Chapter 744 - 744: Quick

"Oh my god!"

The First Batter for Sakurazawa High School collapsed helplessly on the ground.

It was exactly like the first pitch.

Even though he knew the baseball flying towards him wouldn't actually hit him, but would curve in mid-air, he still instinctively dodged the baseball, falling awkwardly to the ground.

Tanba successfully struck out two batters.

Facing Koichiro Tanba's High-Breaking Curveball, Sakurazawa High School's players showed absolutely no way to deal with it.

They could only watch helplessly as the baseball continuously flew past them, unable even to swing their bats.

After two strikeouts, Sakurazawa High School's core batters began to step up to the batter's box.

The teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team finally perked up.

Regarding Sakurazawa High School's Third, Fourth, and Fifth Batter, they were still very cautious.

The other batters for Sakurazawa High School were truly very average in skill.

But the three in the core positions gave a completely different impression. In the previous two games, Sakurazawa High School had only scored a total of eight runs.

Of these, six runs were directly hit by them, and were involved in the other two.

In other words, so far, all of Sakurazawa High School's runs were inextricably linked to these three individuals.

These three were also the only three players in Sakurazawa High School who could potentially pose a threat to Seido High School Baseball Team.

Seido had to take them seriously.

Conversely, Sakurazawa High School's own players seemed to have given up, unable to make any further reactions.

Even when their most trusted and strongest batter stepped up, the atmosphere in their dugout remained very oppressive.

Yoshimi, who had stepped up to the batter's box, acted very cautiously, proactively retreating half a step from the start to clear the front area.

Oh.

Seeing this, Miyuki's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation.

Compared to the other players from Sakurazawa High School, this guy was truly very different.

He could keenly sense danger and react immediately. Facing Tanba's High-Breaking Curveball, if the opponent didn't make any preemptive adjustments, then his out would be a given.

This guy was very smart; he figured this out from the start and proactively retreated, making space.

This way, although he might not necessarily be able to hit the high breaking ball, he could at least observe it fully.

Very clever.

Of course, there were also shortcomings.

Miyuki's face showed a mischievous smile.

The opponent has already delivered themselves to us, so why should we be polite?

He gave Tanba a deep look.

The current Tanba was truly very different. He wasn't dwelling on his previous two strikeouts but was fighting with a calm mind.

After seeing Yoshimi's reaction, he nodded directly and then released the pitch.

However, this time, what he threw was no longer a High-Breaking Curveball, but the most standard Fastball.

Yoshimi, at the batter's box, couldn't suppress the smile on his face no matter what.

He had gambled correctly.

The players of Sakurazawa High School also stood up excitedly after seeing Tanba's Fastball.

Although they didn't know Yoshimi's previous plan, they knew that Yoshimi was best at hitting Fastballs.

Finally, that almost impossible to defeat High-Breaking Curveball was gone.

The Fastball they had been eagerly waiting for started to appear.

And at the batter's box was Yoshimi, who was best at hitting Fastballs.

Their prayers had finally been answered.

Heaven hadn't abandoned them; look, their chance had come.

"Hit it out!"

"Just get a single…"

Even though the opportunity was now golden, the psychological shadow left by Tanba on Sakurazawa High School's players was still intimidatingly large.

Even when they had a good chance, they didn't dare to hope that they would definitely score runs.

They simply hoped they could get a single first, relying on their own strength.

As long as they could get a single with their own strength, that would be equivalent to giving all of Sakurazawa High School's players a sense of reassurance.

Although Seido High School is a top national powerhouse, and the gap between them seems like heaven and earth, they are not without any chance at all.

As long as they are willing to work hard, they will always see a glimmer of hope.

Miyuki's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Earlier, he thought Sakurazawa High School's players had been completely intimidated by Tanba's pitch.

Even their core batters, at first, should have been cautious.

In other words, Miyuki believed the opponent would observe one pitch first.

That's why he used a Fastball.

He didn't expect it to play right into the opponent's hands.

Miyuki immediately understood what Yoshimi's plan was.

