Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

In the top of the third inning, the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team is on the offensive!

Under the guidance of Miyuki, Furuya has fully unleashed the power of his fastball. Even the players of the Wind Youth Academy team, when facing Furuya, are still left helpless.

After all, hitting a pitch that fast is no easy feat.

In the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team's dugout, no one, from their Coach to the players, is looking at ease.

If the game continues like this, don't even think about forcing Sawamura to take the mound.

If the opposing team doesn't make a substitution, it will be lucky if they can stabilize the situation.

With Conrad serving as the pitcher, this is probably the strongest lineup that the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team can put forward.

If such a lineup still cannot defeat the team in front of them, then the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team will likely be finished.

At some point, one can't take it anymore, and when that happens, there's no need to hold back.

The Coach of the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team's gaze flickers, revealing a hint of fierceness.

He turns to look at the nonchalant man lounging in the dugout.

This man is named Kyle Johannesburg, one of the hidden cards of the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team.

He had a fleeting performance when he faced the Tokyo team earlier.

However, due to the strong suppression from Sawamura Eijun, he was unable to shine.

That doesn't mean, however, that Johannesburg's strength is not formidable.

For the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team, which has been driven into a corner, this is their last chance.

Regardless of how slim the chances of success are, they have to try.

"Stop sleeping! I'll have you go out to bat in the next inning!" the Coach of the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team directly tells Johannesburg.

Upon hearing this, Johannesburg, who had been lazily lounging on the bench, grins and flashes a wide smile with his white teeth.

"Just you wait and see!"

Johannesburg stands up, exuding a much more aggressive aura, quite the opposite of his previous lazy demeanor.

At this point, the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team has made up their mind—this is their last shot.

But before that, they still have to face the upcoming offensive from the Seidou High School baseball team.

Seidou's lineup is up next, and it's the second batter in the order—Kominato Haruichi, the one who hit the pitch from Weede during the first encounter all the way to the outfield.

Standing at the Batter's Box, Kominato Haruichi is physically quite small compared to the players on the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team.

It's hard to believe that this opponent is also a high school student, right?

If someone encountered Kominato Haruichi on the street, they might easily mistake him for a middle schooler, around 14 or 15 years old.

Naturally, the Los Angeles players are internally skeptical about his small stature.

However, after having been defeated repeatedly in previous encounters and facing a harsh defeat from Narumiya Mei in the Tokyo exchange game, they have learned not to underestimate him.

In their earlier duel against Kominato Haruichi, they suffered significant losses.

Given this situation, no one dares to comment on Kominato Haruichi's size and physique anymore.

Instead, their eyes carry a hint of fear when they look at him.

Facing an opponent with such a build, the mental pressure on them is immense.

Winning is expected; losing would be embarrassing.

Most importantly, after their previous encounters, they now clearly know that while Kominato Haruichi may be small in stature, his skills are unparalleled.

An opponent like this, who defies all logic, causes them to wonder in their minds.

On the other hand, Kominato Haruichi is full of fighting spirit.

Come to think of it, they've also had some past interactions with Conrad. During the earlier Tokyo exchange game, Conrad's team was regarded as a teaching example for Seidou High.

The players have reviewed the footage numerous times.

The intention of Coach Kataoka and Takashima was to let everyone experience a different style of baseball, while also showing them the vastness of the world…

Who would have thought that this opportunity would provide such significant help to Kominato Haruichi?

Had they not thoroughly studied the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team beforehand, they would still have felt great pressure when facing them.

To be honest, Seidou's baseball team isn't as strong overall as theirs.

The reason they are evenly matched now, or even have the upper hand in some respects, is primarily because they have access to detailed information about the opponent.

As for the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team, they know next to nothing about Seidou.

It is precisely because of this advantage that Seidou can easily hold the lead.

Seidou knew how to take advantage of this and get the most out of it.

Otherwise, do you really think that the top ten teams from America are pushovers?

Right now, the situation is no different.

Kominato Haruichi's mind is filled with all the information he has gathered about Conrad's pitching.

He can't wait to see how Conrad's pitch will differ from the ones he has studied.

At the same time, he has made up his mind: as soon as that baseball comes his way, he will definitely hit it to the outfield.

Roaar!

Without much waiting, the baseball comes flying toward him.

The moment Kominato Haruichi sees the pitch coming, his expression becomes complicated.

Even though he's watched the footage of this pitch over a hundred times, and has simulated it in his mind even more, seeing it live with his own eyes feels entirely different.

The ball is coming much faster than he imagined.

'Moreover, the angle at which it's thrown is even more devious.'

Conrad is a left-handed pitcher, and pitches from the left are notoriously tricky.

'What's more, Conrad's arm length is much longer than most pitchers'.'

'As a result, the curve of his pitches is much more pronounced compared to others of the same type!'

From the right-handed Batter's Box, it feels as though the ball is coming directly at him.

Kominato Haruichi instinctively steps back.

This feeling doesn't even go through his mind—it's a completely unconscious reaction, like when you instinctively blink when something moves in front of your eyes.

It's a completely reflexive action.

When Kominato Haruichi comes to his senses and stops this foolish motion to properly observe the pitch, the ball has already crossed the strike zone and landed in Carlisle's Mitt.

Boom!

"STRIKE!"

Without any suspense, Haruichi falls behind by one Strike.

At this moment, he finally understands why Kuramochi had been so helpless when he was struck out earlier.

'It's hard for him to overcome the natural resistance of his body.'

'At this rate, trying to hit the ball…'

Let alone hitting it to the outfield, just a normal swing would be no easy task.

'Truly impressive!'

Kominato Haruichi genuinely marvels.

At this moment, he can't help but admire both Sawamura and Miyuki.

'Just how strong must those two be to hit such a pitch?'

'It is like they are on a different level.'

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

…