Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

As the starting pitcher, Nishiyama immediately gave up a run.

In the previous games, including the one against Texas, Nishiyama had performed well.

Coach Kataoka had high expectations for this rookie.

He never imagined that it would be this rookie, whom he had high hopes for, who would cause trouble right from the start.

Paak!

The baseball flew high after being hit, and it soared right out of the field.

At the Batter's Box, a husky figure wiped his nose confidently.

With his fist pointed toward the sky, he looked down at the Seidou High School players and walked on bases.

Miyuki, the catcher, was dumbfounded!

Although Nishiyama's pitch was slightly high, it was basically thrown to the spot he asked for.

Miyuki had initially thought that the stocky opponent in front of him was a typical power hitter, surely lacking in technical skills.

But when they actually faced off, it was completely different. Despite his heavy build, the opponent was incredibly skilled in hitting.

Even the most tricky pitches, he could send flying with his sharp and powerful swing.

What was more surprising was that the opponent's swing seemed utterly brutal from the outside.

It was as though he simply swung the bat, and the ball flew out of the park.

Simple, crude, yet powerful!

This man was the leadoff hitter for San Francisco Golden Gate Academy.

He was known as The King Kong.

In the rest area of Seidou High School, Sawamura touched the back of his neck, feeling somewhat sentimental.

Compared to back in Japan, he encountered more familiar faces here.

This muscular guy was one of them.

He had a lot of setbacks on his way to the Major League, but he eventually became an excellent hitter.

He was one of the top hitters in the Major League, ranking in the top five for home runs among players from the same period.

Even in Sawamura's past MLB career, he had suffered quite a few defeats at the hands of this guy.

Later, as they got to know each other, Sawamura took the chance to ask him about his hitting style.

"How do you manage to always accurately hit the ball despite your seemingly chaotic swing?"

The guy's answer nearly made Sawamura blow a fuse.

"Hehe, it's not skill, just talent!"

He wasn't modest at all!

Later, Sawamura Eijun also started using that phrase as his own catchphrase.

"King Kong, Angelo!!"

Before this, Sawamura didn't know that this guy was actually on the San Francisco team.

The game began with a home run, and the score was 1:0, with Seidou High School trailing by one run.

After playing a few easy games, the players from Seidou High School were momentarily thrown off by this situation.

How did they end up behind so suddenly?

As the game continued, the players from Seidou High School erupted.

After winning several games, the players had inevitably become a bit big-headed.

Unconsciously, they had started to treat their opponents carelessly.

Now, being chased and attacked by the opponent like this, they were in disarray.

There was no way they would let this slide.

After giving up a home run, Nishiyama quickly regained his composure and successfully got three outs.

What surprised Nishiyama was that he thought the leadoff hitter was already so strong, so the fourth batter should have been even stronger.

But when they faced off, he realized it wasn't the case at all.

San Francisco's strongest batter was their first batter.

Other batters were clearly not in the same league.

Even their fourth batter was much weaker.

So, Nishiyama quickly managed to get three Outs.

Three Outs, offense, and defense exchanged.

Then, it was time for Seidou High School's offense.

In the following part of the game, the players of Seidou erupted.

Their eruption was swift, catching the opponents completely off guard.

They started lagging with the pitcher of San Francisco, pulling hits and reaching base.

It also left Coaches Kataoka and Ochiai in the rest area somewhat confused.

With the majority of Seidou High School's main players on the field, even though Sawamura was resting on the bench, the team's strength was still formidable.

Once they got to Koshien, they would be one of the strongest teams.

Though they might not win the title of national champions, they were certainly strong enough to compete with other top-tier teams.

When the players from Seidou High School built up momentum, it was difficult for a team with this kind of strength to stop them.

The two teams exchanged blows for two innings.

The result was still 1:0.

Seidou High School couldn't gain an advantage over their opponents.

And the opponents couldn't find any breakthroughs against Seidou.

After several rounds of competition, it was clear that both teams were evenly matched.

Next came the third inning.

At the start of the third inning, Coach Kataoka made a substitution.

He didn't want Nishiyama to face Angelo again.

Angelo's hitting was extraordinary.

Even Coach Kataoka had to be cautious about it.

That's why he sent in Furuya at this point.

