Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 235: Ikuei Match – Another Tactical Shift

"No outs, runners on second and third. The ace, Kimura, steps onto the mound under the spotlight. Here comes the first pitch!"

In this critical situation, there's no need to overthink—go straight for it, Matsushita.

Kimura bent slightly at the waist, his expression cold, arms swaying slightly.

Kimura was undoubtedly a power pitcher.

He never hesitated or worried about the circumstances; his mind was solely fixated on delivering his own brand of baseball.

From a certain perspective, Kimura's mindset really was the strongest.

At home plate, Ikuei's starting catcher, Matsushita, smirked faintly.

Sato's pitching style had been tailored to fit the team's tactical needs, but Kimura was different.

He was naturally aggressive, a dominant force on the mound.

Perhaps Kimura could deliver Seidou a surprising blow.

"The first pitch must make a statement—unleash your arm fully, Kimura. A fastball, dead center!" Matsushita signaled, his fingers twitching subtly beneath his glove.

"Heh…"

A sinister grin spread across Kimura's face.

"Whoosh!"

With a lifted right leg and a forceful stride, Kimura whipped his left arm violently.

A white flash of cold light shot forward like a bullet, roaring toward the batter's box. The energy was ferocious.

Dead center?! This pitcher!

At the plate, Masuko's expression tightened. He stepped wide, bracing himself.

"Swoosh!"

The bat swung through the air with raw aggression, meeting the thunderous fastball head-on.

"Ping!"

So heavy!

Masuko's face contorted briefly. The awkward posture robbed him of the chance to fully unleash his power.

"Thud!"

The ball ricocheted sharply off the ground.

"Foul!"

"Ohhh!!! A fastball right down the middle! With runners on second and third, Ikuei's ace didn't shy away—he chose to face it head-on. That's the poise of a true ace pitcher!"

"Damn, the first pitch was already that intense?"

"With a runner on third too!"

"And that was against Seidou's fifth batter, a powerhouse hitter. Ikuei's guts are on full display here."

"That pitch was clocked at 145 km/h. It looked seriously fast."

"A lefty with a high-velocity fastball, and isn't his out-pitch supposed to be a screwball?"

"As expected of a third-year ace. His skill and confidence are top-notch."

"Seidou needs to break through now. If this pitcher finds his rhythm, Seidou's batters are going to have a hard time."

"Yeah, exactly."

"Second pitch—slightly lower in the zone. Don't aim for precision, just keep it down, Kimura."

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball."

"The second pitch was low and outside, missing the strike zone. The batter held back."

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Thud!"

"Foul!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Ball."

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Thud!"

"Foul!"

"This pitcher's ball keeps moving all over the place, but the strike zone and the balls outside it are clearly distinguished. That pitch should be coming soon. If I can deal with his out-pitch..."

As this thought flickered through Masuko Tooru's mind—

"Shuu!"

A sharp white flash cut through the air.

At the plate, Masuko's pupils shrank, and his bat instinctively moved to meet the pitch.

"Pop!"

"Strike! Batter out!"

A fastball?!

Masuko froze for a moment, realizing his mistake.

He had been too preoccupied with anticipating the screwball.

Closing his eyes briefly, he sighed in resignation.

As he opened them, he caught a glimpse of Kimura's smirking face on the mound.

"The final choice was a fastball. With just a straight pitch, Ikuei's ace, Kimura, struck out Seidou's fifth batter. One out!"

In the dugout, Coach Natsume nodded calmly. "That's it. Don't let them get an easy swing. The infield must stay alert to prevent any forced runs, while the outfield remains ready for a home-to-plate throw in case of a sacrifice fly."

"Batting sixth, catcher, Miyuki Kazuya-kun."

"Be careful, Miyuki. That guy's pitches are heavy. It's not the same dull weight as Kiryu's ace, but the force is just as strong," Masuko muttered as he passed by.

Miyuki's face hardened as he nodded silently.

He quickly scanned the defensive setup—the infielders had moved in, the outfielders adjusted. Ikuei was fully committed to preventing any runs.

"They're dead set on protecting this score," Miyuki thought.

Tapping his metal bat lightly on the plate, his mind calculated strategies.

In the on-deck circle, Eijun watched intently. "Be careful, Miyuki-senpai. That lefty's pitches are no joke. He's like a wild beast on the mound."

Indeed, just from the energy and feel of Kimura's pitches, Eijun could tell—this pitcher wasn't just fast but ferocious.

"More than hitting the ball, you can't let him control the pace," Eijun muttered internally.

"!!"

But at the plate, Miyuki's focus narrowed.

Suddenly, Ikuei's battery changed tactics again.

Miyuki's eyes widened.

"Is this… a complete shift in style?!"

The previous aggressive, chaotic pitching was gone.

Kimura was now throwing borderline pitches with precision—low, high, dancing on the edges of the strike zone.

"Whoosh!"

"Ping!"

"Foul!"

"What the...? He's supposedly bad at control, but why is he nailing the high corners so perfectly? Is his control bad or good?!"

Miyuki clenched his teeth in frustration as he fouled off another pitch.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike!"

Miyuki's timing was being systematically disrupted.

The deliberate pacing was suffocating, as if Kimura was dragging the game out while flashing pitches at 140 km/h.

"Whoosh!"

"Bang!"

A screwball?!

Miyuki's eyes widened in alarm as the pitch suddenly twisted.

He swung, his expression darkening.

"Thud!"

The ball smacked into the ground sharply.

Miyuki grit his teeth, tossing his bat aside and sprinting toward first.

At the same time, Isashiki Jun, standing on third, tensed and prepared to run.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

Ikuei's shortstop scooped up the ball cleanly, his eyes flicking toward third base.

Isashiki hesitated, biting his lip as he returned to the bag, unwilling to take the risk.

The shortstop quickly fired the ball to first.

"Pop!"

"Out!"

"Seidou's sixth batter, Miyuki, is thrown out at first! Two outs!"

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