Chapter 104: Back-and-Forth Struggle in the Battle Against Yakushi
"Tell Sawamura and Kawakami to start warming up."
However, the name "Furuya" wasn't called. He knew exactly what that meant.
In Coach Kataoka's mind, Furuya wasn't as reliable as Kawakami or Eijun yet.
This realization sparked a deep frustration in Furuya. His determination, his beliefs—all of it settled and buried deep within his heart in that moment.
One day, it might all erupt, but when that day comes, it's unclear whether it will be a blessing or a curse.
But Furuya's situation is a matter for later. Right now, the more pressing concern is this game.
After Seidou High School gave up two runs in the top of the first inning, they quickly answered back in the bottom half.
Yakushi High School's starting pitcher was a third-year student wearing the ace number. His fastball reached 135 km/h, and his control was passable.
But ultimately, he was just an ordinary pitcher, with no notable strengths or distinctive features.
He couldn't suppress Seidou High's batting lineup at all.
Kuramochi got on base, Ryousuke Kominato advanced him, and Jun Isashiki followed with a timely hit.
Then, Masuko, the fifth batter, hit a home run just like in the original, allowing Seidou to quickly reverse the score and take control of the game.
Of course, Yakushi's rookie slugger, Raichi, fearlessly faced off against the captain, Yuuki. Thanks to a bit of luck, he managed to stop Yuuki's powerful hit, and with Miyuki's half-serious swing sending a ball straight back to the pitcher, they were able to end the inning with an out.
Seidou's explosive offensive was somewhat curbed, but at the very least, they had firmly regained control of the game.
"Tch, only two runs in the first inning, huh..." Coach Todoroki shot a glance and grumbled, clearly displeased.
He had hoped to completely break down the pitcher. Based on the information he had gathered and his analysis of the players, Todoroki knew that Seidou's ace had a fragile mentality.
That's why he devised this strategy.
But it seemed he'd underestimated something—he hadn't factored in the influence of the catcher.
That catcher had somehow managed to rally the pitcher back.
"Sanada, it looks like you'll be going in earlier than expected..." Coach Todoroki slouched, resting his head back casually, and called out to the bullpen.
"Huh? Where's Sanada?"
Todoroki looked surprised.
"Uh, Sanada-senpai just went to warm up..." a first-year player quietly answered.
Todoroki turned his head toward the bullpen, where the tall figure of Sanada stood.
"This kid..." Todoroki lowered his cap slightly, a faint smile appearing. "Looks like your blood's boiling too, huh?"
After Seidou's attack was stopped, it was Yakushi's turn to bat again.
Before they took the field, Coach Kataoka called out to Miyuki.
"Miyuki, depending on the situation in the second round of the lineup, you know what to do!"
Miyuki nodded lightly.
"Yes, I understand, Coach."
Miyuki knew the underlying meaning of Coach Kataoka's words. When Raichi came up for his second at-bat, he had to assess whether Tanba could face him head-on. If not...
Then they'd either intentionally walk him, or...
Make a pitching change!
This was the in-game decision-making authority that Coach Kataoka had entrusted to Miyuki.
After all, there were things only Miyuki could observe from his position on the field, while judgments made by Coach Kataoka from outside the diamond could sometimes be off.
Swish.
Pop.
"Hmph, the pitch had good force and tailing action. Not bad at all!"
In the bullpen, Keisuke Miyauchi caught Eijun's pitch firmly, exhaling deeply as he spoke in a low voice.
"Yes!" Eijun nodded softly in response.
Tanba-senpai...
From his spot in the bullpen, Eijun watched as Tanba jogged toward the mound, a hint of worry crossing his eyes. He couldn't help but recall the injury incident from the original story.
Perhaps letting Tanba-senpai get injured would be the better option?
This thought, which startled even Eijun himself, surfaced in his mind.
Yakushi High School's batting lineup might have been rough around the edges, but they were highly effective against Tanba. The home run by Raichi in the first inning had clearly left a deep impression on Tanba.
Even though Miyuki had adjusted the pitch mix to focus on curveballs with forkball as a decoy, Yakushi's batters remained stubbornly locked onto Tanba's fastballs.
They didn't let up at all.
This gave Miyuki a headache. For any pitcher, the fastball is the foundation, the most important pitch. If a pitcher can't effectively throw fastballs, no breaking pitch will have much impact.
Clearly, Tanba's fastballs, which were already a bit weak, had lost even more power after being overwhelmed by Yakushi in the first inning.
The few fastballs he threw were seized upon by Yakushi's hitters. This team was as persistent as a mule.
It was a situation Miyuki hadn't anticipated.
In the top of the second inning, Tanba managed to get through the bottom of Yakushi's lineup—batters seven, eight, and nine—without allowing any runs.
However, in the top of the third, with no one on base and a changed pitch mix, Raichi once again smashed a long hit off Tanba. If it weren't for Raichi's comedic quirk, which stopped him at second base, he might have easily made it to third with that distance.
Miyuki had relaxed a little after the scoreless second inning, but that slight lapse allowed Yakushi's second batter, Akiba, to capitalize. He caught a fastball on the outside corner aimed to slow down the pace, sending it for a timely hit to center field.
Yakushi scored again in the top of the third, tying the game and bringing both teams back to square one.
With no outs, Mishima, the third batter, followed with another hit, putting runners on the corners. Seidou was once again in a tight spot.
From the bench, Coach Kataoka frowned deeply, raising his right hand to signal for a pitching change.
Fortunately, while Yakushi's lineup was formidable during the summer, they lacked the finesse they'd shown in the fall.
Miyuki quickly seized on this gap.
He skillfully exploited the psychology of Yakushi's cleanup hitter, who was eager to extend the lead. The batter took a poor swing at Tanba's forkball, resulting in a crucial strikeout.
This eased the pressure slightly.
Tanba, having calmed down a bit, followed Miyuki's lead and managed to retire Yakushi's fifth and sixth batters in quick succession.
With runners still on first and third, Yakushi couldn't advance, and Seidou successfully limited the damage to a minimum.
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