Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Home run!!!

After hitting the ball, Sawamura, standing in the Batter's Box, did not immediately start running the bases. He let go of his bat and stared at his hands, looking at them for a brief moment.

This small detail almost went unnoticed by everyone.

The crowd's attention was entirely focused on the baseball that had been hit.

The ball kept flying, soaring up and above the stands.

The Texas team's players were dumbfounded.

At this moment, their spectators were no better off.

Though the two teams hadn't been playing for long, their styles were already fully on display.

It was clear that the Texas team emphasized individual explosiveness, while the Seidou High School team focused more on team coordination.

Yet, now the team that valued coordination had managed to hit a home run thanks to one player's individual effort.

Whether it was the American Texas team's players, their fans, or their Coach, all of them had faces twisted in disbelief.

Inside, they felt utterly frustrated.

They were rooted to the spot, completely stunned.

On the other side, in Seidou High School's dugout.

"OOOOHHHHHHH!"

"That Bastard Just Went On And Did It!"

"Follow That Plan You Demon Brat!!"

"Damn it! Stealing all the limelight like that!"

"Stupid! Don't expose you are jealous!"

"His first at-bat in America was his first home run!"

"Eijun-kun!"

"Sawamura-senpai!!"

"This is so cool!"

The teammates were ecstatic, jumping up and down.

Even though they had plenty of confidence in Sawamura's abilities before, the psychological shadow Lincoln had cast over them during their previous encounters was immense.

They had never dared to imagine that they could hit Lincoln's pitches, not even in their wildest dreams.

Even they felt that it was too much to hope for.

Yet, Sawamura, by sheer force of will, made that impossible hope a reality.

Their Demon King was still as magnificent as ever.

However, would the Texas team truly allow the victory they had in their grasp to slip away?

Of course, the answer was no.

"Forget about what happened, it could be just dumb luck; focus on the game!"

The Texas team's Coach was also an expert. He quickly realized what was most important for them at this moment.

As soon as Eijun hit the home run, he immediately sent someone onto the field to relay the orders.

The order was simple:

Focus on the upcoming batter!

It must be said that the players of the Texas team didn't just grow tall for nothing. They were not only physically imposing but also had open minds.

They quickly turned the page and got back to focusing on the rest of the game.

Even Lincoln, who had shown signs of being off his game after the home run, didn't go crazy after giving up the home run.

Instead, he quickly calmed himself down.

Any player who ultimately succeeds has not done so by luck.

After all, you don't just win one game and become successful. It's not about winning one game well; that doesn't make you a star.

It takes a series of games and the accumulation of experience.

Lincoln, became one of the top baseball stars in the world for a reason.

Putting aside anything else, his ability to adjust his state during the game was beyond what an ordinary player could fathom.

"This is bad!"

After returning to the dugout, Sawamura realized that it was unlikely for them to turn the game around today.

After that home run, if Lincoln's form deteriorated, they would have a chance.

If Lincoln stayed at his peak, then truthfully, their chances were slim.

After all, the score difference between the two teams was still too great.

Eijun narrowed his eyes. He felt a strong sense of threat from Lincoln.

This sense of threat made his skin tingle.

'This is a challenge!'

Sawamura was certain of this in his mind.

Similarly, coach Ochiai from Seidou's baseball team noticed the same thing.

After Sawamura hit the home run, this should have been the best opportunity for Seidou High School's offense.

But unfortunately, the players failed to seize the moment…

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Yuuki Masashi, the cleanup batter, stepped up to the plate but was quickly struck out.

At his age as a first-year high school student, challenging one of the best high school players in the world was still a bit premature…

Because of his insufficient skill, Seidou High School's offensive momentum came to a sudden halt.

"The previous score difference was just too big," Coach Ochiai said regretfully.

He then turned his gaze toward Coach Kataoka.

The players must have been curious as to why Coach Kataoka made such arrangements at the start.

If they were going to have Sawamura play, why not start with him from the beginning?

Based on the current situation:

If they had started with Eijun from the beginning, they would have had a much better chance of winning.

But only Coach Ochiai and the others knew the true intentions of Coach Kataoka.

He was truly a coach who cared deeply about his players.

"In the previous games, our players were always in control, and the opposition barely had any chances to lead. We've never had a situation where we've been at such a large disadvantage!"

Before they left for America to play the exchange game, Coach Kataoka had raised this issue during an internal meeting with the Seidou High School baseball team.

"With our strength, it's unlikely for the opponents to have a lead on us, let alone by a large margin…"

At that time, President Ota had said, rubbing his hands together.

In his view, Coach Kataoka's concern was not an issue.

"That may not be the case. According to the information from Miyuki and Sawamura, the opponents have definitely done their homework on us. Don't underestimate the high school baseball teams out there. If they want to cause trouble, we may not be able to handle it, and we might even lose in an unexpected way."

Although Takashima had full confidence in their own players, she did not rule out the possibility of a surprise loss.

In fact, such things had happened before.

If not, why would there be so few teams that could dominate the national stage continuously?

"How to adjust our mindset in the face of adversity and think of ways to turn the game around is our next challenge!"

With Takashima's support, Coach Kataoka declared resolutely.

President Ota, looking troubled, didn't respond.

For the players, the exchange game was indeed a good opportunity to gain experience.

After all, they had no real expectations for the outcome.

But for Coach Kataoka, it was not the same.

If a Coach took his star players to America, even if the team didn't perform exceptionally well, the fans and spectators would likely be forgiving.

But Seidou High School was different.

Seidou High School's baseball team was the national champion, the King of Koshien.

What they represented was not just the Seidou baseball team, but the entire Japan high school baseball and its pride.

If something went wrong in this game, who could accept that outcome?

As the Coach, Kataoka was ultimately the one responsible.

Coach Ochiai, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, fell silent.

'Risking your own career as a Coach for the sake of the team and players, no Coach would ever have made such a choice.'

This choice might be beneficial to the team as a whole at the moment.

But for Coach Kataoka, it was far more harmful than beneficial.

'Truly the Steel Heart Kataoka.'

...

T/N: Kataoka's nickname in high school was the 'Steel Heart Ace', it is because of his unyielding personality and a pun for his given name 'Tesshin(鉄心)' which means 'Steel Heart'.

Anyway, That's it for now!

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