Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Chapter 55: Substitution?

In the first half of the sixth game, Seidou High School, who had been in the lead, was hit hard. 

A super strong hit from Furano scored a three-run golden home run to help the team complete the counterattack.

The total score was 5:3, and Seidou was two runs behind.

This score made Seidou’s players have a hard time to accept.

In the audience, the voices in support of Yokohama surpassed the support of Seidou for the first time.

“Great Furano, Invincible Furano!”

“So happy, two home runs!!!”

“As expected of my Kanagawa’s powerhouse, he is a cannon!”

The appeal of the strong batter is too bright, making people have to look sideways.

In the bench in Seidou.

Manager Ota looked at Kataoka nervously, his eyes full of requests.

Behind Ota, Kawakami was a little nervous and cramped.

The Yokohama’s lineup, who burst out with all their strength, looks like monsters that eat people.

All their players, like war machines without any emotion, exude an icy aura.

The momentum of the top powerhouses in the Nation is condensed in them. Even Tanpa-senpai was suppressed by their pressure, can he really withstand it instead?

Kawakami was honest with himself, he didn’t have much confidence.

Kataoka turned his head and glanced at Ota and Kawakami behind Ota. The sadness appeared in his heart.

He painstakingly cultivated two pitchers, Tanpa Koichiro and Kawakami Nori.

Both have good pitching and skills!

If they can 100% exert their strength and with the support of Seidou’s defense, it is not impossible. It’s a pity that the characters of the two lacked the kind of hunger that resolutely did not give up the pitcher mound to others.

In contrast, it is the two freshmen. Furuya Satoru and Sawamura Eijun, in their personalities, are born with the determination not to give up the pitcher mound.

It’s just that Furuya has the Ace’s determination, Not the Ace’s strength!

If he wants to win, at this time, he should not hesitate to replace Tanpa with Sawamura, who is a fielder.

He knew this in his heart, but Kataoka also had his concerns.

For the current Seidou, getting a good place in the Kanto Tournament is meaningless at all.

Their most important task is the summer competition, which is Koshien.

A secret weapon like Sawamura can only have the greatest effect when he appears in the Summer Tournament. he believes that the three years as an Ace in Middle School and the experience of leading the team to dominate the nation twice will help Seidou enter the Koshien.

Retaining Sawamura was a strategy that Kataoka had in mind from the very beginning.

But in the current situation, without Sawamura, it would be difficult to turn the tide.

Under the struggle of Ace Ino, Yokohama’s team has begun to show extraordinary fighting spirit!

Kataoka has never put the team at risk for the sake of one person. He has always believed that the future of the team should be decided by the players themselves.

In this game, the players have shown their fighting spirit that they must win. Does he want to force down everyone’s expectations and watch the team lose?

In Kataoka’s mind, it seemed that two people were arguing.

“Sawamura!”

“Sawamura, Sawamura!!!”

It was only one or two at first, and then gradually more and more people started shouting. In the audience, there was a faint voice for Sawamura to take the pitcher's mound.

in the dugout.

Hearing these voices, Kataoka’s eyes suddenly became firm.

“Send a messenger!”

Kataoka gave the orders to the messenger, and Seidou asked for a time-out.

Catcher Miyuki, first baseman Yuuki Tetsuya, Ryosuke Kominato, third baseman Toru Masuko, and shortstop Kuramochi all gathered on the mound.

Looking at these players in the First String, Chris, who was the messenger, was a little complicated.

“Tanpa!”

Seeing Chris, the confusion and helplessness in Tanpa’s eyes softened a lot.

“The Coach asked me to tell you, don’t forget your current identity. You are the Ace of Seidou, act like one!”

Chris’s words sounded like an alarm bell in Tanpa’s mind.

“Ah, I see!”

Even if he was to collapse, he had to collapse on the pitcher's mound. There was no confusion in Tanpa’s eyes.

“No matter how many points you lose in this game, until you get three outs, the Coach will never let you go.”

After Chris finished speaking, leaving everyone to discuss tactics, he returned to the bench.

“Hold on, Tanpa!”

“keep yourself together.”

“You are now the Ace of Seidou, show me a little more sprite.”

One by one, the Players seemed to convey their power to Tanpa.

Tanpa’s eyes became more and more determined.

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Tanpa-senpai.”

At such a warm moment, it was Miyuki who came out to sing the naysayer.

“If you push too hard, the ball will be more unstable.”

After Miyuki finished speaking, he suggested: “At this time, you might as well trust the defense behind you, and use the defense to get the number of eliminations.”

The game restarts.

Tanpa changed his pitching style and started fighting with only straight balls.

Yokohama’s fifth batter was third baseman Norimura.

He is a strong batter in the team. In the face of Tanpa’s Straight ball, he didn’t let it go and swung the bat directly.

Ping!

The white ball was hit and landed in right field.

“Shiratsu!”

Miyuki loudly reminded the fielder.

Shiratsu is as agile as a monkey. When approaching the baseball, he uses the strange ground-shovel action to securely catch the ball in his glove.

SNAP!

Outfield Save.

Although Shiratsu is quiet, he has no sense of existence. But like Miyuki and Kuramochi, he became the unstoppable main force of the team in the second year, and of course, he has his own skills.

Whether it’s defense or attack, Shiratsu is very good. Even in Seidou High School, where monsters gather, he is ranked high.

Two Outs, no one on base.

In this situation, ushered in the sixth batter, left fielder, Komura.

Komura smashed the ball to the shortstop’s position.

Kuramochi arrived quickly.

‘Tsk, it’s too terrible to catch a ball hit to such a difficult position.’

The ball landed on the wrong side. Not only did Kuramochi need a lot of rushing, but it was not easy to pick up the ball. As a result, when he passed the ball to first base, he was one step behind.

The sixth batter, Komura went to first base.

Two Outs, a runner at first base, ushered in the seventh, Ginjo the right fielder.

Although the situation was unfavorable, Miyuki’s action was very calm. He used the course to constantly lure Ginjo to swing the bat.

Ping!

Ginjo hit the ball to the second base position.

Kominato Ryosuke took the Out in one go, helping Seidou hold the game.

Three outs, offense, and defense exchange.

Although Tanpa relied on ball control and Miyuki’s cooperation, he barely survived. But he has also reached the limit, and then Seidou’s pitcher must be replaced.

All eyes were on Kataoka, waiting for his order.

Kataoka glanced at Sawamura and then looked at Furuya.

...

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