Chapter 173: The Dominance
"Home run!!!!!! With two outs, first-year left fielder Sawamura Eijun hit a double, and then the starting pitcher, also a first-year, Furuya Satoru, followed up with his second home run of the game. Seidou High School scores two more runs, extending their lead to six!!!!!!"
The Seidou dugout erupted into a full-blown celebration. A six-run lead in the first inning—everyone knew exactly what that meant, especially with Furuya smashing a home run.
In the dugout, Chris, Miyuki, and Coach Kataoka were all smiling, while Isashiki Jun shouted at the top of his lungs.
Eijun, after touching home plate, glanced at Furuya rounding the bases and rolled his eyes. This guy is seriously a monster. A Koshien debut, and he's already stealing the spotlight? Hitting a home run, no less! Eijun couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. Way too cool.
In the stands, Ochiai's grin was unmistakable, and his right hand trembled slightly with excitement.
It was obvious—he was more than satisfied with Furuya's performance.
This was, without a doubt, the standard template for an ace.
The rest of the spectators? They were completely blown away.
"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!"
"Seidou's lineup is insane! Six runs already? Have they almost gone through the entire order?"
"A first-year with pitching like that and batting like this? That's terrifying!"
"A true monster player, no question about it."
"Maybe it's just a fluke?"
"Even if it is, this guy has insane potential. What kind of monster has Seidou brought to Koshien?"
"Well, this game's already over."
"Yeah, it's basically decided. Poor Nanagamari Tech—they're probably looking at another first-round exit this year."
"There's nothing they can do. Seidou is one of the strongest championship contenders, after all."
"Nanagamari Tech is done for."
It was still only the first inning, but the 30,000-strong crowd had overwhelmingly shifted to Seidou's side.
In their eyes, Nanagamari's chances of victory were slim to none.
Seidou's terrifying batting lineup had already racked up six runs in the first inning, and the offense wasn't even over.
Their defense was just as solid. Even a first-year pitcher, who barely had a chance to play in regional tournaments, was effortlessly shutting down Nanagamari's lineup.
And that wasn't even their full strength—Seidou still had a third-year ace, a second-year side-armer, and, most crucially, Sawamura Eijun, a fearsome left-hander who could shut down Inashiro Industrial's powerful batting lineup in a complete nine-inning game, limiting them to just three runs.
Nanagamari's chances? Less than 1%.
Forget miracles at Koshien. If this were a regional game, the five-inning mercy rule would already be inevitable.
The skill gap was blatantly obvious, even from the first inning.
After Furuya smashed his second home run of the inning, Nanagamari's players were visibly shaken.
Even their captain, Sawano Hiroyuki, and catcher, Yoshihiro, were only managing to maintain a facade of calm.
In the dugout, Coach Sakata sighed and shook his head.
Helplessly, he signaled for a pitching change.
It was clear their ace's composure had completely crumbled.
If they let him continue, Seidou's lineup would cycle through again, and Nanagamari would become the laughingstock of this year's Koshien.
"Nanagamari Tech player substitution: replacing pitcher Miki is Yamashita, now taking the mound."
The crowd murmured again at this first-inning pitching change.
While they understood Nanagamari's situation, seeing their ace pulled so early was still shocking.
A starting pitcher unable to even secure three outs—was there anything more tragic?
Fortunately, the substitute pitcher, Yamashita, managed to halt Seidou's offensive surge with his knuckleball, throwing off Shirasu's timing and securing the third out. At last, Nanagamari's players could breathe a sigh of relief.
At the very least, they managed to recover a sliver of rhythm.
"Top of the second inning: Nanagamari Tech at bat. Fourth batter, third baseman Aoyama."
What does a 150 km/h fastball mean?
Whoosh.
Crack.
It means that approximately 90% of batters can't adjust to the speed in their first at-bat.
Thwack.
"Foul ball!!!!!"
It also signifies absolute dominance by the pitcher.
Whoosh.
Clap.
"Strike!!!"
"Batter out!!!"
Furuya was exactly that kind of presence.
In the original story, didn't he suppress Inashiro Industrial's first batting lineup during the West Tokyo Summer Tournament finals?
This was the true strength of Furuya Satoru.
The booming sound of his pitches, like cannon fire, combined with the dazzling white streaks of light from his fastballs, created a visceral spectacle.
It was a feast for the audience but pushed Nanagamari Tech's players to the brink of mental collapse.
Whoosh.
Clap.
"Strike! Batter out!!!"
"Three outs, changeover!!!"
With just four pitches, Furuya retired the cleanup hitter, Aoyama. Next, a high fastball lured the fifth batter into hitting a fly ball to right-center field, which Isashiki Jun easily caught for the second out.
For the sixth batter, Miyuki carefully called the pitches, crushing any hope Nanagamari Tech had.
The final pitch—a blazing fast forkball—seemed like a straight fastball until it suddenly dropped near the plate.
This overwhelming display left Nanagamari's entire team feeling utterly powerless.
Coach Sakata's expression was visibly tense. However, deep down, he had already given up hope. This game is as good as over.
Despite this, Coach Sakata tried his best to boost his team's morale, setting up strategies to counter Furuya. As the saying goes, "Even if you lose, lose with dignity." At this point, that was the only option left for Nanagamari Tech.
---
Bottom of the Second Inning: Seidou's second batting cycle faced off against Nanagamari Tech's second-year knuckleball pitcher, who managed to put some pressure on Seidou's lineup.
Kuramochi was out with a ground ball to the pitcher. However, Ryousuke capitalized on an opportunity, hitting an infield single to take first base.
Next came Isashiki Jun, whose powerful yet calculated swing sent the ball beyond the infield.
Unfortunately, the hit lacked precision and resulted in a high fly ball to the outfield, caught by Nanagamari Tech's center fielder.
Seidou had two outs in this inning.
----------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon:patreon.com/Leonzky