"Don't worry, boys. Just keep swinging with determination. If you stay patient, the right pitch will definitely come."
Inside the Ichidai Third High dugout, Coach Tahara encouraged his players.
No matter how strong a pitcher was, as the number of pitches increased and the game progressed, stamina and concentration were bound to drop. When that happened, hittable pitches would appear—and Ichidai Third High's lineup needed to seize those rare opportunities.
"Yes!!" everyone responded with energy.
The game continued—bottom of the first inning, Seidou's offense.
First to enter the batter's box was Seidou's leadoff hitter, Shida Shota.
Facing Ichidai Third High's Ace, Manaka Kaname, Shida struggled. He barely caught up to a high-speed curveball, but the swing was weak, and he failed to get on base.
"Manaka Kaname's pitches are really sinking today. Both his straight ball and breaking pitches are hard to hit," Azuma Kiyokuni commented from the dugout.
Chris nodded. "Hmm. And their defense is playing shallow—they're coordinating perfectly with the pitcher. But if it's just a high-speed curveball and a fastball, even if the pitch is low, Senior Azuma, you should still be able to hit a long ball, right?"
Azuma scoffed. "At this level, it's still far from enough to stop me."
"Yuki-senpai should be able to do it too," Kanzaki Ryou added while drinking water beside Chris.
Chris smiled. "That depends. First, let's see how Kominato handles this."
On the field, Kominato Ryosuke stepped into the left batter's box. With his usual faint smile, he took a few practice swings. Pitchers like Manaka—those with a small pitch variety—were the ones he liked facing the most. Fewer pitch types meant fewer things to watch for, making pitch selection easier.
But Manaka and his catcher knew Ryosuke's style as well. To deal with him, they needed to be ready for a prolonged battle.
First pitch—an inside fastball.
Ryosuke didn't swing. The ball flew straight into the mitt.
"Strke!"
Second pitch—an outside high-speed curveball.
This time, Ryosuke didn't hesitate. This was the pitch he had been waiting for.
Bang!
The bat connected sharply, the ball shooting outward—but it curved just foul along the third base line.
"Foul!"
The Ichidai catcher exhaled in relief. That pitch was extremely tricky, yet Ryosuke—who wasn't tall and didn't have long reach—still made contact. This little guy was no ordinary batter.
Ryosuke sighed inwardly. He had chosen the pitch perfectly, but lacked the power. If he had Masuko strength, that could've been a long hit to left field.
Understanding his own weaknesses, Ryosuke leaned into his strengths—discipline and pitch selection. That was the foundation of his unique style.
Next, Manaka threw the third pitch, another high-speed curveball, but this one a bit closer to Ryosuke.
Bang!
"Foul ball!"
Bang!
"Foul ball!"
Bang!
"Foul ball!"
Bang!
"Foul ball!"
Four straight fouls—and yet, Ryosuke remained calm and composed, not showing the slightest frustration.
Meanwhile, the catcher and Manaka were starting to feel the pressure. If this kept going, Ryosuke would eventually connect cleanly. They had to break the rhythm.
The catcher signaled for a tempting bad pitch.
The count was still two strikes, no balls—Ichidai's advantage.
Manaka agreed. Continuing the stalemate was dangerous.
He threw a fastball outside the zone.
Ryosuke's eyes narrowed—he almost swung—but in the last moment, he pulled his bat back.
"Ball!"
Trying to trick me? Nice try.
Ryosuke turned and gave the Ichidai catcher a playful, taunting look.
The catcher sighed. As expected, it didn't work. They had no choice but to challenge him directly.
The duel continued for several more pitches until finally—Ryosuke connected, but it was a weak grounder. He was thrown out at first.
As he walked off, Ryosuke's mildly disappointed expression made Manaka's head throb.
After all those pitches, the guy still wasn't satisfied!
Stretching his neck and shoulders, Manaka prepared for the next batter—Seidou's third batter, Yuki Tetsuya.
This one's traits were clear: incredible explosive power. If he connected cleanly, it was almost always a long hit—and a home run wasn't out of the question.
To deal with this, they needed to force him into a swing that minimized power and rely on the defense.
The catcher signaled. Manaka nodded.
Yuki stepped into the batter's box, expression cold and focused—his presence alone demanded respect from any pitcher.
The pitch flew.
Yuki swung at the very first pitch. His calves fired, his hips rotated, and his bat exploded forward.
Crack!
Ground ball!
The catcher felt a rush of relief—exactly as planned.
But after bouncing, the baseball shot forward like a bullet—too fast for the shortstop, flying over his head!
"Safe!"
Yuki had successfully gotten on base!
Cheers erupted through the stadium.
"Yuki!!"
"Seidou!!"
Next up—the cleanup hitter. Azuma Kiyokuni stepped into the batter's box.
The Ichidai catcher's heart tightened. If they failed to stop Azuma, it would become runners on first and second—and the next batter was Kanzaki Ryou.
Absolutely not! They had to get Azuma out here!
The catcher signaled urgently. Manaka nodded firmly. They couldn't afford a mistake now.
Swish!
The pitch flew.
Azuma's eyes widened as he swung powerfully—
Pop!
"Ball!"
Azuma exhaled and glanced at the catcher.
Were they trying to walk him?
But the moment he met the catcher's eyes, he understood—they weren't backing down.
Good.
Because the one thing Azuma hated most…
was being walked.