"Awesome!" they shouted, totally blown away.
"I can't believe it!" another gasped, eyes wide with disbelief.
It wasn't until they saw that spiral ball that the crowd realized what Takumi was really made of.
No wonder Seidō was giving him a shot. He was definitely their biggest surprise this year, their secret weapon.
The fans went wild, their hands stinging from clapping, but they couldn't help it.
"That's amazing!" one fan shouted, excitedly.
"We finally have a decent pitcher!" another fan cried out, relieved.
You could only imagine the pain these die-hard Seidō fans had been through.
The team had been searching for a real ace for ages.
It wasn't a problem against the weaker teams, but against the big dogs, like those two powerhouses in West Tokyo, Seidō's problems were clear as day.
They'd seen those games play out way too many times, and those losses still stung.
But now, things were different.
It was time for the other teams to worry. Guys from Ichidaisan and Inashiro Industrial were there, bold as you like, decked out in their school colors and filming the game with all the fancy gear.
Before, Seidō's fans had just ignored them, knowing they couldn't do anything about those two rivals.
But now, the fans were dying to see their reactions.
Were they scared of Seidō's secret weapon?
As it turned out, the fans were going to be disappointed.
The scouts from both teams played it cool, even though they were probably surprised on the inside.
They weren't going to freak out just because Seidō had a new pitcher.
One pitch only showed Takumi's potential; there was no way to know how good he really was.
But even though they didn't show it, their cameras were already locked on him, so they were definitely taking him seriously.
Meanwhile, Hachiya Oji's cleanup hitter looked like he'd just seen a ghost.
That last pitch had definitely gotten to him.
It felt like the world was crashing down around him – seriously terrifying.
Just thinking about it made his heart race.
'I can't let this get to me,' he thought, biting his tongue and trying to pull himself together.
He couldn't just let the other team own the mound.
If he, the cleanup batter, folded this easily, the whole team's offense would fall apart.
If they just sat back and took it for the rest of the game, what hope was there?
The cleanup batter gripped his bat tighter. He had to do something, anything.
Just as he made up his mind, Takumi fired another pitch from the mound. He didn't even glance at Coach Kataoka's grim face in the dugout. That spiral ball was coming, no matter what.
Boom!
The ball, spinning rapidly, hurtled toward him.
Hachiya Oji's cleanup batter gritted his teeth and summoned every ounce of strength.
'I gotta hit this!' he thought fiercely, his eyes locked on the ball.
He swung with all his might, and maybe luck was on his side, because this time, he made contact!
Ping!
The instant the bat hit the ball, the cleanup batter felt a wave of relief.
No matter what happened next, at least he'd given it his all for his teammates.
But that feeling didn't last.
Suddenly, a huge force shot through his hands, and before he knew it, the bat was flying away.
The Seidō dugout went wild. "He lost the bat!" They were on their feet, hooting and hollering like they'd seen it in a movie.
"No way!" they exclaimed in disbelief.
"Did the bat seriously just fly outta his grip?" one of them asked, eyes practically popping.
"Dude, did you see the umpire's face? He went ghost white when that thing came zoomin' at him!" another one cracked, laughing.
"Bet he's never seen anything like that before, huh?" someone wondered, totally curious.
They were spot on.
The home plate ump was shook. For a sec, he thought his heart was gonna bail on him.
That bat was comin' in hot, and if he hadn't ducked, helmet or not, he'd be seein' stars for days.
"Foul ball!"
Even though it was just a foul, everyone was in shock.
You hardly ever see that kinda thing, even in the big leagues.
"That rookie, Yamamoto Takumi, is somethin' else, man!" one spectator marveled, totally impressed.
"How much power is he packing into those pitches?" another wondered aloud, curiously.
"Check out the guys from Ichidaisan and Inashiro..." someone pointed out, with a sly grin.
When Takumi threw his first spiral ball, the scouts from those teams were playin' it cool, tryin' to keep up that tough guy act.
But now, things were different. No way they could keep it together. Their eyes were poppin' out of their heads. The Inashiro scout even whipped out his phone to call his team.
After just two pitches, Seidō's biggest rivals knew they were in for a fight.
Seidō's offense was already a force to be reckoned with, maybe even better than theirs.
And their defense? They'd definitely put in the work, practicing until they dropped.
As top teams in the country, they wouldn't be slouches in that department.
The reason those two teams had been able to keep Seidō down was mainly because their Aces were just better than Seidō's.
Now, that might not be the case anymore.
After that foul, Takumi had everyone on the edge of their seats.
He throws two more pitches.
Hachiya Oji's cleanup guy, clearly rattled, swings like he's swatting flies and misses big time.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strikeout!"
Hachiya Oji's best hitters? Gone, just like that.
Three outs, quick and clean. Fifth inning ends, score's still 3-0.
Seidō was up to bat as the sixth inning began.