Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 236: Turmoil Reignites in the Battle of Ikuei

Miyuki was struck out.

It must be admitted, Ikuei High School's ace truly lives up to his title.

While he appears rough and aggressive, and might actually be so, on the field, he exhibits excellent control and composure.

He sticks to his beliefs but doesn't act recklessly.

After all, a straightforward and impulsive player wouldn't be able to shoulder the responsibility of wearing the ace's number.

"We got played by this guy," Miyuki said with a hint of helplessness as he walked off the field.

Despite a great opportunity with runners on second and third, neither the fifth nor sixth batters could capitalize on it.

Now, with two outs and runners still on second and third, the situation balanced out for both teams.

The tens of thousands of spectators at Hanshin Koshien Stadium erupted in astonishment when Kimura secured two outs.

"Well done, Kimura!"

"Keep that rhythm, Ace!"

"Great pitch, Kimura-senpai!"

"Keep going, keep going, keep going!"

Ikuei High School's bench and cheering section also erupted into enthusiastic applause.

In the first inning, Ikuei's tactical adjustments caught Seidou High off guard.

Just as Seidou started regaining their usual rhythm, Ikuei struck again.

Their adjustments in the fourth inning disrupted Seidou's offense, forcing them back into a disadvantage.

These guys are far trickier than we expected.

"It's rare to see Miyuki-senpai get outsmarted like that," Eijun said with a slight grin.

"..." Miyuki rolled his eyes. This guy...

"Be careful with his high pitches. He's exceptionally good at keeping them in the strike zone," Miyuki whispered, his tone serious.

"Got it," Eijun replied firmly, adjusting his cap.

"Seventh batter, left fielder, Sawamura-kun."

After Miyuki's out, Eijun also struggled to gain an advantage against the pitcher.

Exploiting his lack of power, Ikuei High completely suppressed Eijun's swings, leaving him with no chance to score.

In the end, despite having runners on second and third with no outs, Seidou failed to add more runs.

Ikuei High forced three consecutive outs, ending Seidou's offense in the top of the fourth with only one run.

The game entered the middle innings tied, with Seidou's momentum abruptly halted.

The match then entered a relatively steady phase, with neither team gaining a clear upper hand.

In the top of the sixth inning, Seidou managed to score one run, taking advantage of an error by ace Kimura that advanced a runner to third, followed by a timely hit.

Most spectators believed Seidou had slowly taken control of the game's rhythm in this relatively calm phase.

However, this perception only reflected the audience's view. In reality, the situations faced by both aces were entirely different, and a significant gap began to emerge.

This gap became evident in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Ping!

A loud sound echoed as Kimura, standing at the batter's box, threw his bat aside and sprinted with a triumphant expression. On the mound, Tanba's pale face said it all.

"Two runs scored! They've taken the lead!"

"Haha! A dual-threat! That's our ace!"

"Great job, Kimura-senpai!"

"Let's go, Sato!"

With walks, hits, and a crucial timely hit by the fifth batter, Tanba couldn't hold out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

After securing one out, he was completely overwhelmed.

At home plate, Miyuki let out a helpless sigh. Recently, Tanba had shown significant growth in his mentality.

Even after allowing two runs, he didn't crumble but stood resolutely on the mound.

However, this didn't change the fact that his fastball had been completely targeted.

In the past, Tanba had two major weaknesses: his mentality and the weakness of his fastball.

While the former had been thoroughly addressed, the latter wasn't something that could be fixed in a short period.

It remained a glaring issue.

Ikuei High School had spent six innings analyzing him, and finally, they cracked the code.

Miyuki glanced toward the Seidou bench, where Coach Kataoka gave a slight nod.

The plan had always been to replace Tanba after this inning, but no one expected Ikuei to seize the opportunity so perfectly. With one out and runners on first and second, a single hit brought in two RBIs.

Now, with one out and a runner on second, despite facing the lower part of Ikuei's batting order, Seidou couldn't afford to take any risks.

"Oh? Looks like there's movement on Seidou's bench."

"They're going to make a change, huh? Losing two runs here was unavoidable."

"Still, he's their ace. Maybe he can tough it out since it's just the lower order?"

"No, it's clear his fastball is being targeted."

"Such a shame. He pitched so well in the first five innings, and that early run wasn't even his fault."

"Yeah, but with a two-run deficit this late in the game, Seidou can't afford to gamble."

"Who's coming in, then?"

"Do you even need to ask? It's obvious who they'll send."

Ikuei's bench also noticed the change. Coach Natsume narrowed his eyes.

They're switching pitchers? If so, it's highly likely to be that left-handed pitcher.

Coach Natsume's gaze sharpened as he focused on the figure jogging from left field to the mound.

The stadium erupted into thunderous cheers.

"Player substitution for Seidou High School. Replacing pitcher Tanba is No. 11, Sawamura-kun. Replacing Sawamura in left field is Sakai-kun."

"Ohhhh, Sawamura-kun, we're counting on you!"

"Eijun-kun, take them down!"

"Eijun, let's go!"

"Sawamura-kun, strike them all out!"

At the center of the mound stood two figures: Eijun and Miyuki.

"I thought you'd spend this entire game in left field," Miyuki remarked casually, earning a slight pout from Eijun.

"I thought so too," Eijun replied softly.

"But Coach decided to put you on the mound. Do you know what that means?" Miyuki asked in a serious tone. "In moments of crisis, the pitcher Coach trusts the most is you."

"I know. From here on out, I won't give them another run," Eijun said, adjusting his cap. His eyes glinted with determination. "I'm the man who will become the ace!"

"Heh, then I'll leave it to you, future Ace," Miyuki said with a grin, patting Eijun on the chest. "One out, a runner on second. Even though it's the lower order, don't let your guard down."

"Got it, Miyuki-senpai," Eijun replied firmly, his gaze steady as he prepared to face the challenge ahead.

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