While observing Hosho, Miyuki was also paying attention to the players of the Seidou High School baseball team.
When Sawamura decided to leave Nagano and join the Western Tokyo team, it was a significant choice.
Although Seidou is a powerhouse, and one of the top teams in the nation, his decision still sparked quite a bit of debate within Nagano Prefecture.
Some selfishly believed that Sawamura had been raised by the fans of Nagano Prefecture. Once he moved up, there was no room for choice.
At the high school level, when there is a choice, shouldn't he have stayed in Nagano and continued fighting for it?
Hosho, to some extent, had this question in his mind.
No matter which team Sawamura joined in Nagano Prefecture, whether as an opponent or a teammate, Hosho felt that he would have eagerly anticipated it.
He longed to continue interacting with Sawamura, whether as a teammate or opponent.
Thankfully, his feelings were not obsessive.
As a friend, Hosho still offered his blessings to Sawamura when he left Nagano and joined Seidou High School.
But in his heart, he always harbored one question:
Was Sawamura's decision to join Seidou truly the right one, or not?
He had no answer, but he still hoped to confirm it with his own eyes.
Was Sawamura happy after joining Seidou's baseball team?
Did he grow as a player in that team?
Did Seidou's team have something they lacked, something that attracted Sawamura so much?
That thing seemed to draw Sawamura like a moth to a flame.
Twice they had faced off against Seidou High School's baseball team.
Last summer, they had been utterly defeated by Seidou's baseball team.
That team was so strong that they didn't even entertain the idea of putting up a fight.
They were no match!
It seemed that no matter what they did, they were simply outclassed.
Hosho accepted the loss wholeheartedly.
At that time, he thought that Seidou's team was well-suited to Sawamura.
But later, after the graduation of players like Yuuki and his group, it seemed that Seidou's baseball team lacked any standout players.
Hosho began to wonder:
Did Seidou's previous dominance simply coincide with having a group of extraordinary players, or was the school itself truly that powerful?
He had no answer.
And the only way to find out was to look for the answer himself.
Hosho carefully studied the opponent before him.
On the pitcher's mound, Furuya had thrown Four Balls twice in a row.
Even though he had already secured two Outs, the current situation on the field was far from favorable.
There were two Outs, but runners were on first and second base.
In the direct confrontation between pitcher and batter, the players of Seidou's baseball team were all in perfect defensive positions.
No matter where Hosho hit the ball, they seemed confident that they could stop it.
The newly formed Seidou baseball team had already been working together for nearly a year since last year.
Compared to the summer championship-winning team, this team had both strengths and weaknesses.
Their weakness was most apparent in their hitting abilities.
This was an undeniable fact.
Compared to the previous team's terrifying offensive power, the new team's hitting prowess had been reduced by at least a third.
The once reliable scoring threats were now mostly gone.
However, with weaknesses came strengths.
Compared to the previous team, this new group had its advantages too.
In reality, the greatest strength of this new team was their defense.
The team's pitchers had matured significantly.
The fielders, too, had grown to be very competent at their positions.
Though their style was different from the previous Seidou team, in terms of overall strength, this team wasn't necessarily any weaker.
The younger players of Seidou High School, influenced by their admiration for the seniors who had already graduated, naturally felt that their current strength was still far behind those who had come before.
But from the perspective of their opponents, it became clear:
This new team was not inferior to the previous Seidou baseball team.
From Hosho's point of view, the situation was even clearer.
When this new Seidou team was first formed, it had been built around Sawamura alone.
The reason Seidou had been so dominant at the time was largely due to Sawamura's exceptional individual strength.
When Hosho watched Seidou's game footage, he had little regard for anyone other than Sawamura.
Though he hadn't faced them directly, from his own perspective, Hosho felt that if Seidou had faced off against his team, Hoshiryu High, they would have had a significant advantage.
But in less than a year, the players Hosho had once dismissed as non-threatening had all grown significantly.
While their talents weren't on par with Hoshiryu's top players like Hosho, Masamoto, Hattori, or Nanami, they had developed enough to compete on equal footing.
Even without Sawamura on the field, Seidou's team was now a huge threat to Hoshiryu.
What had caused them to undergo such a transformation in just half a year?
Hosho couldn't figure it out.
He raised his bat high in the air.
Unable to find the source of Seidou's strength, he decided to test it out with his bat.
He wanted to see what kind of magic these guys had that could produce such results.
He needed to find the answer in his own way.
Had Sawamura's decision to join Seidou truly been his best choice?
Roaaar!
Hosho's inner thoughts were of no concern to anyone but him.
Even Furuya, the pitcher he was facing, didn't take notice.
Furuya lifted his leg high and slammed it down.
With a powerful shift in his body's center of gravity, the baseball shot out with incredible speed.
