Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

V7_Chapter 8: Stubbornness

Two Outs, no one on base.

A clean Strikeout and a well-executed Shut out.

When Kanemaru passed the ball to first base, the batter of Kasuga didn’t even make it halfway to the base.

‘So fast! Really fast!!’

Such sharp and effective defense deeply frightened everyone from Kasuga.

In Kasuga’s dugout, Coach Haruhi, usually so capable, had fallen silent.

‘When there was only a slight difference between the two teams, this difference could be overcome with momentum. This is a commonly accepted rule on the field, especially in games dominated by younger players.’

‘But when the difference is too great, no amount of momentum can bridge the gap.’

Coach Haruhi of Kasuga High had clearly realized this. The gap between the teams seemed more big the he expected.

It doesn’t take many confrontations to see the difference.

Especially with the pitcher currently on the mound.

Under the fame of the great Sawamura and the monster Furuya, he seemed almost invisible.

This is quite simple to understand. Just like how stars fade under the brilliance of the sun and moon, their own light is so dazzling that everyone looks up to see them, and the occasional twinkling stars go unnoticed.

‘However, this doesn’t mean the opponent lacks strength. On the contrary.’

‘The second-year pitcher is quite impressive. His control is excellent, his breaking balls are sharp, and his pitch speed is notable.’

‘Though he doesn’t possess the traits of a top-tier pitcher, his well-rounded abilities make him a very strong relay pitcher.’

“King Seidou!”

Muttering these two words, Coach Haruhi of Kasuga High School showed a trace of unwillingness.

At this point, he realized that winning this game would be very difficult.

“Why are you making those faces, haven’t I told you already? Enjoy the game and give it your all!”

He didn’t expect the players to truly win, but it would be good if they could experience what the best team in the country looks like, even if just for a tribute.

Of course, As a prestigious team in East Tokyo, they still wanted to maintain their dignity.

Even though he wasn’t fixated on the outcome, he hoped the players would perform well.

This wish, however, was destined to remain unfulfilled!

Kasuga’s third batter hit a Pop fly ball just above second base.

Kominato Haruichi raised his mitt high and caught the ball cleanly.

SNAP!

“OUT!!”

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

In the bottom half of the inning, Seidou High School went on the attack.

“First Batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun!”

Kuramochi, the leadoff hitter, stepped into the batter’s box with a confident hop.

Cheers erupted from the stands.

“Kuramochi!!”

“Cheetah-san!”

“Cheetah!!”

Many fans even shouted Kuramochi's nickname ‘Cheetah’, reflecting Kuramochi’s popularity.

Kuramochi himself was very proud of this.

He raised his bat high and his body swayed with excitement.

Facing the incoming pitch, he swung with less force and more precision.

Ping!

The ball was bounced right next to the third baseman.

Kasuga’s catcher breathed a sigh of relief.

Having been overwhelmed by Seidou High School’s battery, they managed to make the leadoff batter hit the ball to an easy grounder, barely stabilizing the situation.

‘Good!’

‘If we could get Kuramochi Out, it would be a good start.’

‘Holding well in the first inning would make things much easier moving forward.’

They watched as the third baseman fielded the ball and threw it to first base.

Kasuga’s catcher was sure the Out was secured.

To their surprise, they heard the call of “SAFE!!”

Kuramochi had reached first base ahead of the throw.

“WHAT!?!?!”

The stands erupted in excitement.

A grounder ball to the third baseman and a barely-moving throw.

How could anyone reach base at that?

“Absolutely incredible!”

“This speed is unreal!”

“Seidou’s Cheetah Kuramochi truly lives up to his reputation.”

The crowd’s astonishment was palpable.

Kasuga’s players were equally stunned.

“Is this a joke?”

“How could a ball like that result in a base hit?”

“Unbelievable!”

Kuramochi, however, was still calm. He assumed a stance ready to steal second base at any moment.

‘My job as the first batter is to get to the base, it doesn’t matter if my hit was an easy grounder as long as it gives me the time I needed to reach base.’

During the off-season, he worked more on his contact skills. As long as he can get to base, then his task as a batter is accomplished.

This laid the foundation for his batting and gave him more opportunities to use his skills as a runner.

With his stance, it was impossible for Kasuga’s pitcher to avoid distraction.

The pitcher could only repeatedly throw the ball, hoping to tag Kuramochi Out at first base.

Snap!

“Safe!”

But it wasn’t that easy.

Kuramochi was very experienced in this situation. Even compared to all the runners in the country, Kuramochi’s speed was among the best.

Given the level of Kasuga’s pitcher, getting him Out was no easy task.

In fact, trying to contain Kuramochi led to a serious mistake.

He had overlooked the opponent in front of him.

He was Kominato Haruichi, who had recently cut his hair.

After losing the previous game to Inashiro, Kominato Haruichi hadn’t made any impact with his bat.

Knowing that he couldn’t continue like this, he decided he needed to improve, and he cut his bangs to show his resolve.

With his new haircut, he lost some of his earlier charm and resembled Kominato Ryosuke more.

It was a surprising well-received change to the team.

Sawamura also agreed with this, even was saddened at losing his Haruichi again.

“After cutting off the bangs, he should be able to see the pitch more clearly.”

And of course, he didn’t spend all of the off-season cutting his hair.

As Kasuga’s pitcher was completely distracted by Kuramochi, Haruichi saw an opportunity.

When the pitcher was forced to throw again, Kominato Haruichi aimed carefully and made contact.

Paak!

With surprisingly more power to his swing, the ball flew far and precisely fell into the outfield gap.

‘Even though I can up my physical strength, there is a limit for me on this. So instead of trying to have everything and swing at everything, l will only focus on the pitches that I know for sure I can hit.’

While he worked on his physical strength more, he knew it wasn’t his forte so he didn’t become obsessed with it. Instead, he focused on the things he can do and sharpened it.

“Great hit!”

“Beautiful hit!!!”

“Looks like the haircut made a real difference.”

The Seidou players cheered for Kominato Haruichi.

In the Seidou dugout, Coach Ochiai looked somewhat perplexed. He stroked his goatee and watched Kominato Haruichi with mixed emotions.

‘What a stubborn brat!’

He had previously advised him to practice with metal bats.

Yet, the younger Kominato had stubbornly chosen a wooden bat and performed exceptionally well.

Such a player, despite his outstanding talent, could be quite challenging to guide.

‘Should I talk with Kataoka-san about this?’

Forcing players to practice with metal bats was a matter of the Head Coach's decision.

As the coach, Ochiai couldn’t override that. And he wasn’t sure if he should.

After making contact, Haruichi dashed to second base in one swift motion.

Kuramochi, originally on first base, returned to home plate with the hit.

The Score has become 1:0!

…