make contact with an outside pitch, resulting in a grounder to third base and being thrown out.
Next, the ninth batter, Shirasu, hit a single off You Shunshin and made it safely to first base.
Unfortunately, in his second at-bat, Kuramochi once again fell to You Shunshin, hitting a grounder between second and third base.
Not only was Kuramochi thrown out at first base, but Shirasu, forced to advance, was also tagged out. A double play in one pitch, leaving Seido High School scoreless again this inning.
You Shunshin's performance fully demonstrated his skill.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Seido's strong offensive lineup continued. Even though Ryosuke Kominato tried his best to wear down You Shunshin by dragging out the at-bat, he ultimately fell to the combined efforts of You Shunshin and the umpire.
This game had completely turned into You Shunshin's show.
His precise pitching control led the umpire to subconsciously favor You Shunshin and Akikawa High School, which left Seido High School feeling extremely frustrated.
In this situation:
Whoosh
Crack
Bang
"Not good!?"
Ryosuke's expression shifted as he watched the ball fly straight into the opposing shortstop's glove.
He knew at that moment that this at-bat would be another unsuccessful one.
Whoosh
Pop
"Out!!!"
A groundout to first base. Ryosuke Kominato, out for the second time.
"Hmph, this guy is seriously impressive!" Jun Isashiki snorted, his nostrils flaring as he stepped up to the batter's box, looking fierce and determined.
Meanwhile, in the dugout, Eijun quietly wiped down his bat while observing You Shunshin in the center of the field. Eijun was fully aware that he needed to learn not just from You Shunshin's brilliant control but also from his ability to remain calm and composed no matter the situation.
Knowing what to do at any given moment is crucial, especially for an ace pitcher leading a team.
Whoosh
Crack
Bang
"Foul ball!!!"
Once again, You Shunshin targeted Jun Isashiki's weak spot—a high inside pitch that had clearly been calculated with precision.
A flicker of intrigue passed through Eijun's eyes as he watched.
Whoosh
Pop
"Strike!!!"
"Seriously, is that really a strike!? Umpire, that's way too biased!" Jun Isashiki could barely contain his frustration.
It felt like they were being forced to swing at every tricky pitch thrown their way. This was a bit much.
Whoosh
"Oh no!!!"
Pop
"Strike, the batter is out!!!!"
Damn, that was right down the middle! This guy really has some guts!
Jun Isashiki gritted his teeth, shooting a fierce glare toward the pitcher's mound at You Shunshin. The ace remained calm and met Isashiki's gaze with indifference.
"Hmph."
Isashiki snorted, gripping his bat tightly as he walked back to the dugout.
Phew, that's two outs now. Despite You Shunshin's composed exterior, he was starting to feel mentally exhausted from the pressure that Seido High School's batting lineup exerted. It was no joke.
"Fourth batter, first baseman, Yuuki-kun!"
As the steady footsteps echoed, You Shunshin's expression changed slightly, his eyes narrowing at the solid figure stepping into the batter's box. A serious look flashed in his eyes.
He knew this batter's capabilities well.
If it hadn't been for a lucky catch by his outfielder during the first at-bat, he would have definitely given up a run.
That run could have sparked a chain reaction, causing the pressure he had been able to maintain to vanish.
The gap in skill had been glaringly apparent in the first inning.
You Shunshin realized that he was at a disadvantage against this batter.
He was a very smart hitter, especially when facing someone like this, who could easily turn even slight mistakes into long-distance hits.
This made You Shunshin feel quite challenged; the strategies he used against other batters wouldn't work on someone like Yuuki.
Whoosh
Pop
"Ball!!!"
Standing firm, Yuuki had an unfazed expression, not showing even a hint of being deceived. The pressure he exuded put You Shunshin in a tight spot.
With one ball thrown, You Shunshin couldn't gauge the depths of his opponent's capabilities.
The disparity in skill was stark.
Given this situation, You Shunshin had no choice.
Whoosh
Pop
"Four balls, walk!!!"
Yuuki cast a calm glance at You Shunshin, casually tossing his bat aside as he jogged to first base.
"So, he chose to walk him."
"After all, Yuuki-kun's intimidation factor is different."
"Yeah, there's definitely a gap in ability."
"It's already scary enough that You Shunshin managed to hold Seido's batting lineup scoreless."
"Is he a foreign exchange student? If he were on another team, it might not be surprising."
"Haha, isn't it a bit too early to say that?"
"No, I don't think so."
In his first at-bat, he almost scored, and now in his second at-bat, he walked easily. The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.
In the audience, Mine Fujio and Owada Akiko were seated in the front row, and even Fujio showed a solemn expression.
To him, Akikawa High School was in a very dangerous position.
He hadn't expected that a first-year could perform so well that Akikawa High School was struggling to get on base at all.
"Seems like they really underestimated this... Akikawa High School..." Fujio murmured.
After You Shunshin finally managed to strike out Masuko with great effort, barely keeping the scoreboard reading "0" for the bottom of the fourth inning.
As the top of the fifth inning began, just as before, it was Yuuki leading off again, and Eijun once again demonstrated his absolute dominance.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth batters were perfectly suppressed.
Once again, not a single player reached base, as Eijun's pressure had the Akikawa players growing increasingly anxious.
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