Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

V7_Chapter 17: Not Just Us

With no Outs and runners on first and second base, Sawamura was Walked.

As a result, the runners on first and second were each advanced to the next base, making the bases full with no Outs.

In the stands, Akiko covered her mouth with her hand. The scene before her had so much tension.

The next batter is the fourth batter of Seidou High School!

To Walk Sawamura under these circumstances was a very bold and also risky move.

“This Ouya team might not seem very strong, but their tactical execution is surprisingly daring,” she whispered.

Beside her, Fujio, wearing his newsboy cap and holding a notebook, looked up from his notes with a puzzled expression.

“In baseball, it is known that scoring is harder when the bases are full,” he said. “It's not unreasonable for Ouya to use this tactic, It is just that not everyone can use it.”

‘What can make Ouya take such a risk?’

Fujio focused on Sawamura, who was now on first base.

‘Are they that wary of Sawamura-kun?’

Although the fourth batter for Seidou is Miyuki Kazuya, the true strong hitter is probably Sawamura, who bats third. At least that's what Ouya High School likely thinks.

Miyuki stepped into the Batter's Box, his eyes locked on Ouya High School's pitcher’s mound.

‘Do you underestimate me?’

They chose to Walk Sawamura to face Miyuki directly. Besides tactics, it probably also means they think it’s easier to deal with him than with Sawamura.

‘Before, I usually like to be underestimated, but not anymore. I now have more on my back than just me.’

Thinking this, Miyuki glanced towards the stands. Though the figures were blurry from a distance, he knew Watanabe was there.

Thanks to Watanabe, he should have a chance to shine and prove that he, the fourth batter of Seidou High, is not just for show.

Miyuki couldn’t help but praise Watanabe’s scouting skills. Without Watanabe, their investigation wouldn’t have uncovered Ouya’s true capabilities.

‘The pitchers' pitch changes lead to corresponding adjustments in defensive positions. While supporting the pitcher, the fielders boldly shift their positions for each batter and each type of pitch.’

Ouya has effective countermeasures for every batter, which is why their defense is so strong. Without this, Ouya High could not perform so well relying solely on Wakabayashi's pitching.

‘This is something only true nerds can achieve.’

Sawamura had once said this during data analysis. Of course, Seidou’s players felt uncomfortable hearing this, but they had to admit it was true.

The Seidou players can’t match Ouya’s ability to remember so many details. And the most frightening part is their sign communication system.

Seidou High School still hasn’t figured out how Ouya communicates for this tactic, which is quite terrifying.

Fortunately, solving problems isn’t as meticulous as scientific research; you just need to find a solution.

‘Like Watanabe.’

‘He discovered a remarkable pattern. By analyzing Ouya's bold defensive shifts, he deduced their pitching strategy!’

This approach was extraordinary.

He figured out many defense patterns for pitches thrown, but Seidou’s players couldn’t remember as many, so they generally chose one or two patterns.

For example, Kuramochi and Kominato chose outside fastballs. They guessed correctly and hit the ball.

Of course, not all Seidou players are lacking in intelligence. Some are quite sharp, like Miyuki.

Now that the offense was in full swing, Miyuki knew the time to defeat the opponent was now.

He keenly noticed the fielders subtly changing positions.

“Go for it!”

“Let him hit it!”

“We’ll stop it.”

Ouya's fielders, while cheering on their pitcher, subtly adjusted their defensive positions. Through their actions, Miyuki clearly guessed the type of pitch they were preparing.

‘A Forkball! To the inside corner!’

‘From a game-calling perspective, using an inside corner pitch, especially one that drops to the batter's feet, is very smart.’

Signs, actions, pitch...

Everything aligned perfectly. Miyuki smirked slightly.

The runners Kuramochi, Haruichi, and Sawamura noticed the shift in the fielders.

‘The stage is set!’ Haruichi thought.

‘Now go and take all the glory, you bastard!’ Kuramochi looked at Miyuki.

‘It is your time to shine Cap!’ Sawamura smiled.

Miyuki also realized how good this chance was and how important is this moment.

The image of Inashiro players celebrating is still stuck in his mind.

Sawamura looking at the sky, in disappointment and resignation.

Everyone on the team felt it.

The disappointment, the sadness, and the frustration that followed.

They failed Sawamura, they failed the Team, and they failed themselves.

‘After the defeat, everyone silently poured all of these emotions into the drive to improve. Even if they didn’t talk about it, it was clear to see in their behavior.’

‘It is not just us…’

He remembered how meticulous the information Watanabe detailed.

Not just him, Kudo and Higashio also helped him with this and also helped with the players' training.

‘It is not just us who wanted to win!’

The teammates who supported the team from the back also wanted this team to win…

‘And we failed them too!’

He realized this, they too blamed themselves for the loss and thought they didn’t help the team enough.

‘This playoff is a heavenly opportunity for the team.’

They can still improve!

They can still fight!

They can still win!

A team of nerds who are not serious about baseball can stop them here!

‘It’s time to decide this!’

Whoosh!

At that moment, the pitcher on the mound threw the ball from his hand.

The ball clearly reflecting the pitcher's fierce determination, crossed the plate in a blur.

Facing the ball coming at him, Miyuki remained extremely calm.

The weight of the whole Seidou was on his back, but it didn’t slow him down but added more sharpness to his swing.

‘Here it comes!’

The white ball seemed to slow down in Miyuki’s eyes, appearing like frames of a film.

‘Now!’

Suddenly, Miyuki’s eyes lit up. He realized it was the right moment and swung his bat decisively.

PAAANG!!!

The white ball flew high after being bombarded.

On the plate, Miyuki dropped his bat with a victorious expression.

He calmly walked, raising his fist to the stands.

The moment the ball was hit, Miyuki felt confident in his heart.

This ball is a solid Home run!

“Outfield!”

On the mound, Wakabayashi’s voice was hoarse. He clearly did not expect things to develop this way.

The white ball kept flying until it reached the stands in the outfield.

Pak!!

The baseball hit the ground, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

“A GRAAAAND SLAAAAM!!!!!”

…