This young man clearly retreated on purpose to block Tanba's High-Breaking Curveball.

In reality, he might not have been able to hit it.

He didn't even need to hit it.

After all, from the beginning, he was aiming for the Fastball.

Miyuki, who enjoyed playing mind games, didn't expect to be outsmarted by an unknown team like this.

How embarrassing…

"Ping!"

The baseball was hit.

The players of Sakurazawa High School, who had their heads so low they were almost buried in the dirt, saw this ball fly out and immediately pulled their heads out of the dirt, one by one, regaining their proud posture.

"There's a chance!"

"Seido High School Baseball Team isn't that impressive after all."

Sakurazawa High School was actually best at defense.

Their offense, only the three core batters were impressive; the other players were truly very average in skill.

Their biggest worry in the game against Seido High School Baseball Team was not being able to get hits or score runs.

As long as the offensive players could hit the ball out and give them a chance to score, they would gain a bit more confidence in today's game.

However, the hit baseball did not land in the outfield's open space as they had imagined.

After flying for a dozen meters, the baseball began to fall.

A nimble figure leaped up and, with his glove, intercepted the baseball that might have flown out.

"Thwack!"

"Out!"

"Three outs, change of sides."

Bottom of the first inning, Seido High School Baseball Team is on offense.

"They're not even in the same league…"

A young player, who had specifically come to observe Seido High School Baseball Team's game with a camera, felt a deep sense of regret upon seeing this scene.

It seemed his trip was in vain.

"The opponent's strongest suit is their defense. Your initial task is to tear open a gap and score first."

Coach Kataoka's tone was as consistent as ever.

"Yes!"

The teammates who received the order were eager to play, full of fighting spirit, and couldn't wait to step up to the plate.

"Heh-heh!"

Kuramochi did not underestimate the opposing pitcher.

Although up until now, Seido High School Baseball Team's teammates were still unsure what type of pitch Sakurazawa High School's Ace, Nagao Akira, threw—was it a quirk ball or another similar type of pitch?

But there was one thing Seido High School Baseball Team's teammates were very clear about: the opponent's strength was definitely not to be underestimated.

This could be seen from his performance in the previous two games.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of pitch you have!"

Kuramochi's initial stance was not one of aggressive hitting. It seemed he planned to observe one pitch first.

As the catcher, Yoshimi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Akira's mentality was the best in their entire team, the blow Seido High School Baseball Team had dealt their team earlier was truly too severe.

As a result, many of their team's players' mentalities were somewhat imbalanced, and even Nagao Akira, as the Ace, was no exception.

If Kuramochi had swung aggressively from the start, they might have given up a hit due to their hurriedness.

They knew very well who Seido's first batter on the field was, and they were even more aware of the severe consequences if this guy got on base.

"Let's get a strike first!"

Yoshimi signaled his partner.

Seeing Yoshimi's signal, Nagao Akira nodded slightly.

He also knew very well what their team's current responsibility was.

The gap was definitely not something that their level of effort could bridge. That gap was like a chasm, standing in front of them.

"We must bring the game back to our rhythm."

Nagao Akira silently warned himself.

He didn't intend to give up just like that. He wanted to use his actions to make Seido High School Baseball Team's players feel that today's game was different from when they usually bullied weaker teams.

As old man Kikukawa would say, if they couldn't show that kind of fighting spirit, then no matter how well they performed in the game, they wouldn't be able to shake Seido High School Baseball Team in the slightest.

"I need to use my pitch to make them feel that today's game is completely different from previous games."

With a firm inner resolve, Nagao Akira finally threw the baseball in his hand.

His movement looked very slow. Oh, it wasn't just 'looked,' it was genuinely very slow.

Even his stride was a very small step; he didn't fully step out like other pitchers.

"It's like kids playing house!"

Kuramochi looked at the flying baseball, at Nagao Akira's pitching form, and this thought inexplicably popped into his mind.

It was simply a joke.

Kuramochi, who had originally intended to continue observing, suddenly changed his mind.

