Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Miyuki's Out was an outcome that the members of the Seidou High School baseball team could not accept.

This marked the near-complete loss of Seidou's hope of a comeback!

It was already the top of the eighth inning, and after Miyuki's Out, the batting lineup turned to the sixth batter, Maezono.

Only five more Outs were needed, and the Texas team was about to win this match.

Among the remaining five batters, including Maezono, Toujou, and Kuramochi, there were strong players.

However, compared to the Texas team's Ace, Lincoln, these three didn't seem particularly formidable.

From their previous confrontations, it was hard to imagine that such a lineup could break through Lincoln's pitching.

It's over!!

Since Miyuki's Out, despair had descended upon the Seidou High School baseball team's dugout.

Sitting on the bench, Sawamura Eijun exuded an aura of overwhelming power.

He was like a natural incandescent bulb, attracting attention wherever he went.

In the past, whenever the Seidou baseball team saw Sawamura, they felt an immense sense of reassurance.

They believed that as long as they were with Sawamura, no matter who the opponent was, no matter how tough the situation, they would never lose.

Having absolute trust in your Ace is never a bad thing, no matter the time or place.

But the team had given up too many runs earlier, and no matter how well Sawamura performed on his own, it was too little too late.

'This is probably what Coach Kataoka wanted to convey to the players,' Coach Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Although Coach Kataoka had made such a suggestion, he hadn't given a detailed explanation.

However, Ochiai thought that Kataoka likely had this plan in mind.

After all, it was a very important lesson for the current Seidou High baseball team.

'A true champion team could never be a one-man show. No matter how great a player was, no matter what position they held, it wasn't enough for the team to rely solely on him.'

That was something Coach Kataoka would have to personally gauge and shape.

In a situation where Sawamura could no longer carry the team to victory on his own, how would the remaining players perform?

Only those who could still demonstrate their individual strength under such circumstances deserved to wear Seidou's main roster number for the upcoming Summer Koshien.

At this moment, coach Ochiai understood Coach Kataoka's intention clearly.

Meanwhile, Maezono, stepping up to the Batter's Box, refused to back down.

His entire expression was like that of an enraged warrior, determined to strike the opponent down to the depths of hell.

Miyuki's Out was a heavy blow for Maezono as well.

The top-ranked player of their batch couldn't even find a way to get past this pitcher!

'Could I do it?'

When Maezono asked himself, he honestly had very little confidence.

But whether he was confident or not, the situation before him had to be faced alone.

As Seidou's fifth batter(currently sixth) and the vice-captain of the team, Maezono felt it was his responsibility to hit this pitcher.

Even though the opponent's pitching seemed incredibly strong, Maezono believed his own power could rival it.

Moreover, Maezono was particularly good at dealing with straightforward, violent pitchers like this one.

'Bring It On!'

His eyes widened, locking onto the baseball coming toward him.

Whrroosh!

Then Maezono saw the baseball flying toward him.

At this moment, Maezono's heart was racing with excitement.

Lincoln's pitch speed was fast, and the ball's force was strong.

At first, even Maezono, who wasn't lacking in strength, had been thrown off by his opponent, following his pace.

But after two rounds of adjustment, Maezono felt he had found the rhythm of the game.

There was no need to rush—he would patiently wait for the ball to come closer. Once it was in his range, he would hit it out in one go.

'Now's the time!'

Calculating the timing, Maezono gathered all his strength into his arms and swung the bat with all his might.

Paak!

Whoosh!

The bat made contact with the baseball, causing it to let out a shrill scream as it flew high into the air.

But Maezono's smile, which had just begun to form, froze on his face.

'How could this be?'

The ball barely reacted to the contact with the bat. In fact, because Maezono had overexerted himself, the ball was sent soaring into the sky.

The Texas team's catcher stood up and effortlessly caught the ball in his Mitt.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

Two Outs, no one on base.

The Texas team was now just four Outs away from victory.

Now, it was Toujou's turn to step up to the Batter's Box.

Toujou's face wasn't any less tense.

Through their previous confrontations, Toujou had realized just how formidable the opponent was.

Up until now, Seidou's baseball team had only managed a home run from Sawamura, with no other hits to show for it.

Kuramochi, Shiratsu, Miyuki, Maezono…

Even the senior players Toujou deeply respected couldn't do anything against this opponent.

'Could he?'

When Toujou asked himself, he, like Maezono, had no confidence.

But with no other option, he had to face this opponent head-on.

'I will do it!'

Silently encouraging himself, Toujou stared unblinking at the pitcher, waiting for the ball to come.

Whrroosh!

The ball was faster than Toujou had imagined.

