Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

From the moment Kuramochi got on base, Narumiya had already predicted the progression of the game.

If his judgment was correct, then Seidou High School would establish an advantage in this inning.

After throwing another containment pitch, Aota, who received the return pass, threw the ball directly to the catcher's Mitt without pausing.

He wanted to use this fast pace to disrupt Kuramochi's stealing rhythm.

The plan was good, but of course, not without flaws.

Since Aota had to throw the ball quickly after receiving it, the time he had to prepare was very short, which not only affected the power and speed of the ball but also his control over it.

In other words, with this fast-paced pitching, there was a high chance that he would throw a pitch that was easy to hit.

This wasn't an ideal choice, but Aota had no other option. He could only go with it.

If he didn't, the final result would still be disastrous.

It's better to take a risk!

Seeing that their opponent was beginning to give it their all, the players from Seidou were calm and composed.

Aota's actions didn't surprise them.

When Aota realized that there was no easy way to contain Kuramochi, he would inevitably go for a fast-paced pitching strategy.

Otherwise, he would be forced to watch Kuramochi reach second base.

Thus, Aota's move was exactly what the Seidou High School players had expected.

Knowing their opponent's moves, they had already prepared a strategy to counter them.

After standing up, Kuramochi immediately sprinted toward second base.

'Stealing bases?!'

Kuramochi's decisive action even startled Noma.

Earlier, Kuramochi had just been contained, so his current move should have been heavily restricted.

But in reality, it didn't seem that way.

Kuramochi was full of energy—he didn't look like he had been contained at all.

His speed was so fast that in the blink of an eye, he had already covered several meters.

But both the pitcher and catcher forgot about someone as scary as Kuramochi.

No, because they forgot about him, he became much more terrifying!

Noma, the catcher, had planned to open his Mitt and throw the ball to second base after receiving it.

Although he knew that with Kuramochi's speed, it would be difficult to stop him, he still wanted to try.

If he tried, there was a chance of stopping him. If he didn't, there might not even be a chance.

When faced with such a choice, everyone who wasn't stupid knew what to do.

Though Noma wasn't the smartest, he was certainly not foolish. He knew exactly what he should do.

But he didn't expect that he wouldn't even get the chance to act.

In front of him, a bat suddenly stretched out, cutting through all of his plans.

The moment he saw the bat, Noma's expression changed.

'…OH NO!'

The current situation was with no Outs, wasn't it?

Seidou was nowhere near the point of desperation. How could they choose to hit and run in such a situation?

This was unreasonable!

One wrong move, and it could lead to a double play.

However, no matter what Noma was thinking, the ball was still hit out.

Kominato Haruichi's eyes gleamed like a demon, emitting a scarlet light.

Paak!

The bat hit the ball with precision, sending it flying.

The baseball drew a perfect arc and landed in the fielding gap.

"Hit-and-run!!!"

The high risk brought high rewards.

Just like now, the situation was unprecedentedly favorable for Seidou High School.

"IT IS HERE!!!"

"THE HITS ARE FINALLY HERE!!"

"SEIDOU'S ASSAULT MODE!!!"

No Outs, runners on first and third base.

Kuramochi, who acted in advance, had already reached third base.

And the next batter was the third hitter, Sawamura.

In the first half of the fourth inning, Sawamura Eijun was pressured severely by the players of Shonan High School.

It even caused a dangerous situation with players on first and third base.

Although in the end, Sawamura pushed through and overpowered his opponents, the sense of danger left a deep impression on him.

Now that he has the chance to get revenge, he won't let it go.

No Outs, runners on first and third base.

The first two batters, Kuramochi and Haruichi, had already set things up. Now it was Sawamura's turn to shine.

With Sawamura's strength, if the opponent sees the situation worsening, it wouldn't be impossible to Walk him to first base.

However, in the current situation, it would be difficult for the players of Shonan High School to do that.

First of all, no Outs, and if they Walk Sawamura, Shonan High School will have to face off against Miyuki, the fourth batter of Seidou High School, with the bases loaded.

To be honest, they have no confidence.

Whether they like it or not, they can only face Sawamura right now.

Noma took a long breath.

Since Sawamura stepped into the Batter's Box, his heart had been in his throat, afraid of being punished later in the game.