Furuya wasn't just powerful; his pitching technique had reached perfection.
If it were only his raw strength, it wouldn't have been easy for him to become the fastest pitcher in high school.
It was precisely because he could skillfully transfer his entire body's weight onto his two fingers during the pitch that his ball speed reached incredible levels.
Though Hosho had noticed Furuya's exceptional speed and his pitching form that resembled a mountain flood, he had always felt that it was a unique talent, not easily imitable.
Roaaar!
The ball shot out with the force of a raging flood.
Hosho, at the Batter's Box, didn't flinch.
BUUUUUZZZZZZZ!!!!!
PANG!
He swung his bat with no hesitation and connected with the ball, sending it flying far into the outfield.
"ZONOOO!!!!"
Miyuki, the catcher, quickly assessed the ball's trajectory and shouted to his teammates to position themselves accordingly.
But it was too late.
Maezono, sprinting to intercept the ball, was unable to match its speed.
With Furuya's throw being so powerful, combined with Hosho's response, the ball's velocity was unimaginable.
It flew past Maezono, and Shiratsu rushed to intercept it.
He had anticipated the ball's path, but it didn't fly in his direction.
'Damn…!'
The ball hit something as it landed and ricocheted to the side, narrowly missing the Shiratsu's stretched mitt.
He could only grit his teeth while diving midair as the ball sailed past him and between two fielders.
Hosho's hit was destined to result in a big play.
He dropped the bat and sprinted to first base.
The crowd erupted in excitement.
It was intense!
Though they had anticipated an exciting match, they never imagined it would be this thrilling.
The ball had been pitched at 158 km/h. While not his personal best, it was still faster than any other high school pitcher could throw.
Furuya's performance wasn't lacking in any way.
Unfortunately, his opponent was simply a step ahead.
The ball was hit, and the runners on base scored.
Hoshiryu's players had scored two runs, bringing the score to 2-1, with Seidou trailing.
The crowd was stunned.
The Seidou fans, including Sawamura's fan groups, watched in silence as the game unfolded.
They needed time to process what they had just witnessed.
In the outfield, Sawamura stared in disbelief at Hosho, who had made it to second base.
Having known Hosho for so long, Sawamura had an idea of his potential, but what he saw now exceeded his expectations.
Hosho was on the verge of becoming a top-tier batter.
'Amazing!'
'How rigorous must his training have been to reach this point?'
Sawamura couldn't help but be impressed by his old teammate.
Seidou High School baseball team has been overtaken!
Whether in offense or defense,
In the first three innings, the Seidou High School baseball team didn't see any signs of crisis.
However, in the top half of the 4th inning, the situation suddenly became passive.
A bunt, Four Balls, a hit…
It was as if they had planned it. The three core hitters of Hoshiryu High School's lineup were applying pressure on Furuya on the mound in completely different ways.
After some maneuvering, they succeeded.
The situation on the field inevitably tilted in favor of Hoshiryu High School.
In this inning, they scored two runs and took the lead.
Normally, in such a situation, people wouldn't think of making a substitution.
Although they gave up two runs, strictly speaking, those two runs couldn't be fully blamed on Furuya.
His pitching power wasn't affected.
His pitches were still sharp, and as long as he could display his full strength, he was more than capable of dealing with the opponent.
As for Hoshiryu High School's scoring,
It could only be said that their opponents were too cunning. They didn't give them any time to react, and before they knew it, the opposing team had cleverly scored.
Of course, luck also played a part.
Hoshiryu High School was lucky, otherwise, Nanami Haruka's bunt and Hosho's hit could have been stopped.
For the Seidou High School baseball team's players, this wouldn't have been difficult for them.
As long as their luck wasn't too bad, though it wouldn't have been easy, it wouldn't have taken too much effort either.
But unfortunately, the heavens were now on Hoshiryu High School's side.
Hosho's hit, after landing, took an irregular bounce.
In this way, how could Seidou High School's players play?
They all felt very frustrated.
Though they were deeply unwilling to be behind, everyone on the team knew.
Coach Kataoka wouldn't show them mercy just because they were upset.
On the road to making the Seidou High School baseball team a legend, any risk must be avoided at all costs.
The current deficit was something Coach Kataoka might not tolerate.
He might immediately bring Sawamura Eijun to the mound.
The teammates in the dugout all focused their eyes on Coach Kataoka.
They wanted to know what choice he would make at this moment.
Unexpectedly,
Coach Kataoka did not make a substitution.
This made the catcher, Miyuki, secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
'Coach has shown mercy. You need to cherish this opportunity! If one more ball is hit out, or if the runner on second base manages to score, even if Coach wants to rest Sawamura, he'll have to put him back on the mound.'
Miyuki knew very well what kind of person their coach was.
