"Third batter, shortstop, Kajiyama!"
One out, a runner on second.
The next batter stepping up was one of Yokohama Kouhoku's power hitters. It wasn't a great situation for Seidou.
Eijun tilted his head back slightly and exhaled deeply, but a glimr of determination flashed in his eyes.
"This is how it should be. If everything went smoothly, it would be boring, Yokohama Kouhoku!"
The fiery aura surrounding Eijun was unmistakable.
His focused gaze, hiding a faint golden hue deep in his eyes, made Miyuki shake his head slightly behind ho plate.
"Sawamura, you're such a handful."
Miyuki shifted his stance and positioned his mitt on the inside corner.
This was a clear signal—a head-on challenge. Miyuki, too, was the type who wouldn't back down when it ca to baseball.
The first pitch would be an inside cutter—perfect for dealing with a right-handed batter.
No words were needed.
A single glance and subtle movent were all it took for the pitcher and catcher to understand each other.
As their eyes t, a faint smile appeared on Eijun's face.
"Play ball!!!"
"Whoosh!!!"
At the umpire's call, Eijun unleashed his pitch.
The gleaming ball roared through the air.
In an instant, the pitch shone brightly in Kajiyama's eyes.
His gaze sharpened as he quickly tracked the ball's trajectory.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he stepped forward.
"Swish!"
Mid-flight, the ball suddenly veered sharply, cutting even deeper into the inside corner. Kajiyama's bat was late, missing by a mile.
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Good. He missed. Next pitch, changeup. Keep it low, Sawamura," Miyuki signaled.
"Whoosh!"
"Swish!"
"Bang!"
"Pop!"
"Strike two!"
The cutter was already proving effective on the first pitch, and the follow-up changeup had completely caught Kajiyama off guard.
"A cutter followed by a changeup? This kid from Seidou's first year is impressive!" Kajiyama's eyes widened, his aura flaring as he tightened his grip on the tal bat.
The fierce swish of his bat cutting through the air showcased his undeniable strength.
"A fastball, huh?" Kajiyama thought. "No matter how tricky your pitches are, the fastball is a pitcher's foundation. It's their lifeline. This lefty still lacks that extra edge in his fastball."
In the dugout, Coach Yamagake's eyes glinted with interest as he muttered, "Here it cos."
"Whoosh!"
The straight pitch zipped toward ho plate. Kajiyama's bat swung powerfully—a sight befitting a team of Yokohama Kouhoku's caliber.
"Ping!!!"
The bat t the ball with a thunderous sound, sending the white streak soaring into the sky.
On the mound, Eijun's eyes widened.
"He tid it perfectly?!"
The ball shot into the air toward shallow center field.
Fortunately, Eijun's pitch still had enough weight and spin to suppress the power of Kajiyama's hit, keeping it from flying too far.
Isashiki Jun dashed with all his might, barely managing to track the ball's path.
"Pop!"
Isashiki caught the ball firmly in his glove.
At second base, Ishigoka had stepped off the bag but hurriedly dove back just in ti to avoid being tagged out.
"Out!!!"
"An outstanding defensive play! Seidou High's center fielder catches the third batter's fly ball, keeping the runner stranded at second!"
Kajiyama, who had barely begun to run, stopped in his tracks.
Seeing his hit caught, he frowned and sighed.
"That was a good swing, but in trying to find the perfect angle, I couldn't fully unleash my power. That kid's pitch suppressed it just enough. If not for that, the hit would have gone much deeper."
The Yokohama Kouhoku dugout and stands were filled with looks of regret.
If that previous hit had landed, Ishigoka on second base could have easily made it ho, giving them the crucial lead.
With their cleanup hitter up next, the montum would have firmly shifted in Yokohama's favor.
"What a sha... how did it get caught?"
Despite the collective disappointnt, Coach Yamagake remained expressionless, calmly observing the ga.
"Sawamura, two outs!" Isashiki Jun's robust voice echoed from center field, his raised fist brimming with the fighting spirit of a seasoned upperclassman.
On the mound, Eijun nodded firmly.
"Yes!"
With such dependable teammates behind him and Miyuki's guidance ahead, there was no room for hesitation.
He just needed to face this head-on.
"Fourth batter, first baseman, Furano!"
Furano stepped into the batter's box, his mind already churning.
Simply predicting the pitch trajectory wasn't enough.
He needed to overpower the pitch's movent and late break.
Although this left-handed pitcher wasn't as daunting as Furuya in raw power, the moving fastball Eijun threw had exceptional finish and made up for it with deceptive late movent.
After a brief pause, Furano gripped the bat tightly, extending his hold for more power.
Sacrificing a bit of precision was worth it if he could send the ball flying.
"A longer grip, huh?" Miyuki noted, smirking slightly. "Such confidence from their cleanup hitter... but this works for us. Let's focus on attacking the outside corner, Sawamura."
Miyuki's eyes glimred with determination as he signaled for the pitch.
Eijun turned his head slightly, inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. Raising his right leg, he swung his arm forward with precision.
"Whoosh!"
The icy gleam of the ball left Eijun's fingertips and darted toward the outside corner.
"Here it cos!!! An outside fastball!!!"
"Swish!"
"Ping!!!"
In the blink of an eye, Furano connected with the pitch.
"First base!!!"
The low, blazing white streak shot toward the right side of the field.
"Whoosh!"
At first base, Yuuki Tetsuya dived, stretching his glove in an attempt to stop the ball.
"Bang!"
The ball narrowly avoided the outstretched glove, bouncing off the ground just as the Yokohama runner took off from second base.
"Foul ball!!!" the umpire declared.
Ishigoka promptly retreated back to second base.
The ga resud.
"Whoosh!"
"Swish!"
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
Eijun's next pitch zipped to the inside corner, brushing past Furano's knees.
Furano swung his bat again, his eyes reflecting a newfound intensity.
The previous outside pitch was nearly perfect—speed, movent, power, and placent.
It was hard to imagine connecting with it, even for him.
And now the inside pitch was equally sharp.
The alternating inside-outside combination was executed to perfection.
As Furano swung his bat with a fierce resolve, an unyielding aura surrounded him.
"This kid… is he really just a first-year pitcher?" Furano thought as he glanced at Eijun on the mound.
The rookie stood with a cold expression, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Whoosh!!!"
The ball flew forward with incredible force.
Victory or defeat—this mont would decide it all!!!
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