[142] The Power of Inashiro’s Cleanup Hitter

Chapter 142: The Power of Inashiro's Cleanup Hitter

In a flash, Narumiya successfully shut down Seidou's lower lineup, crushing their hopes of extending their momentum.

This made Eijun realize inwardly that Narumiya was not an easy opponent.

If Narumiya hadn't let his guard down early on, Seidou might not have secured those two runs so easily.

"Sawamura," Eijun heard his catcher call his name softly.

"Yeah."

With just that call, Eijun understood what Miyuki intended. He gave a slight nod in response. The mutual understanding between pitcher and catcher was steadily growing.

"Let's go, Sawamura! Show that same energy you had in the first inning!" Jun loudly cheered while pounding his glove.

"We're right behind you, Sawamura. Pitch boldly!" Kuramochi added, clapping Eijun on the shoulder.

"One batter at a time, Sawamura!" Masuko's steady voice joined the encouragement.

"Give it all you've got, Sawamura!"

"Yes!"

The sight of his reliable teammates surrounding him boosted Eijun's courage. With such dependable fielders backing him up, what was there to fear? No matter the situation or the batter he faced, he only needed to focus on his own style and push it to the limit.

With a spark of determination in his eyes, Eijun took a deep breath, firming his resolve.

"Bottom of the second inning, Inashiro at bat. Up to hit is the cleanup hitter, catcher, Harada-kun."

Standing tall and powerful, Harada's figure was intimidating, his bat swishing through the air with a solid "thud." Inashiro's captain, fourth batter, and primary catcher, Harada Masatoshi, was undeniably the core of this team.

Even Narumiya's role paled in comparison to his. Harada's presence was like the engine that powered Inashiro's machine. Without him, their structure would lose balance.

While this might sound exaggerated, the truth of the matter was seen in the original storyline.

During the Autumn Tournament, without Harada's guidance, Inashiro's lineup lost its synergy, and Narumiya, with his pride and responsibility, struggled without Harada's calm influence, ultimately leading to their downfall.

Facing a pivotal player like Harada, Eijun prepared himself mentally with utmost vigilance.

Not a single pitch could afford to be careless; even the slightest opening would be seized by this hitter.

Miyuki, watching from home plate, maintained a serious expression as he signaled to Eijun on the mound.

"Let's attack him head-on, Sawamura! Every pitch should hit the corners!"

"Yeah."

The first pitch was a four-seam fastball on the low outside corner.

Whoosh!

With precise movement, the ball shot from Eijun's fingertips, a streak of white light racing toward the plate.

In the batter's box, Harada's gaze sharpened as he tracked the pitch's trajectory.

Whoosh!

The bat sliced through the air with a fierce snap, producing a powerful sound that hinted at Harada's frightening bat speed.

However, the pitch's angle and timing threw Harada slightly off, leading to a misjudgment. The ball slipped past his bat, settling neatly into Miyuki's glove.

Pop!

"Strike!"

Harada frowned, glancing at Eijun thoughtfully.

Was it possible there was a discrepancy between the pitch's actual movement and how it appeared to the eye?

That pitch seemed to slide to the outside corner just before reaching the plate. Was it intentional, or was there something about him release that made the pitch harder to read?

Harada adjusted his stance, moving slightly closer to the plate, shortening his grip on the bat to focus on contact.

Seeing this, Miyuki's brows knitted slightly, recognizing Harada's new level of determination.

Harada had decisively positioned himself to counter Eijun's inside pitches after seeing his effective outside pitch.

Miyuki, aware of Harada's intention, chose to challenge him directly with an inside pitch, signaling for a cutter—one of Eijun's breaking pitches.

Whiz!

In just half a second—a mere blink—the ball darted from the pitcher's mound and approached home plate with incredible speed.

As Harada began to swing, the ball made a sharp inward cut, aiming further into the inside corner. Harada's eyes widened as he was forced to pull back to avoid the pitch.

Pop!

The crisp sound of the ball hitting Miyuki's glove echoed, followed by the umpire's call, "Strike!"

Harada narrowed his eyes, recognizing the pitch as a cutter. His gaze met Miyuki's, as if to acknowledge that the Seidou catcher was not holding back. If that's the case, then he wouldn't either.

Once again, Eijun wound up and released the ball with fierce precision, and this time, Harada was ready. With a powerful step forward, he brought his bat down sharply, catching the pitch at the perfect angle.

Crack!

The sound of solid contact echoed as the ball shot out, bouncing hard on the ground and slipping through the gap between first and second base.

Eijun quickly called out, "Second base!" but the ball was perfectly placed—just out of Ryousuke Kominato's reach.

The precision in Harada's hit was clear. He had calculated the angle, speed, and height to avoid a fly ball and ensure a stable line drive past the infield.

Despite Ryousuke's quick reflexes, the ball rolled into right-center field, allowing Harada to reach first base.

Inashiro's fourth batter, Harada, had successfully secured a single!

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