He knew very well that the changes in the opponent's pitching could not be seen through simple observation. In that case, dragging it out seemed meaningless.

To truly feel the change in the baseball, one must hit it with the bat in hand.

A quirk ball, huh?

In Seido High School Baseball Team, there just happened to be a pitcher with such a pitch, and his skill level was very high.

As an upperclassman in the same dorm, Kuramochi had not shied away from teaching his underclassman a lesson or two.

Because of the sufficient number of confrontations, he was very clear about how devious this type of pitch was.

Kuramochi, who had prepared in advance, watched as the baseball flew towards him.

As the baseball was about to reach his side, he decisively swung his bat.

"He swung directly?"

Upon seeing this, Yoshimi knew something was about to happen.

"Ping!"

The white baseball was forcefully swept away.

Yoshimi's heart nearly jumped out of his chest when he saw it. It really was hit. It's over.

Just as he was filled with despair, he suddenly discovered, to his surprise, that the white baseball had rolled directly in front of their Third Baseman.

"Third base!"

He quickly called out.

Sakurazawa High School's Third Baseman, compared to his teammates who had already lost their fighting spirit, still had a lot of backbone.

Although he was also very nervous, he quickly ran up as soon as he saw the baseball and caught it in his glove.

"Slap!"

Great, he caught it. What should he do next?

Sakurazawa High School's teammates had also undergone a lot of practice before. Although they hadn't reached the level of a powerhouse like Seido High School, they were still very good at general defense.

The Sakurazawa Third Baseman quickly turned, aimed, and threw the ball to first base.

"Sigh…"

In the stands, the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team let out sighs of regret.

They hadn't expected such bad luck; the baseball just happened to roll right in front of the Third Baseman. Otherwise, with Kuramochi's speed, he would definitely have…

Kuramochi also saw it out of the corner of his eye. When he saw the opponent's Third Baseman throw the ball over, he was very annoyed.

The baseball flew straight, seemingly about to enter the First Baseman's glove. Kuramochi, however, was still five or six meters away from first base. At this point, there was absolutely no chance…

In the stands, many supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team couldn't bear to watch this scene and even closed their eyes.

However, to their surprise, they then heard gasps of astonishment from around them.

"Oh my god!"

"What kind of divine play is this?"

By the time they opened their eyes in surprise, they had clearly missed the most exciting part.

Kuramochi had already run to first base and excitedly raised his arms.

"Safe!"

Kuramochi, who had just been about to be out, actually successfully reached first base?

"Did he miss the catch?"

As seasoned baseball fans, they quickly thought of a possibility and couldn't help but ask their companions who had come with them.

However, their companions looked amused.

"What exactly happened?"

"I don't know either. Sakurazawa High School's throw, just as it was about to reach first base, actually hit the ground."

The baseball bounced off the ground and was then caught by the First Baseman. This was a few tenths of a second slower than a direct throw into the glove.

But it was precisely these few tenths of a second that gave Kuramochi the opportunity to successfully reach first base.

In the stands on Sakurazawa High School's side, Sakurazawa students who had specifically come to watch after hearing their team made it to the third round couldn't help but slap their foreheads when they saw this scene.

"I told you this kind of thing could only fool opponents like Chiba. When you truly encounter a powerhouse like Seido High School Baseball Team, it's completely useless."

Fujio, a reporter from Baseball Kingdom Magazine who had specifically come to watch the game, arrived at the baseball field out of breath, just in time to witness this scene.

Hearing someone complain, he also nodded in agreement.

Sakurazawa High School had practiced a method of throwing the ball to bounce once before being caught, based on their own abilities.

When dealing with ordinary opponents, this weakness might not be apparent. Instead, it might even boost their morale because they could consistently throw the ball exactly where they wanted.

However, when playing against a top-tier powerhouse like Seido High School Baseball Team, this weakness was simply fatal.

The difference in details reflected the difference in strength. With such a huge gap in strength between the two sides, it would probably be difficult for Sakurazawa High School's players to make any significant impact in the rest of the game.