Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 242: The Battle of Ikuei - Tying the Score!

"First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."

With one out and runners on second and third base, Seidou High's choice of offensive strategy was unpredictable, creating an extremely difficult situation for Ikuei High.

Forced scoring, a sacrifice fly, or an aggressive attack—no matter the strategy, Ikuei High would find it hard to defend against.

Their best option was to strike out the next two batters consecutively, which would be the most effective way to prevent runs from scoring.

The critical factor was the slim one-run lead, 3-2. Given how tough it had been to score against Eijun, Ikuei High was under immense pressure to protect this fragile lead.

This one run was absolutely crucial—they couldn't afford to give it up.

Ikuei's infield shifted forward defensively, with the third baseman keeping a close eye on home plate, prepared to thwart any forced scoring attempts.

From the dugout, Coach Natsume's sharp eyes gleamed with a determined light as he issued new instructions to his players on the field.

Ikuei High adopted a tight defensive stance, committed to protecting their one-run lead at all costs.

"With a runner on third, Ikuei High has chosen an infield shift, fully committed to blocking any scoring attempts from Seidou High!"

On the bases, the Seidou runners made subtle movements to disrupt their opponents and influence their decisions.

Meanwhile, it was time to act decisively on low pitches and determine the outcome of this inning.

In Seidou's dugout, Coach Kataoka wore a grave expression, fully focused on the situation.

At the plate, Kuramochi lightly touched the brim of his cap.

Over at third base, Eijun stayed cautiously close to the bag.

Considering Ikuei's infield positioning, forcing a run would be difficult unless Kuramochi managed a perfectly placed hit, one that prevented the defense from making a strong throw to home.

For now, though, the side under greater pressure wasn't Seidou—it was Ikuei.

Much like a marathon where a pursuer stays just a step or two behind the leader, the psychological pressure on the leading side was immense.

In this case, while Seidou was aiming to score and turn the game around, Ikuei, with their slim one-run lead, was under even greater strain.

After all, the gap was just one run, and Seidou's top batting lineup was up.

"Phew... Hah..."

Kuramochi stepped into the left-hand batter's box, exhaling slowly, his eyes fixed on the pitcher's mound.

This stance caught Ikuei's catcher, Matsushita, slightly off guard.

He knew that Kuramochi was a switch-hitter who usually batted right-handed earlier in the game.

Why was he standing in the left-hand box now?

It did bring him closer to first base, but it also completely exposed third base to Ikuei's view.

Could this mean Seidou wasn't planning on a forced run? Were they fully committing to an aggressive attack?

The home plate umpire's call brought Matsushita back to focus. Overthinking wouldn't help here—getting the batter out was all that mattered now.

The first pitch: an inside fastball, aimed for the inner-middle zone.

Matsushita subtly signaled the pitch with his fingers, and on the mound, pitcher Kimura nodded solemnly.

As Ikuei's ace, his goal in this precarious situation was clear: give everything he had to secure victory for his team.

The first pitch!

Kimura's arm whipped forward, his right leg stepping down.

At third base, Eijun made a slight movement, and Kuramochi's eyes sharpened in response.

Whoosh!

The runner's movement caught Matsushita's attention.

A forced run attempt?

As the ball streaked through the air, both Eijun and Kuramochi's actions made Matsushita's heart race.

Swish!

The bat swung through the air, cutting a dazzling arc.

Pop!

The ball narrowly missed the bat and landed squarely in the catcher's glove.

"Strike!"

The umpire's call rang out as Eijun quickly retreated to third base after only a few steps off the bag.

This caused Ikuei's third baseman, who had just called out "Runner moving!" to tense up.

What was Seidou planning?

On the first-base side, Coach Natsume in Ikuei's dugout grew visibly more serious.

"Oh, they're starting to make their move now," he muttered.

"The movement at third base—is it meant to distract the pitcher and catcher? Honestly, standing in the left batter's box seems to shake them even more."

"No, it's more about unsettling the catcher. From that position, the catcher has an unobstructed view of the runner on third. Combine that with the earlier movements, and even if the catcher knows better, their body instinctively shifts more attention to the runner."

"Seidou High is not only pressing the attack but also using this tactic to unnerve Ikuei's battery. This puts Ikuei in a tough spot."

It was clear to anyone watching: this was Seidou's overt strategy.

They wanted to force Ikuei to focus on the runners, drawing their attention away and creating more opportunities for the batter to capitalize.

And yet, Ikuei had no effective way to counter this.

This was the inherent advantage of being the attacking team once a runner reached third base—the offensive side could seize control of the game.

"Damn it, if this keeps up, we're just going to be led around by Seidou!"

At home plate, Matsushita felt a flicker of unease creep into his thoughts.

Kimura, leave the runner to me.

Focus on the batter.

Got it.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Thud—foul ball!"

Another inside fastball, slightly elevated.

Kuramochi forced a swing, sending the ball foul.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

He's not even swinging at the low pitches?

Matsushita gritted his teeth.

Of course, they're targeting Kimura's elevated fastballs.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Thud—foul ball!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

What a tough opponent.

At home plate and on the mound, Ikuei's players were starting to feel the pressure mounting.

Seidou's relentless approach was wearing them down, making it harder to stay composed under such high tension.

And in situations like this, people often subconsciously overlook low-probability events.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of white light streaked over the infield.

As the metallic bat swung decisively—

"Ping!"

A loud, sharp crack reverberated across the field.

At home plate, Matsushita's expression changed drastically.

What!?

He swung so decisively at a low, outside pitch?

"Whoosh!"

As the sound echoed, tens of thousands of spectators gasped in unison.

A white streak soared high above the infield and rocketed toward right field. With Ikuei's outfielders unable to reach it in time, the ball landed deep in right field.

Simultaneously, as the ball hit the ground, Eijun sprinted home from third base, touching the plate and scoring!

Seidou High had tied the game in the top of the seventh inning!

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