[183] The Power of Intimidation in the Yokohama Kouhoku Match

Chapter 183: The Power of Intimidation in the Yokohama Kouhoku Match

The sound of the ball slicing through the air reverberated.

In the batter's box, Shinagawa's eyes focused intently on the incoming pitch.

To his surprise, he caught the release point clearly, and the ball's trajectory was fully visible in his field of vision.

For a moment, he froze.

This wasn't what he had expected.

However, his instincts and experience kicked in, allowing him to recover quickly.

Although he couldn't explain why this pitch seemed so clear, Shinagawa recognized it as a golden opportunity.

In an instant, he adjusted his batting stance, widened his posture, and swung his bat with precision.

"Whoosh!"

The bat cut through the air, producing a sharp, slicing sound.

At that moment, the ball sped closer, its white glow gleaming brilliantly under the stadium lights.

Just as the bat was about to make contact, the ball unexpectedly shifted—seemingly rising with a floating motion.

Its velocity subtly dropped, but its erratic movement made it unpredictable.

Shinagawa's expression turned to shock as the ball bypassed his bat and landed with a sharp "pop!" in Miyuki's glove.

"Strike!"

Eijun raised his hand in triumph, while Miyuki's sly grin widened.

"That was perfect, Sawamura!" Miyuki thought.

Shinagawa, meanwhile, stood dumbfounded.

"What was that pitch? A changeup? No, the speed didn't drop dramatically. But it floated upward? That's impossible… It must've been my imagination. No, it wasn't! It slowed down—just not as much as a typical changeup."

Shinagawa couldn't make sense of what he had just seen.

In his mind, there was no pitch he knew of that matched the movement of the one he had just encountered.

In both dugouts, the reactions were just as varied. Coach Kataoka smiled knowingly, while Coach Yamagake furrowed his brows.

The latter couldn't see the pitch clearly from his angle, but his gut told him something was off about the young pitcher on the mound.

Miyuki wasn't one to let such an opportunity slip.

Sensing the hesitation and uncertainty in Shinagawa's mind, he seized the moment and called for two fastballs in quick succession.

Shinagawa, still distracted, couldn't adjust in time.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike three! Batter out!"

Even as he returned to the dugout, Shinagawa's mind lingered on that first pitch.

"What was that? A rising breaking ball? That doesn't make any sense. Or was it just my imagination? And that subtle deceleration… It wasn't as dramatic as a proper changeup, but the timing was enough to throw off my swing."

"What kind of pitch was that?"

As Shinagawa walked back, his face a mixture of frustration and confusion, Eijun watched him with a subtle, satisfied smile.

Truthfully, even Eijun hadn't expected the pitch to move the way it did.

During his recent practice sessions, while working on a high-speed changeup, a thought had struck him:

What if I gripped the ball with a cross-seam hold and adjusted my delivery stance to mimic Furuya's from the Red-White Scrimmage?

In the scrimmage, Furuya had thrown a pitch with a sinking release point that mysteriously floated upward and even knocked off Coach Kataoka's mask.

Inspired by that memory, Eijun had eagerly experimented with the concept.

The result?

A brand-new pitch that exceeded even his own expectations.

Perhaps this pitch could mark the beginning of Eijun's "Numbers Series." A pitch truly his own.

"Batting third, shortstop, Kajiyama!"

"Whoosh!"

"Crack!"

"Thud!"

"Foul ball!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike! Batter out!"

With a mix of inside and outside pitches, Eijun easily pressured Yokohama Kouhoku's third batter, finishing with a standard changeup that resulted in a swinging strikeout.

Eijun had efficiently shut down Yokohama Kouhoku's top lineup in the first inning, retiring all three batters in order.

The crowd erupted into discussion:

"Great pitch, Sawamura!"

"Nice ball!"

"Haha, Sawamura's in great form today!"

"Keep it up, Eijun!"

As Eijun returned to the dugout, his seniors greeted him with pats on the head, smiling with approval.

To dominate Yokohama Kouhoku's top hitters so effortlessly was a statement of his skill.

"Hmph, those two are bold," Coach Kataoka muttered, his tone laced with a mix of amusement and critique.

It was clear he was referring to Eijun and Miyuki's decision to attempt a new pitch in the first inning.

Yet, there was no real anger in his voice.

Miyuki and Eijun exchanged a knowing smile—this was just how their coach was.

On the other side, in the Yokohama Kouhoku dugout, most players hadn't fully grasped what had just happened.

They were simply impressed by Seidou's left-handed pitcher, praising his control, form, and composure.

Eijun's new pitch, having been thrown only once, had gone largely unnoticed.

Even among the closer spectators, only a few sharp-eyed fans had a vague sense that something unusual had occurred, but they weren't certain of what they had seen.

The only exception was Shinagawa, whose conflicted expression revealed his inner turmoil.

Should he share what he had observed about that baffling pitch?

He couldn't be sure if he had seen it correctly.

Just then, Coach Yamagake spoke up:

"Shinagawa, that last pitch—what was it?"

Shinagawa flinched, surprised that his coach had noticed it.

"It was… kind of like a changeup, but the drop wasn't as significant. It seemed to rise slightly at the end," Shinagawa explained hesitantly. "And the delivery was different from his usual form."

Having been prompted by his coach, Shinagawa shared everything he had experienced, leaving the judgment to Yamagake.

"What?"

The surrounding Yokohama Kouhoku players exchanged surprised looks.

Did this mean the pitcher had a hidden weapon?

"A slider mixed with a changeup, with some unique late movement, perhaps?" Yamagake mused, his eyes narrowing as a glint of determination flashed across them. "Interesting. For the next at-bats, be on guard for that pitch. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the players responded in unison.

"However, it's now their turn to attack. We must defend with everything we've got if we want a chance at victory. You all know not to underestimate Seidou's lineup, correct? Isn't that right, Ino?"

"Yes, Coach. I understand," Yokohama Kouhoku's ace Ino replied firmly, his expression resolute.

"Good."

"A first-year lefty… Sawamura Eijun, was it? This match might turn out to be far tougher than I anticipated," Coach Yamagake thought as he glanced at Eijun's faint silhouette in the Seidou dugout.

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