Chapter 330: The Numb-Faced Coach
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Out! Three outs! Inning change!"
A dominant and undisguised display of overwhelming strength.
In just the first inning, Eijun showcased the crushing power worthy of Seidou's ace.
Three pitches to strike out the leadoff batter, Nakai.
One fastball forced the second batter to ground out toward third base, leading to a quick out.
Another pitch prompted the third batter to hit a lazy fly ball toward left field, which Asou caught effortlessly.
Three up, three down.
Seated in the once-relaxed dugout of Seishou High, a heavy atmosphere now loomed over the players.
Their initial confidence had been completely shaken.
Even the smug, overconfident coach with the numb-looking face struggled to maintain composure.
The forced smile on his face stiffened, and his lips twitched uncontrollably.
He had expected a tough battle, perhaps even difficulty scoring in the first inning—but to be crushed so quickly and decisively was nowhere near the script he had envisioned.
Damn it... This wasn't supposed to happen!
No... I must maintain a graceful smile! The game's not over yet. It's just the first inning. Smile—keep smiling until the very end!
Clenching his jaw, the coach forced a grin and clapped his hands loudly.
"Come on, don't worry about it! It's only the first inning. There will be plenty of chances! Now it's our turn. Play tight defense first. Remember, they may have a Koshien-level ace, but their lineup isn't as formidable as before. Stay patient, and we'll win this battle!"
"Yeah!!!"
To his credit, the coach knew how to rally morale. What he said wasn't entirely false either.
Seidou's current batting lineup wasn't as fearsome as before—there was indeed a noticeable gap compared to their prime days.
However, what the coach failed to consider was simple.
Even if Seidou had fallen from being the king to a mere "diamond," Seishou High was barely "silver" at best—far inferior to the powerhouse teams Seidou regularly faced.
Simply put, the difference in strength was insurmountable.
Ignorance, perhaps, was truly a form of courage.
The numb-faced coach's exaggerated confidence was bound to crumble—and it wouldn't take long.
Perhaps just one inning.
Or maybe even just one at-bat.
Whoosh!
The ball flew toward home plate with dazzling speed.
Eijun, standing in the batter's box, narrowed his eyes.
He took a powerful step forward, swinging his bat with full force.
Ping!
A brilliant flash as bat met ball.
The white sphere soared high, tearing through the air.
Gasps and shouts erupted from the stands.
"Whoa!?"
"Did that hit the wall!?"
"Direct hit on the center field fence!?"
"Kuramochi and Kominato both reached base—and Sawamura cleared them all with that one hit!"
"Two RBIs! The ace pitcher, Eijun Sawamura, is making his presence felt! This is the true ace of Seidou High School!"
"Wow, both a pitcher and batter, a true ace, batting third, and with increasingly refined outfield defense skills. My goodness, is this guy really just a first-year student?"
"A bases-clearing triple! First-year ace, Eijun Sawamura — this guy's potential is limitless!"
"Ever since the third-years graduated, Sawamura's impact at the plate has become evident. In just three games so far, he's had eight hits in eight at-bats. A terrifying 100% hit rate! This guy can't be described as just a genius anymore."
"He's a freak in the world of baseball."
"This is insane. Is Seidou still going to dominate all of Tokyo this fall?"
The crowd surrounding the field, including media and magazine reporters, couldn't help but marvel as they watched Eijun step onto third base, flashing a brilliant smile and showing his bright white teeth.
This kind of ace was truly the team's stabilizing anchor, an irreplaceable presence.
"Beautiful hit, Sawamura!"
"Ace! Do you really have to steal our jobs? Hitting is supposed to be our thing!"
"That was incredible, Eijun!"
"Perfect hit, Ace! You're unbelievably reliable."
In the dugout, Coach Kataoka and Ochiai were nodding in satisfaction, while the other players shouted in excitement.
Having such an outstanding ace on their team was like injecting them with pure confidence.
With this perfect ace leading them, they felt fearless no matter who the opponent was this autumn.
While Seidou High celebrated, the players from Seishou High were left in a state of daze.
The usually confident coach, known for his pockmarked face, now wore a forced smile with a visibly twitching mouth.
That smile could only mean one thing: "I'm smiling on the outside but cursing inside."
It had to be said that Eijun's bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the first inning completely shattered the coach's confidence.
At that moment, he finally realized the truth:
There was a vast gap in strength between the two teams.
But realizing it was one thing. Now, the pockmarked-faced coach found himself completely powerless to change the situation.
All he could do was watch helplessly as his team stepped closer and closer to defeat.
Whoosh!
Ping!
"Oh my god, another hit!?"
As expected, after Eijun's triple, Seishou High's ace became visibly shaken.
He gave up a walk to Seidou's fourth batter, Miyuki.
Then the fifth batter, Shirasu, hit a timely shot to left field, bringing Eijun home while Miyuki successfully advanced to third base.
With no outs and runners on second and third, Seidou's batting lineup completely exploded.
Perhaps inspired by Eijun, Maezono also hit a powerful double to right field, knocking in two more runs for the team.
By utilizing stolen bases, aggressive pushes, and forceful scoring strategies, Seidou High seamlessly strung their hits together.
By the end of just the first inning, Seidou had already taken an overwhelming lead with seven runs scored.
Looking at that shocking score difference, the players from Seishou High turned pale and looked utterly defeated.
Their pockmarked-faced coach stood frozen, unable to maintain his so-called elegant smile anymore.
His face had gone completely numb.
That expression had already foreshadowed the inevitable outcome of the game.
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