"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
With that, Sawamura took care of the cleanup hitter for Yakushi High's baseball team.
He smoothly recorded a three-out, helping the team hold onto that one-run lead.
Originally, after Raichi got that hit, Yakushi High's baseball team had been gaining momentum.
But suddenly, it all vanished...
Everyone stared blankly at the scene before them, unsure of how they should react.
The spectators and baseball professionals in the stands were all equally amazed.
They couldn't even make contact with a bunt!
The scene before them left them at a loss for words.
But one thing was certain: their confidence in the Seidou High baseball team had been raised by several levels.
With Sawamura, the great powerhouse, on the mound, it was hard for them to imagine how Yakushi High's team could turn things around.
If Raichi couldn't even make it past the third base, how could they possibly score? Was it possible to hit a home run off Sawamura?
Just thinking about it...
The people in the stands—whether professionals or not—couldn't help but shake their heads.
They couldn't see any way for Yakushi High's team to have a chance.
The game entered the top of the 5th inning, and it was Seidou High's turn to bat.
Leading off was Seidou High's 9th batter.
Kanemaru!
Out of all the regular players, he was last in the batting order.
Although this didn't necessarily mean that Kanemaru was the weakest hitter on the Seidou team, being in this position definitely didn't suggest that he was a powerhouse.
While he was doing great in this tournament, you could attribute it to luck.
Thankfully, Kanemaru was self-aware.
He wanted to capitalize on this luck to make his position in the team more firm.
He didn't have too many ambitions.
Although he was content, that didn't mean the other players in the dugout were happy about his role.
After all, the competition for the third base spot at Seidou High was fierce.
The third-year Higasa, and the first-year prodigy, Yuuki Masashi, were both eyeing this spot, eagerly hoping to take Kanemaru's place.
To avoid giving these two competitors an opportunity, Kanemaru knew he had to fight with all his might.
Just like now, when he was facing Yakushi High's first-year pitcher, Igarashi Sora.
If he could get a hit, it would be a huge contribution, both in front of Coach Kataoka and the Seidou coaching staff.
He knew this would solidify his position.
'Come on, kid! Let me see what kind of level a first-year freshman has!'
Kanemaru had always been the "other people's kid" when it came to baseball.
Other parents would use him as an example when educating their own children.
But once he entered the Seidou High baseball team, Kanemaru felt like his potential was completely overshadowed, and he was no longer the golden child.
In fact, he became somewhat indistinguishable from the rest.
Kanemaru was definitely dissatisfied with this, but he couldn't help it—the gap between him and his teammates was enormous.
Yet, Kanemaru still believed that with enough hard work, he would catch up. One day, he would once again become the "other people's kid."
Now was a great opportunity.
Igarashi Sora.
In previous encounters with Seidou High, this kid had shown exceptional ability.
As a first-year student, his performance was flawless.
It was exactly this type of opponent that Kanemaru considered the best stepping stone for himself.
This wasn't just Kanemaru daydreaming.
He had analyzed the opponent's pitching and come to a conclusion.
Though Sora's fastballs were quick, they were still within Kanemaru's hitting range.
As for the movement on his pitches, Kanemaru felt confident.
He was sure he could hit Sora's pitches out of the park.
So when he stepped into the Batter's Box, he eagerly awaited Igarashi's pitch, ready to swing and hit it hard.
Kanemaru had all these thoughts in mind, and as the orchestra played, he even hummed along.
Kanemaru believed that the player in front of him, Igarashi Sora, though once a pitcher for the national team with a frightening reputation, wasn't someone Kanemaru couldn't handle. On the contrary, Kanemaru thought he was quite capable of dealing with this type of pitcher.
What if he had been part of the national team? At the end of the day, he was still just a first-year freshman.
If this were the first time Seidou had faced him and their teammates hadn't had time to study his pitching, that would be one thing. But that clearly wasn't the case now—they had already analyzed his data.
They could face him with full confidence.
Whoosh!
As Kanemaru was lost in thought, the baseball whizzed toward him.
'So fast!'
The speed caught Kanemaru off guard. Sora's fastball was clocked at just 145 km/h, but for some reason, when he stood in the Batter's Box facing it, the pitch felt much faster—scarily fast.
Kanemaru puffed out his cheeks and swung his bat.
Ping!
The moment the bat made contact with the ball, Kanemaru felt his entire arm go numb.
'How is this possible?'
Kanemaru's shock reached its peak.
How could this first-year freshman possibly throw such a pitch?
But the reality was harsh—the ball soared high after contact, only to be easily caught by a fielder from Yakushi High's team.
Snap!
"OUT!!"
Kanemaru trudged back to the dugout, his whole demeanor deflated.
In the dugout, Sawamura quietly approached him from behind and asked softly, "Were you really confident that you could hit that one out?"
Hearing this, Kanemaru's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
'You shouldn't kick someone when they're down,' he thought, feeling that Sawamura had been a little too harsh.
But Sawamura, looking nonchalant, calmly replied, "Maybe you got a little too carried away. Shiratsu-senpai and Toujou couldn't do it, so you thought you could? Having confidence is great, but overconfidence is a problem."
"Ahh! Shut Up Already!" Kanemaru was getting annoyed.
Looking at Kanemaru, Sawamura wasn't angry. Instead, he silently let out a breath of relief.
At least Kanemaru hadn't gotten too depressed.
He could tell that Kanemaru was under too much mental pressure.
It couldn't be helped, though—the competition within Seidou's baseball team was fierce.
Aside from a few fixed spots, other positions weren't guaranteed.
Anyone could be replaced.
Kanemaru and Asou were having it the hardest.
So, both of them worked harder than anyone else.
Although the efforts have been fruitful lately, it still needs some time to give steady results.
For Asou, who doesn't have much time anymore, this is an unfortunate thing.
But for Kanemaru, there is still a chance.
Moreover, Sawamura knew that his friend had much more potential than he thought.
One Out, nobody on base.
Now, it was time for the first batter, Kuramochi, to bat.
"I know what you were thinking earlier. Actually, your approach wasn't bad, and you did well."
"You made solid contact. You just underestimated his strength. Watch how Kuramochi-senpai does it; maybe you can learn something you're missing from him."
...