Compared to Kiryu High School, Kasuga High School lacked a certain intensity and did not pose the sa offensive threat to Seido High School.
Moreover, perhaps influenced by Eijun's performance against Kiryu in the morning, Furuya's performance in the afternoon was sharper and more dominant than ever.
There was none of the fatigue he had shown in the original match against Kiryu.
He started off with a stunning three strikeouts, setting the tone and leaving Kasuga High School feeling overwheld. Weren't they supposed to be experiencing training fatigue, having just been in intensive training until yesterday?
Furthermore, the Kasuga High School coach clearly saw the slight stiffness and unnatural reactions in Seido's players, particularly in their bodies. As a pitcher, Furuya should logically be the sa, right?
Yet, with Furuya, they saw none of this.
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Strike, batter out, three outs, switch offense and defense!!!"
Nine pitches, three strikeouts — this guy!!!
In left field, Eijun's eyes widened, his fists clenching involuntarily. Only this guy, only this guy is my real competitor. Such an unyielding attitude.
Especially after those three strikeouts, Furuya cast a barely perceptible glance towards left field.
Eijun caught it quickly.
That unmistakable look of determination and defiance was etched in Eijun's mind.
"It's already starting, isn't it, Furuya?! I'm not giving up easily either!!!"
Eijun felt a surge of fighting spirit welling up inside him.
"Three consecutive strikeouts, impressive for a freshman, Furuya," Akiko Owada exclaid in amazent while snapping photos.
"Otherwise, why would those Kanto high schools fear them? With two freshman pitchers of such differing styles, even if Seido isn't quite there this year, who could stop them from dominating after they fully develop in a year?" mused Fujio Mine as he watched the two figures on the field, reflecting inwardly.
"Wow, Furuya's really energetic today."
"Starting off with consecutive strikeouts, haha, that's impressive."
"Probably got fired up by Sawamura?"
"Hard to say, but Sawamura's performance was particularly brilliant today, especially in the later innings."
"Look, the expressions on Kasuga High School's players aren't looking good."
"Well, that's understandable, considering they're up against a first-year. Even though Kasuga is a strong team from the east, this start has left them on the back foot. If they can't turn it around soon, they might just be suppressed throughout."
"And now it's our turn to attack!"
"Heh heh."
As the spectators noted, in the top half of the first inning, Kasuga High School struggled and was dominated by Furuya's overwhelming presence. In the bottom half, Seido High School launched their attack.
This offensive nearly broke Kasuga's ace pitcher.
Leadoff batter Kuramochi easily reached first base with an infield hit. Following instructions from the dugout, Ryousuke Kominato executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runner to second with one out.
Next, the third batter, Isashiki hit a single to left field, allowing Kuramochi to seize the opportunity and score from second base, giving Seido the early lead.
This marked the beginning of Seido's showcase.
Captain Tetsuya hit a massive two-run hor over center field, leaving Kasuga High School's players and coach speechless.
Fifth batter Masuko Toru hit a powerful double that struck the left field wall, reaching second base. With runners in scoring position, Miyuki caught the Kasuga ace's decisive pitch perfectly, adding another run for Seido High School.
By the end of the first inning, the lead had already expanded to a four-run margin.
Subsequently, Eijun stepped up to the plate and, while he managed to read the opposing ace's fastball, his hit didn't travel far due to depleted energy from the morning ga. The ball was caught by a Kasuga High School player, resulting in an out.
Following Eijun, Furuya swung powerfully but also struck out.
Kasuga High School barely managed to halt Seido's powerful first-round attack, but the relentless onslaught had left a deep impression in their minds, leaving them feeling uneasy.
As the second inning began, Kasuga still struggled with Furuya's blazing fastballs.
Their fourth batter managed to connect with Furuya's fastball, sending it to right field and reaching first base.
The remaining batters, however, were effortlessly suppressed by Furuya.
The fifth batter hit a grounder towards third base and was thrown out.
The sixth batter's high fly ball to left field, completely subdued by Furuya's pitch, was easily caught by Eijun for another out.
The seventh batter had no answer, striking out in three pitches.
Compared to the original match against Kiryu, where Furuya's weaknesses were exploited, here against Kasuga High School, Furuya's performance was much more agile and flexible.
Despite having significant control issues, even compared to Eijun, Furuya's powerful fastballs compensated for this flaw.
Kasuga's first round of batters stood no chance against him.
The third inning saw Furuya easily handle the subsequent batters, with the leadoff batter being struck out again, leaving him visibly frustrated.
The seamless rhythm while defending further fueled their aggressive offense.
Seido's relentless attacks overwheld Kasuga's ace by the end of the third inning, forcing him to leave the mound.
A backup pitcher ca in for the fourth inning. Due to his unique breaking balls, combined with Kasuga's adept tactical guidance, they managed to halt Seido's scoring streak for the first ti.
In their second ti through the lineup, Kasuga began to acclimate to Furuya's pitches and seized a small opportunity to score a run. This exchange allowed Kasuga to slightly relax their tense nerves.
Especially after adapting to Furuya's pitching style, Kasuga quickly identified a critical weakness in Furuya's pitching.
His control was lacking; more than half of his pitches veered towards the ball zone.
They could adopt a strategy of selective defense to increase the chance of Furuya's self-destruction.
In this regard, Kasuga demonstrated their caliber as a powerful team from the east, showcasing the traits of a strong contender.
By the fifth inning, they began controlling the pace during their offense, eventually scoring more runs and raising their spirits.
However, this all ended with that one pitch.
"BOOMM!"
"Thud!!!"
"Strike, batter out!!!"
In the batter's box, Kasuga's cleanup hitter wore an expression of shock, holding his follow-through like he'd seen a ghost, staring at the pitcher's mound. A look of fear began creeping across his face as he observed the young pitcher with apprehension.
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