'Does the pitcher throw that fast?'

Toujou was puzzled.

But there was no time to think further because this ball came with an incredible opportunity.

The pitch almost flew straight down the middle.

Toujou realized that Lincoln was likely already exhausted after a long stint.

'What a chance!'

Toujou's eyes lit up.

He wasn't unaware of the risks, but in a straight-up confrontation, he didn't have the confidence to hit Lincoln's pitches.

At this moment, all he could do was take the risk.

Even if the pitch was a trap, he would dive right in without hesitation.

As the ball flew toward him, Toujou swung his bat.

PAAK!

The bat made a loud impact against the baseball, and Toujou felt like his arms had been run over by a truck.

'So heavy!'

He had thought that the opponent's pitches would have lost some of their power by now, seeing his seniors struggle to hit them.

But now, it was clear he had underestimated his opponent.

Lincoln's pitches hadn't weakened at all; if anything, they had become even stronger.

The baseball was hit and bounced straight to the shortstop.

The shortstop picked it up and threw it to first base.

Snap!

"OUT!!!"

In the top of the eighth inning, despite the best efforts of the hitters from the Seidou Baseball Team to launch an attack, all of their attempts ended in failure.

As the game reached its final moments, the ace pitcher of the Texas Team, Lincoln, remained calm and composed, like a seasoned monk.

Especially after being hit by a home run from Sawamura, rather than breaking down, Lincoln actually regained his rhythm.

In the stands, there was a person eagerly waiting to see Sawamura's performance—Abel.

While observing Sawamura, he naturally did not overlook Lincoln's performance.

At first, although Lincoln's performance on the field was impressive, Abel thought it was simply "good," nothing extraordinary.

In the Major Leagues, there were many players with similar styles and abilities. Even among the high school pitchers in America, many resembled Lincoln.

For the Chicago White Sox, it would certainly be nice to have such a player, but it wouldn't be a great loss if they didn't get him.

However, after watching him more closely, Abel could clearly see that Lincoln's abilities were not to be underestimated.

For Abel, though, Lincoln's current skill level was secondary. What was most important was the potential he had shown in this game.

The kind of potential that made Abel almost drool.

When the time came for them to graduate, it would be ideal for the White Sox to acquire Sawamura.

But if they couldn't get him, Lincoln would still be a good choice...

By now, Abel had already started considering Lincoln as one of the players he might develop.

In a way, the Texas Team's strategy had indeed succeeded.

Of course, neither Sawamura nor Lincoln knew that they had both passed Abel's personal 'interview' at this point.

For now, they were completely focused on the game, with no thoughts of anything else.

Sawamura's eyes were sharp as if they could cut through flesh.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Texas Team began their attack.

Sawamura did not exert much effort but still easily recorded three Outs, including two of the higher-ranked batters for the Texas Team.

For batters facing Sawamura for the first time, it was difficult to hit his pitches.

Not even considering his vast experience or his perfect coordination with Miyuki, just evaluating the raw ability Sawamura displayed was enough to show how formidable he was.

His fastballs hovered around 147 km/h, and even his breaking balls had speeds above 144 km/h.

With such rapid pitching rhythm and pinpoint control, when you add Sawamura's eccentric pitching form into the mix, he could easily overpower 90% of the batters in the world.

On top of that, his arsenal included strange breaking balls and unpredictable Moving balls—enough to dominate the world.

Even if someone else had such abilities, they could still rule the baseball world with those weapons in hand.

In such a case, trying to hit Sawamura's pitches after only watching some game footage online was incredibly difficult.

It's not to say that no one in the world could manage it.

After all, the world is vast and full of surprises. But in this vast world, there was no one in the Texas Team who could hope to beat Sawamura.

Despite their high skill level, they still fell short when compared to Sawamura.

"OUT!"

"OUT!!"

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

One pop fly out, one grounder out, and one Strikeout.

Though Sawamura employed different rhythms, he made quick and efficient work of the outs.

The Texas Team was silent, their players immersed in Sawamura's overwhelming strength.

It was hard to imagine that they could defeat this pitcher.

Clap! Clap!!!

At this moment, the Texas Team's Coach stood up and clapped twice before speaking decisively.

"They're strong!"

This, the Texas Coach did not deny.

"But we're stronger! We're leading now, and as long as we get these last three Outs, we'll send those Japanese little suckers back where they came from."

In the end, the Coach even cursed.

It was a well-timed curse, and the players of the Texas Team felt they could finally release their pent-up frustration.

It felt good.

No matter how strong the opponents were, it no longer mattered.

In the end, the winners would be them.

With that belief, the Texas Team's players took their positions on the field.

…