Chapter 411: Masterful Batting in the Battle of Ouya
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato-kun."
"Kominato, be careful. That guy's forkball is sharper than expected, especially its drop speed. You should try to swing a little faster."
As their paths crossed, Kuramochi lowered his voice and whispered to Kominato Haruichi.
Haruichi nodded solemnly, his eyes flashing with an unusual glint beneath his pink bangs.
"A wooden bat, huh? Oh, right... this guy is a contact hitter, isn't he? Do you even have the strength to use a wooden bat?"
Wakabayashi Gou cast a disdainful glance at Haruichi in the batter's box, his expression filled with contempt.
To Wakabayashi, this was nothing but the arrogance of an elite school.
Even after suffering setbacks in the previous game, their so-called prestigious pride remained unchanged.
Truth be told, Wakabayashi had a deep-seated bias against powerhouse schools.
If he knew that, in the original story, this very batter he looked down upon for his supposed lack of power would end up hitting a home run off him, he probably wouldn't be making that face right now.
"First pitch, forkball!"
For Wakabayashi, the forkball wasn't always his go-to strikeout pitch. Sometimes, he used it as bait or as a way to get ahead in the count.
In Ouya High's pitching strategy, this was a common tactic.
However, Wakabayashi wasn't one to rigidly follow conventional pitching theories. Under the influence of Coach Araki, he had developed a controlled yet unpredictable pitching style.
Most batters found it difficult to read his pitches.
Even a powerhouse lineup like Seidou's would struggle to make an impact in their first at-bat against him.
"Whoosh!"
A swinging arm.
A firm step forward.
A powerful body rotation.
All the strength from his lower body was transferred to his arm.
As his arm came down, a chilling streak of light flashed.
The ball shot forward like a gleaming blade.
Haruichi's eyes flickered.
He swung his bat as the speeding pitch neared home plate.
But just as the ball approached, it suddenly lost speed and dropped sharply, as if it had momentarily stalled before plummeting downward.
A sharp angle.
A precise drop timing.
Even though Haruichi had mentally prepared for this and adjusted accordingly, facing Wakabayashi's forkball—one that he could control within the strike zone—for the first time still caught him off guard.
"Swish!"
"Pop!"
A crisp sound echoed through the field.
A split-second showdown at home plate.
The ball and bat barely missed each other.
The pitch sailed cleanly into the catcher's mitt.
As the clear sound of the catch resonated, Haruichi quickly analyzed the pitch in his mind.
As expected, this pitcher had an exceptional forkball.
Moreover, his control was remarkably steady.
That pitch had even been thrown toward the outside corner—meaning that even if he had made contact, it likely would've just resulted in a foul ball.
And even if he had managed to put it in play, the chances of getting a hit were slim.
In fact, the likelihood of being caught out or grounded into an out was far higher than securing a base hit.
Haruichi exhaled.
In just a few seconds, he had already broken down the previous pitch in detail.
Eijun's concern wasn't unfounded. This pitcher was strong.
(Eijun: "Hey, hey, I didn't even say anything!")
Then, the best strategy would be—
Against this batter, this level of power should be enough. Next, I'll use another outside pitch of the same type to shake him, then finish him off with an inside fastball. The real threats are the next two batters—so I need to wrap this up quickly.
At that very moment, both batter and pitcher were running through their strategies in their minds.
But this time, when it came to mental preparedness—Haruichi had the upper hand.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of white as the pitch came flying in.
A low fastball!
"Swish!"
The pink eyes, barely visible beneath his bangs, gleamed sharply.
"Ping!"
A crisp and powerful sound exploded through the field.
On the mound, Wakabayashi Gou's expression changed instantly.
"Whoosh!"
A streak of white shot through the infield.
"Plop!"
Before Ouya's infielders could react, the ball zipped through the gap between first and second base, landing in right-center field.
Haruichi safely reached first base.
"What a brilliant hit! Kominato, the No. 2 batter, perfectly read the outside fastball and pulled it for a clean single into right field! One out, runner on first—next up, the powerhouse of Seidou's lineup, the No. 3 batter, the ace—Sawamura Eijun!"
"Ohhh! Well done, Kominato!"
"Haha! Haruichi, I knew you could do it!"
"One shot, one kill!"
"OK, OK, that's the rhythm we need, Kominato!"
"Hey, don't start blushing now, Haruichi!"
"Hahaha!"
The usually reserved boy stood on first base, his cheeks tinged with pink as he raised his fist in quiet triumph.
Meanwhile, on the mound, Wakabayashi's face darkened.
"Damn it... I underestimated him. I never expected such a refined, precise batting style to exist in a team full of power hitters."
Wakabayashi clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with frustration as he shot a glare toward Haruichi at first base.
But there was no time to regret his mistake now.
"Batting third, left fielder, Sawamura-kun!"
"Take him down, Sawamura!"
"YAAAH!!! Eijun-kun!"
"Go, Ace!"
"Sawamura-kun, do your best!"
"Eijun-kun, go get 'em!"
The stadium erupted as Sawamura stepped up to the plate.
Seidou's supporters roared from the stands.
And then came the high-pitched shrieks of fangirls, their voices practically shattering the sky.
He was the leader of Seidou's summer championship team.
One of the strongest batteries of his generation.
One of the most dominant left-handed pitchers.
The Diamond of the Ace—Sawamura Eijun.
"Boom!"
Like a rising tide, he stepped up with the presence of a reigning king.
Seidou's constant victories had only made his aura stronger, his intensity sharper.
"Here he comes... One of the final bosses."
As their gazes locked, Wakabayashi Gou narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold, low voice.
"Haruichi is on first. It's only the first inning—no need to force anything. Advancing the bases steadily is the best outcome."
Eijun lightly swung his bat, a faint glint flickering in his eyes as he settled into his batting stance.
"—!"
"Whoosh!"
The ball came speeding in, a streak of white light flashing through the air.
Eijun stepped forward, his body twisting as he shifted his weight downward. His arms drove the bat forward—
A fierce gust followed.
A sharp, explosive sound ripped through the air.
"Boom!"
A surge of energy roared through the stadium.
"Ping!"
A powerful impact echoed.
"Whoosh!"
The ball shot upward into the sky.
"Swish!"
The white blur cut through the air, its sheer force sending it crashing hard against the protective fence beyond third base.
"Bang!"
A deep, dull thud resonated.
"Foul ball!"