Compared to Nishiyama, Furuya's pitching would definitely give Coach Kataoka more confidence.

From the previous exchange games, it was clear that Furuya's pitching velocity was extremely fast. This speed not only left Japanese batters struggling but also posed a challenge to American players.

Before facing him the team from Seidou High School quickly switched to a new pitcher.

"You're still impressive, huh?"

"you got them frightened like kittens from one at-bat."

As expected, the players from San Francisco attributed Seidou High School's actions to fear—fear of being hit with another home run by Angelo.

Although the pitcher who previously took the mound for Seidou High School appeared calm, even after giving up a home run, he wasn't overly panicked. He quickly regained his composure with the catcher's help and efficiently dealt with the remaining batters.

However, if he continued facing Angelo, he'd probably struggle to maintain his current state after successive hits.

A pitcher who gives up a home run and still stabilizes the situation isn't exactly rare, but if two home runs were hit, the situation would be drastically different.

That would indicate that the pitcher doesn't have the skill to compete at this level.

In such circumstances, continuing to use Nishiyama as the pitcher was undoubtedly dangerous.

One wrong move and things could go irreparably wrong!

Coach Kataoka decisively substituted Nishiyama out.

Nishiyama, however, was upset.

He thought he could handle that muscular guy in the next rounds. He didn't think it was fair to be replaced just because of one bad pitch.

Reluctantly, Nishiyama slumped onto the bench.

But someone sat next to him.

"Sawamura-senpai!" Nishiyama looked confused at his senpai.

Since joining Seidou High School's baseball team, Sawamura had always been quite the good senpai, offering advice and guidance.

"This is Seidou!" Sawamura's voice was unexpectedly monotone. "You do your best and be ready when the Coach gives you the chance, sometimes you do well and sometimes you miss them. So don't be stuck at one moment and get ready for the next."

Nishiyama glanced at the imposing figure of Coach Kataoka, whose back, framed by sunglasses, appeared exceptionally tall.

"Don't look so bitter. Think about your first-year teammates. Many of them haven't even had a chance to step onto the field. Compared to them, you're already in the best position!"

Kuramochi, before going on defense, spoke earnestly.

As teammates from Dormitory No. 5, they were supposed to have a senior-junior relationship, not much of a difference. However, Kuramochi consciously kept some distance from the two younger freshmen.

After all, Kuramochi was already a third-year student, and his time with the first-year students was very limited. Some things had to be handled by Sawamura, and he was unable to do it.

In such situations, it was better to set an example for the juniors.

That's why Kuramochi entrusted the task of guiding the freshmen to Sawamura.

However, sometimes he couldn't help but feel frustrated.

Kuramochi thought Nishiyama was used to success. Although not a bad person by nature, he had some minor issues.

Kuramochi felt that if Nishiyama didn't change his attitude, always thinking the world revolved around him, he would ultimately suffer a great loss.

As for Asada, he was also a bit troubling. His personality was too meek.

A meek character was a major flaw for any baseball player, especially for a pitcher.

When Kuramochi thought about these freshmen, he was overwhelmed with concern.

But Sawamura Eijun, sitting beside him, didn't have such problems.

"Things will work themselves out. We worry about things that often never happen. But once you see a problem, you've got to help fix it. Just don't let it paralyze you," Sawamura thought.

Nishiyama and Asada both had their struggles.

With such intense inner competition in Seidou, they were bound to encounter some pressure from the upperclassmen.

Despite the fact that Kuramochi and Sawamura were doing it all for their own good, they would still experience some frustration.

Anyway, let's get back to the game.

Once the pitcher was switched, the effect was immediate.

Furuya's pitching speed was sharp, and his fighting spirit was unstoppable.

His pitching wasn't just about a fastball, it was like a living monster.

Even the seasoned players from San Francisco, who prided themselves on their experience, were at a complete loss when facing Furuya's fastballs.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

There was no hesitation as Furuya easily got two strikeouts.

It was as effortless as breathing, with no exertion whatsoever.

The San Francisco players were dumbfounded.

Before the game, they knew about Furuya, but they never imagined his abilities could be this formidable.

Calling him a monster wouldn't be an exaggeration!

Even Angelo, the best batter, was feeling pressured.

…