Kapitel 184: [184] The Dominant Aura In The Yokohama Kouhoku Match
Chapter 184: The Dominant Aura In The Yokohama Kouhoku Match
"The bottom of the first inning, Seidou High School's offense begins. Leading off, the shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."
It was Seidou's turn to attack.
Having learned from their experience in the previous Kanto Tournament, Seidou High had clearly made some preparations to counter Yokohama Kouhoku's ace pitcher this time.
For instance, players like Kuramochi had gathered considerable experience on how to handle his signature pitch, the inside sinker.
Whoosh!
Crack!
Thud!
"Foul ball!!!"
Kuramochi smirked slightly as his eyes gleamed.
The pitcher's velocity wasn't quite on par with Furuya's, and his control was only slightly better than Eijun's.
This guy hadn't improved much, Kuramochi thought as he swept another outside fastball into foul territory.
From the way things were looking, the next pitch was likely to be...
Whoosh!
Here it comes!
As expected, an inside pitch...
No!!!
Kuramochi's pupils shrank in an instant.
He swiftly adjusted his stance, but it was already too late.
Pop!
"Strike! Batter out!!!"
"You bastard! A changeup at this point?!" Kuramochi gritted his teeth and shot a furious glare at the pitcher, Ino, before stomping back to the dugout in frustration.
In the dugout, Eijun furrowed his brows after witnessing that pitch.
A changeup with no extraordinary movement—it was simple and textbook-perfect.
Yet, it was precisely this precision and mastery that made Eijun wary.
Paired with Ino's pitch speed and other arsenals, that changeup could become a formidable weapon.
Chris, Miyuki, Yuuki, and Coach Kataoka all wore subtle expressions of concern.
This pitcher from Yokohama Kouhoku wasn't going to be easy to deal with.
"Batting second, the second baseman, Kominato-kun."
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Ball."
Whoosh!
Crack!
Thud!
"Foul ball!!!"
Compared to the previous match, there didn't seem to be much change, but... the pitch sequencing...
Ryousuke frowned slightly.
Whoosh!
Crack!
Damn it!!!
The moment the ball hit the bat, Ryousuke felt a sinking realization—he had completely missed the sweet spot.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The ball rolled straight toward the pitcher. Seeing Ino quickly field the ball, Ryousuke gave up trying to beat it out.
Pop!
"Out!!!"
A groundout to first base sealed the outs for Seidou's leadoff and second batter, as Yokohama Kouhoku's ace, Ino, swiftly handled the lineup.
Next up was Jun Isashiki, who managed to time the changeup perfectly, sending it flying into the outfield.
Unfortunately, the ball lacked enough distance and was caught just in front of center field by the opposing team's center fielder.
An impressive performance, just like Eijun's.
Yokohama Kouhoku successfully secured a quick three up, three down in the first inning.
However, Isashiki's swing left a deep impression on Yokohama Kouhoku's catcher, Shiraha.
He made a mental note that next time, they'd need to be extra cautious with their changeups against Isashiki.
After all, in the regional finals, this same player had shown a keen ability to read Narumiya's changeups.
...
"How was it?"
Back in the dugout, Coach Kataoka's calm gaze fell on the three batters who had just faced Ino.
Yuuki, Eijun, Miyuki, and the others also focused their attention on Isashiki and the others.
"That changeup is pretty basic, nothing special," Isashiki said with a shrug. "Compared to Narumiya's or even Eijun's, it's easier to handle."
He paused, thinking about his previous swing.
If I had stepped back just a little, that might've worked out better, he reflected with a hint of regret.
"It's tricky," Ryousuke added with a cheerful smile. "The changeup following the inside sinker gives a false impression. It's something to watch out for."
Kuramochi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
There wasn't much more to add since the others had already covered it.
Coach Kataoka's tone turned serious as he addressed the team.
"Stay calm. This will be a grueling back-and-forth game. Whoever loses composure first will lose the match. Don't focus too much on the changeup. Look for pitches you want to hit and stick to your swing. No hesitation, no doubt. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
...
Top of the second inning. Yokohama Kouhoku's cleanup hitter, first baseman Furano, steps up to the plate.
Eijun exhaled deeply as he watched Furano's solid figure stride confidently into the batter's box.
Cleanup hitters were always the most intimidating players on a team—whether it was Raichi Todoroki, Masatoshi Harada, or now Furano. Each carried a commanding aura that seemed to fill the field.
Standing in the batter's box, Furano twirled his bat, his cold gaze fixed on Eijun. His presence radiated the undeniable authority of a cleanup hitter.
At home plate, Miyuki's expression remained calm as his fingers subtly signaled the pitch.
Eijun nodded.
With a fluid motion, he raised his arm and stepped forward.
Whoosh!
A white blur shot from Eijun's hand, hurtling toward the plate.
Whoosh!
Crack!
The sharp sound of bat meeting ball echoed through the field, causing Furano's expression to shift slightly.
Whizz!
Thud!
"Foul ball!!!"
"Ohhh! The first pitch is an inside fastball! Seidou's battery wasted no time in launching an aggressive attack!"
"Wow, that's intense! Their pitching strategy is almost entirely centered around inside pitches, isn't it?"
"Seidou's battery—both the pitcher and the catcher—are as strong-willed as they come."
"You could tell from the regional tournament. Especially Sawamura—when his control is on point, he predominantly focuses on inside pitches. He's an extremely aggressive pitcher, even relying on his cutter more often than his changeup."
"At the end of the day, they're all variations of fastballs."
"That pitch didn't look very fast, but judging by the sound, rebound distance, trajectory, and force behind it, it's clearly powerful."
"Yokohama Kouhoku must be feeling the pressure right now."
...
In the stands, alongside regular spectators, scouting teams from various schools were diligently recording and analyzing Eijun's pitching.
As the game progressed, these scouts began to wear increasingly serious expressions.
Sawamura Eijun—delivering a complete-game victory against Inashiro Industrial in the finals—had truly earned the title of Seidou's ace.
On another side of the stands, Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully. He nodded in satisfaction before letting out a small sigh.
He was satisfied with Eijun's performance. His composure, undeniable ace presence, solid defensive skills, and the potential for improvement in his batting—all these qualities made Eijun the quintessential ace.
However, Ochiai couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. He had high hopes for Furuya, but to see him lose out on the ace number to a peer like Eijun made him realize how steep the competition was.
At least for this year, Ochiai could confidently predict that Furuya would remain under Eijun's shadow.
That regret, though, was overshadowed by satisfaction.
For a baseball coach, there was nothing more rewarding than seeing players with such tremendous potential and skill to nurture.
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