Although Coach Kataoka didn't immediately make the decision to substitute,
One run was already the limit of his tolerance.
And this was only in the 4th inning.
If the deficit widens or the game continues and Seidou High School doesn't close the gap,
Coach Kataoka might really make a change!
Even if the weight on Sawamura's shoulders is heavy,
When the team is in crisis, he must step up.
This is the fate of the Ace pitcher, and no one can change it.
Since he became the team's Ace, it's natural to inherit this fate.
The game continued.
After giving up two consecutive runs, Furuya appeared extremely agitated.
The crisis didn't break this young man, instead, it allowed him to undergo a rebirth.
Now, he was able to pitch with an even more relaxed mindset.
When Furuya relaxed both mentally and physically, his pitching speed actually increased!
Even the vitality that came with his pitches seemed even more robust than before.
Hattori, Hoshiryu High School's sixth batter, was also a star player.
Though he was low-key and not as famous as some of his teammates, his strength was definitely not inferior.
Moreover, in some respects, he could bring more of a threat to Furuya or even the entire Seidou High School baseball team than the previous players.
Such a capable yet unassuming opponent easily makes people lower their guard.
In this situation, he could easily launch a surprise attack.
If this were a regular match, such a situation could likely happen!
But unfortunately, this was not a normal match.
Having just been blindsided, Furuya was determined to regain his pride.
In this case, every pitch he threw was like a gamble.
The batter, who originally planned to surprise Furuya, unexpectedly found he had no chance.
The ball that was already fast enough to make one fearful now seemed even faster.
Faster than before, faster than any time before.
Before the batter could react,
The little baseball zipped past him.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"
Three Outs, change of sides.
Though it took some effort, Furuya finally managed to get the last batter Out.
The score was 2:1!
Now it was Seidou High School's turn to bat!
If the Seidou High School baseball team had no response after being blindsided,
That would make them seem too weak!
As men, they couldn't accept that.
When it was their turn to bat in the bottom half of the 4th inning, Seidou High School was about to send up their second batter.
This moment was a golden opportunity for Seidou High School to score.
They would not let it pass!
Having just been overtaken, if they didn't retaliate immediately,
The honor of the mighty Seidou High School baseball team would be tarnished.
This was something the Seidou High School baseball players absolutely could not accept.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato-kun!"
The first batter to step up to the plate was Kominato Haruichi.
From the moment he stepped up, he was constantly looking for an opportunity.
Once the chance appeared, it seemed like he would ruthlessly send the ball out of the park.
Then, he'd aim for a chance to get on base.
For Hosho and the others, Kominato Haruichi's proactive attitude was just what they wanted.
Such an aggressive batter was exactly the type that Nanami Haruka favored.
Nanami Haruka wasn't like Furuya, though he could get strikeouts,
He was essentially the same as Sawamura.
He was a contact pitcher.
They both had the ability to avoid letting batters hit the sweet spot, but they couldn't guarantee strikeouts.
From their characteristics, they were never that type of pitcher.
In this case, the more the batter swings aggressively, the more advantageous it is for them.
'Let's go!'
Hosho gave Nanami a signal and squatted down, preparing to catch the pitch.
He was confident that the ball would go exactly where he expected.
As the first pitch, they didn't need to aim for a decisive battle.
As long as the batter clearly wanted to swing, they could tempt him with a bad pitch.
Hosho, as a catcher, wasn't as talented as when he was a batter.
His pitch selection could sometimes be too conventional and not flexible enough.
When competing against opponents, he occasionally ran into trouble in this regard.
However, it had to be said that his stable approach was undeniably suited for him.
By now, his pitching style had become his own system.
It wasn't easy for others to figure him out.
The simplest pitch calling was often the hardest to solve.
Whoosh!
The baseball flew over.
Kominato Haruichi, standing in the Batter's Box, saw the pitch and prepared to swing.
But after some hesitation, he raised his hand and let the ball pass.
Snap!
"BALL!"
His accurate pitch selection gave the Seidou High School team great confidence.
They all stood up in the dugout, cheering for Kominato Haruichi.
"Great! You saw that clearly!"
"Take your time and swing, no need to rush."
"One Ball, the pitcher is under pressure now."
At the catcher position, Hosho hadn't paid much attention to these voices before.
Now, he suddenly realized,
Even if he didn't want to, it was impossible to ignore them.
These guys were completely out of their minds.
They didn't care about the game's situation and were already talking nonsense.
It was just one ball outside the strike zone. Where did they see that the pitcher was under pressure?
'Even if they wanted to encourage their teammates, they didn't need to talk so recklessly, right?'
Hosho, irritated, became even more direct in his pitching approach.
Since the opponent wanted Balls,
He would give them exactly what they wanted!
…
T/N: Well, That's it for now.
Thank you all for reading!
Have a good day!
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