Chapter 397: The Fierce Attack of the Ugumori Battle
In the top half of the inning, Eijun's pitching defense was nothing short of completely dominant.
The momentum of Seido High School, which had been suppressed, was once again ignited.
In the bottom half of the inning.
Seido High School's third rotation of the batting lineup launched an even fiercer attack against Seiichi Umemiya on the pitcher's mound.
Especially the coordination between the first and second batters.
Haruichi had become increasingly in sync with Kuramochi.
They formed an ironclad defense at second base and shortstop.
On offense, they also seamlessly connected, perfectly filling the role previously held by Haruichi's older brother, Ryousuke Kominato. In his third at-bat, Kuramochi clearly didn't give Umemiya the same opportunity as in the previous at-bat.
A precise outside corner hit.
Combined with his exceptional speed.
He quickly reached first base.
The threat of a large lead, along with Haruichi's feigned attack in the batter's box, left Umemiya in a dilemma of being caught between two fronts.
However, Umemiya was still Umemiya.
In the original story, he was able to deliver a walk-off victory against Inashiro Industrial, nearly causing Seido High School to falter. In the second part of the manga, he was even selected for the Japan-U.S. exchange team led by Coach Kunimoto. Umemiya's strength was definitely not to be underestimated.
At the very least, his skills could be considered on par with those of a main player from a powerhouse school.
In terms of controlling the speed differential of his pitches.
His precise control once again surprised Eijun, Miyuki, and the others.
In his third showdown with Eijun, he only allowed Eijun to hit a single, risking the chance of a long hit.
But it was definitely not an intentional walk.
It was an aggressive four-pitch walk.
He walked Miyuki.
Then, facing Maezono and Asou.
Umemiya's full strength erupted.
In Asou's at-bat, Umemiya even cleverly used a powerful curveball as a decoy, prompting Asou to swing, resulting in a double play at home and first base.
This effectively curbed Seido High School's rising offensive momentum.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seido High School's attack was limited to just one run from Haruichi's hit.
Seido High School missed a golden opportunity with the bases loaded and was unable to score further.
This left the audience feeling regretful.
At the same time, they were amazed by Ugumori High School's resilience. After all, it was rare to see a team that could withstand such a fierce attack from Seido High School.
In their first game against Teito High School, their ace pitcher, Taiyo Mukai, couldn't hold on and collapsed midway through the game (Mukai: Hey, don't bring that up again!).
Naturally, they were impressed by Seiichi Umemiya's incredible strength and determination.
However, even though Ugumori High School held on.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Seido High School still managed to score one run.
4 to 3.
The lead was now just one run, and there were still four innings of offense and defense left.
Facing Seido High School's aggressive stance, Ugumori High School had reached a critical moment.
While they were under constant pressure from Seido High School's relentless attack.
They themselves felt helpless against Eijun.
Just one run. They only wanted to score one run.
In the eyes of Ugumori High School.
What seemed like an easily attainable goal now felt almost out of reach.
Especially in the top of the sixth inning.
Facing Ugumori High School's cleanup hitters.
Eijun's dominance on the mound made everyone on Ugumori High School's side feel a sense of dread.
"Whoosh"
"Bang!"
"Thud!"
"Foul!"
The sheer power and late movement of each pitch left Ugumori High School's batters completely helpless.
It was a terrifying kind of power, entirely different from the sheer speed of Furuya's fastballs.
In Eijun's pitches, there seemed to be an added layer of pressure. It was still a display of overwhelming skill.
The alternating use of breaking balls and fastballs left Ugumori High School's batters bewildered.
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Strike, batter out!"
Majestic and unstoppable.
Ugumori High School's second batter, wary and cornered by four straight fastballs, finally decided to go after a fastball, only for Miyuki to call for a changeup at the perfect moment.
The batter completely missed the timing.
Strikeout.
It was as if they could see through every thought in Ugumori High School's minds.
Not just the pressure from Eijun.
But also the oppressive gaze from Miyuki behind the plate.
It made Ugumori High School feel utterly exposed and powerless.
Miyuki was an excellent catcher who could bring out the best in Eijun's abilities, but among Seido High School's current pitching staff, wasn't Eijun also the only pitcher who could fully utilize Miyuki's skills?
This was why Miyuki and Eijun were called the golden battery.
After all, a battery, a partnership, requires two people to truly be called a battery.
"Whoosh"
"Bang"
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Out!!!"
Another precise low outside fastball, placed in a outside position, forced Ugumori High School's third batter to swing awkwardly, resulting in a high fly ball to third base.
Caught easily by Shoji.
Securing the second out.
"This is really troublesome. I didn't expect this pitcher's deviation value to be this high. And that catcher's skill—should I say it's the perfect complement between pitcher and catcher? This is a big problem."
In the dugout.
Watching Eijun's exceptional pitching performance.
Matsubara's face showed a look of deep concern.
It was clear that even while giving his all, Eijun still seemed completely at ease.
It was easy to draw a conclusion.
The two sides were simply not on the same level.
This left Matsubara feeling extremely troubled.
Now, the only hope left was their core player, the cleanup hitter, their fourth batter.
Matsubara shifted his gaze to the imposing figure slowly rising in the on-deck circle. His hands clenched slightly, and a look of reliance flashed in his eyes.
"Please, Seiichi..."
Matsubara whispered these words in a voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"Fourth batter, pitcher, Seiichi Umemiya."
This feeling... what is it? It's so thrilling, so exhilarating. Damn it, this is too intense!!!
Seiichi Umemiya's eyes gleamed with a terrifying red light, his aura rising like a ferocious beast.
He strode forward with confidence.
Two equally formidable auras clashed.
Ace versus ace.
A showdown of offense and defense.
Eijun's eyes grew colder.
In response.
Seiichi Umemiya's bat swung with a roar, leaving afterimages.
"Play ball!"
As Umemiya settled into his batting stance, the home plate umpire, with a solemn expression, raised his hands and called out the words.
The moment the umpire's voice fell.
In the next second.
"Whoosh!"
A streak of light.
A dazzling trajectory.
A collision at close range.
"Swish"
"Bang!"
The first pitch confrontation.
Sparks flew.
"Whoosh"
"Thud!"
"Foul!!!"