Sawamura, standing in the Batter's Box, had his presence.

When he stood there, he carried a different kind of energy.

He made everyone feel hopeful.

They were eager for him to hit the ball!

From the audience's perspective, this was undoubtedly a joyful thing.

But from the opponent's standpoint, this made them feel hopeless.

You're always thinking the other side is going to hit your pitch.

This makes it hard for the pitcher to throw.

'As expected of the Demon King!'

The only choice left was to face Sawamura head-on, showing their best selves and using sheer strength to defeat him.

'Bring it on!'

Noma signaled Aota to take a stance as if he were willing to do anything.

Aota was very obedient.

He made his stride and focused all his strength on the two fingers he used to throw the ball. Then, he threw the baseball with all his might.

Whoosh!

The small ball shot through the air like a laser, instantly crossing a space of more than ten meters and reaching Sawamura in the blink of an eye.

Throughout the entire process, Sawamura kept his eyes fixed on Aota.

Facing the opponent's desperate pitch, Sawamura remained very calm.

He looked indifferent, and with a steady motion, he swung the bat in his hands.

Ping!

At the moment Sawamura swung the bat, time seemed to slow down around him.

He swung the bat gracefully.

The ball was struck, immediately turning into a soaring meteor.

Crash!

In the blink of an eye, it traversed the entire field and hit the fence with a heavy sound.

This was a thrilling and powerful hit!

Then, the super-long hit not only sent the runner from third base home but also allowed Kominato, originally on first base, to score as well.

Two Runs!

"OOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!!"

"SEIDOU!!!"

"KING SEIDOU!!!!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

After four innings of entanglement, the reigning champions, Seidou High School, finally showed their power.

Starting with their leadoff batter, Kuramochi then Kominato, they quickly racked up three hits in a row. Especially the final blow from Sawamura, which was truly impressive.

The ball he just hit, if it had been just a few tens of inches higher, would have been a home run!

Although it's unfortunate that it wasn't a home run, the timely two-run hit was enough to ignite the entire stadium!

All the fans supporting Seidou High School, especially the fans of Sawamura, were now beaming with pride.

When the two teams were locked in a stalemate earlier, there was a lot of gossip circulating.

Supporters of Shonan High School believed their team had a chance to create a miracle. Meanwhile, Popcorn-enjoyers would make lukewarm comments.

They would say things like, "The Kings are struggling, aren't they?"

The boastful talk is deafening, but the actual strength might not be as strong.

Such words were horrible, and the supporters of Seidou and Sawamura's fans were ready to punch someone.

Seidou High School had consecutively dominated the Summer Koshien and Spring Koshien Tournaments, establishing an unmatched presence in high school baseball.

This naturally made them a thorn in the side of fans of other teams!

No matter whether the teams they supported had a chance at national glory, they could not stand Seidou High School.

Even if the team they support doesn't have the strength to win a championship, it doesn't stop them from dreaming of becoming champions.

And as long as they dream of dominating the country, Seidou High School becomes the hurdle they must overcome.

Not only spectators but also players from other teams, even if they knew Shonan High School might not be able to compete with Seidou, they wouldn't mind seeing the mighty Seidou stumble. Most of them secretly supported Shonan in their hearts.

Not to mention others, even Inashiro High School, which came from Tokyo alongside Seidou, likely had players who were hoping to see Seidou have a bad day.

But unfortunately for them, Seidou's spirit persisted.

No matter how many people dislike Seidou High School, their strength still stands.

In today's high school baseball scene, Seidou High School remains an insurmountable mountain.

The king of Kanagawa Prefecture, Shonan High School.

After four innings of struggle, they began to show signs of exhaustion.

Sawamura's timely two-run hit helped Seidou High School secure a lead.

The moment those two Runs were scored, the entire momentum of Seidou changed.

That feeling, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that victory was already in their grasp.

For the players of Seidou High School's baseball team, as long as their Ace pitcher, Sawamura, is on the mound, even with just a one-point lead, they are confident in their final victory.

Not to mention that they're now leading by two runs, and Seidou's offense is just getting started; it's far from over.

No Outs, runner on second base!

However, in the middle of all of that, Shonan Coach didn't stand idle and made his move.

…

T/N: Feel free to leave a Comment guys!

And Powerstones are much much welcomed!