Chapter 26: Digging His Own Grave

Sankou was a formidable opponent, and Coach Kataoka had faced many defeats against them in the past. He was determined not to let his team stumble on the same stone again.

In the top of the fourth inning, Seidou High School was up to bat.

The first batter was Kominato Haruichi.

He was cautious, holding his bat high. And Amahisa on the mound remained calm despite the challenging opponent.

'Wood bat!'

In today's high school baseball world, using a wooden bat is rare. It requires exceptional confidence in one's contact skills.

'Unfortunately for you, I am also confident that you won't hit the ball squarely. Let's see if my confidence or yours is more accurate.'

With that, Amahisa took his stride and hurled the ball with all his might.

Maintaining a stable pitching stance while giving your all is the minimum standard for a top pitcher. In this respect, Amahisa indeed demonstrated top-tier skill.

As the ball entered the strike zone, Haruichi swung his bat.

Paak!

The white ball soared high.

'I missed!'

The sharpness of Amahisa's breaking ball exceeded Kominato Haruichi's expectations. He could only watch helplessly as the ball flew out of reach.

In Seidou High's dugout, Coach Ochiai stroked his goatee and grumbled.

'If he had used a metal bat, that ball wouldn't have ended up like this.'

A metal bat can throw the ball faster with less power compared to a wood one, so even a not-perfect contact will send the ball flying. Coach Ochiai believed that Haruichi would have had better results with a metal bat.

Coach Ochiai found this frustrating.

After Kominato was Out, it was time for Seidou High's core lineup to bat.

"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun."

Facing Sawamura, who had just hit a home run, Sankou's battery gave their all.

Likewise, Sawamura showed no hesitation.

He assumed a bunt stance.

Even with no one on base, Sawamura's bunt stance guaranteed a hit!

Seeing Sawamura so serious, the catcher for Sankou felt a twinge of fear.

'According to their previous information, Sawamura had hardly ever missed a pitch in this stance.'

'What to do?'

As he pondered, he saw Amahisa on the mound firmly shake his head.

'No need for tricks or extra precautions.'

'Just a direct confrontation is enough.'

What nonsense about guaranteed hits—Amahisa didn't believe in that.

As long as the batter swings, there's a chance to hit the ball, and also a chance not to.

The same logic applies to pitchers.

Amahisa trusted his pitching!

More importantly, he wasn't about to back down against Sawamura.

'That's your call. Don't blame me if Coach scolds you later.'

Sankou's catcher, understanding his partner's resolve, offered no objections.

He knew this wasn't the time to avoid a showdown with Sawamura. Avoiding confrontation now would mean admitting defeat and crushing the team's morale.

Facing Sawamura now was like being pushed into a corner—there was no way out.

Bring it on!

With this resolve, Sankou's catcher gave Amahisa the sign.

Whoosh!

The small white ball sped through the air like a sharp arrow, covering more than ten meters in an instant before appearing above home plate.

Sawamura, who had been in a bunt stance, withdrew his bat the moment Amahisa released the pitch.

As the ball approached, Sawamura decisively swung his bat.

Ping!

The ball was struck, creating a beautiful arch that landed in the gap of the defense.

Sawamura discarded his bat and sprinted forward. While running, he felt a faint tingling in the palm of his hand.

'The pitch had clearly been a breaking ball, but its power was surprisingly strong.'

'Looks like you too have been improving!'

If it weren't for Sawamura's natural talent for handling such pitchers, making contact would have been quite difficult.

"SAFE!"

Before the ball could reach first base, Sawamura had beautifully reached it.

The situation changed to one Out, with a runner on first base.

"HOWL!!!!"

The fans in the stands erupted with cheers, their roars echoing like wolf howls.

Sawamura had hit a home run earlier and now successfully reached base again.

His performance was flawless.

"Since the graduation of the third-year players, Sawamura has become increasingly prominent as a batter."

Sawamura, already very versatile, had almost no apparent weaknesses. While he had been excellent in the strike zone with the third-year seniors, he was just one of the top players.

Now, however, the Seidou High School baseball team had only two outstanding batters: Sawamura and Miyuki.

In contrast, Sawamura's presence stood out significantly.

The current results weren't due to Sawamura's dramatic improvement; it was mainly because his teammates had just started to grow stronger.

Fujio made quick notes with his carbon pen, preparing to make a report.

The game continued. With Sawamura on base, it was Miyuki's turn to bat fourth.

"Miyuki!"

"Hit it out!"

"It's all on you!!!"

Though Miyuki's popularity was somewhat lackluster out of the field, his popularity on the baseball field was undeniable.

After all, apart from Seidou High School's own players, few knew how devious Miyuki could be.

"It's so stressful!" Miyuki complained.

Yet, despite his words, his grip on the bat was firm and determined.

He held it high, ready to deliver a decisive blow.

With a runner on base, scoring was a real possibility.

In such situations, Miyuki's focus was intense.

He also had excellent long-pitch ability.

After mentally reviewing the pitch strategies of the Sankou High School's battery, Miyuki had already calculated the pitch he aimed to hit.

Here it comes!

He eagerly watched the mound, waiting for Amahisa to deliver the pitch.

Whoosh!

Without making Miyuki wait long, the ball flew towards him.

'An inside corner pitch, off the strike zone.'

The pitch seemed intended to force the batter back.

'Just as I imagined it.'

Miyuki grinned with satisfaction, thrilled that the opponent could execute this tactic.

he stepped towards the outside and swung his bat at the approaching ball.

What was originally an inside corner pitch turned into a hittable pitch in the middle for him.

Perfect!

His stance was slightly awkward, but it didn't hinder his swing.

Miyuki powerfully struck the white ball.

Ping!

The ball flew past the third baseman.

'Chance!'

Sawamura, eager to advance, raced past second base and headed for third base.

Miyuki also advanced to first base.

One Out, runners at first and third!

"THE LINEUP IS CONNECTING!!!"

"INCREDIBLE!!"

"KING SEIDOU!!!!"

"CAPTAIN!!!"

"Miyuki!! You're the best!"

The fans and Seidou's bench were ecstatic.

Sawamura!

Miyuki!!

Their linking was Seidou's greatest scoring guarantee.

Facing them head-on without flinching, Kousei was practically digging his own grave.

"Shiratsu, it's up to you!"

"Crush the opponent in one go!"

"You're a man, It's your moment to shine and show your true resolve!!"

The players in the dugout cheered for the next batter.

"Fifth batter, right fielder, Shiratsu-kun."

…