Chapter 419: The Powerful Battle of Ouya
"Whoosh!"
"Not good!!!"
At the sound of the roar, Sumi's face instantly changed, and a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes. Was that a bad pitch? And it wasn't even a subtle one.
This kind of pitch…
Did the guy from Seidou actually pull off such a forceful hit!?
"First base!"
Sumi immediately shouted loudly towards the direction the ball was bouncing.
Unfortunately, this pitch was one that Haruichi had fully committed to, hitting it hard towards the right side.
Bang!
The ball slammed into the ground and zipped between first and second base.
The sight of Kuramochi and Haruichi both sprinting towards their target base made everyone on Ouya High's side look grim, their faces showing a mix of disbelief.
These guys were really going all out, weren't they!?
But…
Seidou's power wasn't something Ouya would give up to easily.
Haruichi's hit, although it had caught Ouya High off guard with its speed and angle, didn't change the fact that Ouya had made it to the top eight, and their defensive teamwork was second to none.
First baseman Kasuga had spent his break practicing tirelessly.
With quick reflexes and sound judgment from experience, Kasuga slid and intercepted the ball bouncing between first and second base.
Snap!
With a swift dive, he snagged the ball in his glove.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kasuga saw that Kuramochi was already nearly at third base.
At the same time, Sumi's voice echoed from behind, followed by the sound of Wakabayashi moving into position at first base.
"Throw it to first!"
Whoosh!
Snap!
Despite his reluctance, Kasuga had no choice but to toss the ball to first base.
Wakabayashi reached the base just ahead of Haruichi, planting his foot firmly on first.
"Out!!"
It was just one more step. Haruichi, so close to the base, was called out.
What could have been a hit was intercepted by the opposing team's impressive defense.
Haruichi, rarely showing any emotion, couldn't help but reveal a look of regret. But Seidou wasn't leaving empty-handed. Thanks to Kuramochi's impressive speed, he had made it safely to third base.
Seidou still had a great chance to score first!!
"Just barely, I thought that was going to be a hit," sighed Akiko, a reporter from the Baseball Kingdom sitting in the stands, shaking her head.
"That was an excellent play by Ouya's first baseman. If he hadn't made such a decisive play, the ball would have gotten through, and with Kuramochi's speed, he would've definitely made it home," said Fujio, waving his fan gently.
"Yes," Akiko agreed, nodding.
"Still, Seidou has the advantage. With Kuramochi on third, he's a huge threat. The next batter will be even tougher to handle."
Fujio turned his gaze to the batter's box, where a figure was slowly standing up, preparing to hit.
"The previous at-bat, Wakabayashi's surprise move took down Sawamura. This time, it won't be that easy."
"Third batter, left fielder, Sawamura Eijun."
"Come on, Ace! It's time to show your true batting power!"
"Sawamura, take down that guy!"
"Seidou's ace, it all depends on your performance now."
"Go, Eijun!"
"Come on, come on, come on, Seidou, Sawamura!"
"One point, let's get one point first."
Loud, passionate cheers echoed throughout the stadium.
Eijun's calm expression and the light, breezy atmosphere he exuded, however, brought an overwhelming pressure to Ouya High. His name—Sawamura Eijun—was like a shadow that loomed over them. Throughout the country, his reputation was deafening.
In the previous at-bat, they all knew how their own ace had dealt with Eijun. This time, it seemed much more dangerous.
Once again, their gazes met, and in the depths of Eijun's calm eyes, a faint cold glimmer shone.
Wakabayashi didn't back down and stared right back at him.
But the right hand hidden behind his back tightened involuntarily.
On both benches, Coach Kataoka, Coach Ochiai, and Coach Araki all revealed different expressions.
The former two were relaxed and trusting, while the latter showed a more serious demeanor.
In this inning, Ouya could afford to give up some runs, but those runs had to be valuable—that is, they needed to get outs in return, and most importantly, they couldn't allow too many runs.
This was a high bar to set.
Naturally, Coach Araki's expression grew more solemn.
"!"
The loud call from the umpire rang through the air.
Eijun radiated a commanding presence, and his aura seemed to blend seamlessly into the atmosphere, exuding an intense energy that made sweat bead on Sumi's forehead behind the plate.
"Such terrifying concentration. I really don't know how this kid does it..." In the batting preparation area, Miyuki couldn't help but smile, shaking his head slightly as he muttered.
"Gou, what should we do? Should we avoid this batter for now?"
Sumi's gaze flickered slightly behind the plate.
On the pitcher's mound, Wakabayashi shook his head firmly.
"No, if we avoid facing him here, the next hitters from Seidou will be even tougher to handle. Even though the fifth batter is just a power hitter, the risk is too high if the bases are loaded. Here, we have to face Sawamura and settle it, then walk the cleanup hitter and face the fifth batter."
Wakabayashi understood clearly the level of threat Seidou's lineup posed.
After weighing the pros and cons, his mind was made up.
They had to face Eijun here.
He had no other choice.
"Try to control the corners and face him head-on. Start with a foul ball to steal a strike!"
"Got it!"
The moment the signal was exchanged, the pitcher and catcher immediately executed their most synchronized teamwork.
First pitch!
Whoosh!
A flash of cold light.
A resolute aura.
As the arm swung, the light surged forward.
The first pitch—a fastball on the inside corner.
With this pitch, Wakabayashi was asserting his indomitable will.
"Just what I wanted, you bastard!"
Watching the ball hurtling towards him, Eijun's lips curled into a fierce grin. With a sharp boom, he stomped his foot and twisted his body, minimizing the arm movement to keep it within his control range.
A controlled, powerful swing.
Whoosh!
The bat moved in a flash.
The sharp, explosive crack of the bat was ear-piercing.
Bang!
The ball ricocheted off the bat.
It flew toward the edge of third base.
The third baseman leaped forward, but the ball bounced sharply on the ground.
Boom!
"Foul!!"
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