Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 206: Seidou's Counterattack in the Battle Against Seihou

Top of the Second Inning: Seihou's attack yields just one run.

The entire nation was taken aback by the outcome.

In Seihou's dugout, Coach Nishidera wore an expression of mild surprise.

He hadn't expected much from a mere first-year rookie.

Yet, even after conceding a home run to their cleanup hitter, Sano Shuuzou, the pitcher had managed to hold his ground on the mound, staunchly taking down the following batters.

It was a remarkable display of resilience that allowed Seidou to regain control of the game.

However, one run was far from satisfactory for Coach Nishidera.

His plan had been to at least score another run or even completely break the opposing pitcher's composure, forcing Seidou to switch pitchers prematurely.

Either outcome would have been significantly advantageous for Seihou.

Unfortunately, this powerful rookie pitcher wasn't as fragile as he looked.

"Well, no matter. There will be more opportunities," Coach Nishidera said with a smirk, a glint of cold determination in his eyes. "In Shuuzou's next at-bat, he'll surely crush that pitcher entirely."

Coach Nishidera had absolute faith in his cleanup hitter, Sano Shuuzou—a player capable of dismantling any pitcher. (Of course, in the original story, this wasn't the case. Sano Shuuzou was thoroughly dominated by Narumiya Mei.)

...

"Tch, I can't believe he held on."

"Unbelievable. He only gave up one run in this inning."

"Impressive. Seidou's right-handed pitcher really stepped up. And their first-year lefty from the Yokohama match had already stunned so many people. Who knew this first-year, Furuya Satoru, would also perform so well today?"

"The scariest part is that both of them are just first-years. By next year, or the year after that, man… I can't even imagine the scene."

"Exactly. By then, with two powerhouse pitchers of such different styles, Seidou High might truly become synonymous with invincibility."

"Alright, alright, that's still a ways off. Who knows what the future holds? Let's focus on this game for now."

"Haha, fair enough."

"Yeah, maybe we got ahead of ourselves."

Sano Shuuzou's home run reminded the audience of Seihou's cleanup hitter's formidable strength.

But Furuya's performance exceeded expectations, showing no signs of collapse or additional runs conceded.

With his tenacity and skill, Furuya proved he wasn't just a pitcher with a blazing fastball.

Many now believed that Furuya had the potential to become an elite pitcher in the future.

Based on today's performance, a significant number of spectators silently acknowledged his talent.

...

Bottom of the Second Inning: Seidou's Counterattack

"Now it's time for us to strike back. Go, Miyuki!"

"The man who hit a home run in the last game better rise to the occasion again!"

"You're the catcher, damn it! Support your pitcher properly!"

"Go, Miyuki-kun!"

"Miyuki, if you don't hit a homer, don't bother coming back!"

"Geez, way to pile on the pressure…"

Miyuki gripped his bat, inwardly chuckling at the variety of cheers coming from behind him.

Sitting in the on-deck circle, Eijun couldn't help but laugh at his teammate's plight.

"This guy… Hehe…"

...

"The bottom of the second inning. Seidou High's offense. Batting sixth, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya."

Miyuki stepped confidently into the batter's box, his gaze focused intently on the pitcher's mound.

Beneath his composed demeanor lay a sharp and determined resolve.

Furuya had been fighting tooth and nail in his own way.

As his senior and catcher, it was Miyuki's responsibility to fully repay the rookie's effort and expectations.

Anything less would be inexcusable.

The starting catcher of Seihou High, Misaki, cast a cautious glance at Miyuki, who stood nearby.

This was the batter who had blasted a home run off Yokohama Kouhoku's ace, Ino, in their previous game.

Misaki knew better than to underestimate him.

In fact, no one on Seihou High dared to underestimate Seidou's batting lineup.

Having faced Yokohama Kouhoku themselves, they understood the full extent of their ace's strength.

For Seidou's lineup to crush such a pitcher, they were either ferociously powerful or outright terrifying.

The first pitch—a low ball on the outside corner, a safe and steady choice.

Misaki subtly signaled the pitch with a small motion of his fingers beneath the mitt.

On the mound, their ace, Narakoshi, gave a slight nod.

A smooth stride with the left leg, a powerful swing of the right arm.

Whizz.

A streak of light flew toward the plate.

Whoosh.

Miyuki's sharp eyes locked onto the ball's trajectory as he stepped forward.

Tightening his grip, he swung the bat with precision.

The bat sliced through the air, aiming to meet the ball mid-flight.

Pop.

"Strike!"

Just half a ball's width off.

Miyuki's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the pitch and the missed swing.

A thought flickered in his mind as he recalculated.

Analyzing the pitch, his swing angle, and his timing, Miyuki adjusted his stance to fine-tune his approach.

This small movement didn't escape Misaki's notice.

His eyebrows lifted slightly.

These Seidou batters were incredibly tough to deal with.

Whether it was the earlier hitters or this sixth batter, they seemed capable of correcting themselves after just one or two pitches.

Their pitch recognition and decision-making were outstanding.

For the next pitch, Misaki decided on a vertical slider.

It needed to be precisely controlled to hit the edge of the strike zone.

If it drifted too far inside, the consequences could be severe.

Internally, he urged Narakoshi to execute the pitch flawlessly.

On the mound, Narakoshi nodded solemnly, fully focused.

With a whip-like motion, the ball spun off his fingertips.

Whizz.

The streak of white light shot toward the plate.

Miyuki's sharp eyes caught the ball's release point, and he immediately recognized the slider.

Quickly adjusting his stance, he lowered the bat angle to counter the pitch's sharp break. His swing cut cleanly through the air.

Ping.

Misaki and Narakoshi could only stare in shock as the bat connected perfectly with the ball.

A resounding impact echoed through the field.

The ball flew back like a missile.

Thud.

It slammed into the infield dirt and, before the first and second basemen could react, zipped through the gap and into the right-center field.

Miyuki casually reached first base.

No outs, and Seidou's leadoff batter, Miyuki, had once again secured a hit!

"Seventh batter, left fielder, Sawamura-kun."

"Haha! I knew you'd pull it off, Miyuki!"

"Great job, Miyuki! That was a sharp hit!"

"Nice swing! Dinner's on you tonight, Miyuki!"

"You've got to keep this up, Miyuki-kun!"

"Alright, now it's all on you, Sawamura-kun!"

"Let's see another one, Sawamura!"

"Eijun-kun, you've got to smash it this time!"

As Eijun stepped into the batter's box, the stadium erupted with loud cheers from Seidou's dugout and supporters.

Their enthusiastic chants echoed through the field, filling the atmosphere with energy and anticipation.

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