Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 238: Observing the Battle of Ikuei

"Three outs, switch sides!"

"Strike!"

"That was excellent pitching, Sawamura!"

"Haha, that's the aggressive approach we need, Sawamura!"

"Keep it up, crush those guys completely!"

"Great pitch, Eijun!"

As the umpire's voice rang out, the cheers from the Seidou High dugout and their supporters erupted.

This was the unwavering trust they placed in their pitcher, Eijun, built from his consistent displays of dominance in every game.

It was absolute confidence in a first-year player.

The stadium resounded with loud cheers.

Eijun's commanding relief performance left the audience in awe.

Yet, keen observers couldn't help but notice a hint of fatigue in his movements, particularly in his wrist, which seemed slightly restrained.

While most people couldn't detect this subtle sign, there were a few who speculated about it.

After all, Eijun's debut as a relief pitcher was overwhelmingly impressive, completely shutting down Ikuei High's lineup.

Among these keen observers was Ikuei High's head coach, Natsume. At that moment, he stared at Eijun's back, a contemplative look flashing in his eyes.

"What an overpowering presence for a mere first-year pitcher. It's hard to fathom where that confidence comes from," Natsume muttered to himself.

Back in the dugout, Sato removed his cap and, looking at Eijun's figure on the third-base bench, remarked with a tinge of admiration, "Incredible."

"Indeed. His speed, control, breaking balls, and even his fastball have a slight late break. Is this pitcher really just a first-year?" Matsushita, the team's main catcher, echoed in disbelief after his recent turn at bat.

"Did it really seem that fast from the batter's box?" asked Yanagishita, the team's captain and cleanup hitter, with a doubtful tone.

After all, the scoreboard showed Eijun's pitches clocking at just 133–134 km/h, with a peak around 135 km/h.

Though their data indicated his pitching style and ball quality might make the ball appear faster, Yanagishita found it hard to believe that a mere motion could add 5 km/h visually.

That seemed like an exaggeration.

"Yes, it's mostly because his release point is difficult to see, making it hard to time his delivery. By the time you notice the ball, it's already right in front of you, costing us about 0.1–0.2 seconds of reaction time. That's a huge disadvantage for us. With more pitches, we might adjust, but now, late in the game, it's proving to be a real challenge," Sato explained with a grave expression.

As Sato finished, not only Yanagishita but others in the dugout frowned, their faces tinged with unease.

Seidou's lineup was now looking increasingly threatening.

If they couldn't score against Eijun, the outcome of the game would be uncertain.

"We're still leading. Stick to our style and maintain our resolve. Opportunities will come. He's not invincible," Coach Natsume said in a steady voice.

"Understood."

"Matsushita," Natsume called out to the catcher as the players prepared to take the field.

"Yes, Coach?"

"Watch that pitcher carefully in your next at-bat," Natsume instructed meaningfully. "Pay particular attention to his arm."

"Huh? Oh, I see. Understood, Coach," Matsushita replied, initially surprised but then smiling knowingly.

In the Seidou dugout, Miyuki removed his gear and turned to Eijun. "How's it going?"

"Not bad. My shoulder feels a bit stiff occasionally, and I can't fully extend my arm," Eijun replied, rotating his left arm with a frown. "I can still manage my usual pitches, but I probably can't throw too many two-seam fastballs. There's a higher risk of mistakes, and aiming low could lead to balls straying into the strike zone."

As he moved his arm to assess his condition, Eijun shared his concerns with Miyuki.

Miyuki nodded in understanding.

Having a clear grasp of Eijun's condition gave him confidence in managing the next pitch sequence.

Thankfully, it was just a slight fatigue issue and not something serious.

"Alright, let's focus on inside pitches for now," Miyuki said softly. "Try to get them to swing and induce groundouts instead of going for strikeouts. This will lower the pitch count and reduce your fatigue."

"Yes, I understand," Eijun replied solemnly.

Though it wouldn't be a problem to push himself for this game, they had to consider the upcoming semifinals and possibly the finals.

Overexerting Eijun now was not an option, especially since he was effectively controlling Ikuei's batting lineup.

However, if it came down to a do-or-die situation, conserving energy wouldn't matter.

Losing this game would render the semifinals and finals irrelevant for them.

"The top of the seventh inning, Seidou High School is at bat. Batting seventh, pitcher Sawamura."

"Go for it, Sawamura! Take this pitcher down!"

"It's all on you now, Sawamura. Hit it out of the park!"

"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"

In the dugout, Coach Kataoka gestured subtly, his expression stern as he watched Eijun step into the batter's box.

Eijun nodded, understanding the signal.

The opposing pitcher struggled to control low pitches effectively, rarely landing them in the strike zone.

However, if he could target the pitcher's high fastballs, it might throw him off balance.

Taking a deep breath, Eijun lightly swung his bat, standing calmly in the batter's box.

The opposing coach suspected that the pitcher's fatigue hadn't entirely subsided and decided to test his arm with an outside pitch.

Matsushita, the catcher, caught the hint, his fingers signaling for a high outside pitch to gauge the pitcher's arm movement.

On the mound, Kimura nodded firmly, winding up his throw.

The ball flashed like a streak of white light across the field.

"Whoosh!"

The batter's box lit up with tension as Eijun's eyes focused on the ball's trajectory.

With a quick judgment, he adjusted his grip on the bat and took a relaxed stance.

"Swish!"

The bat cut through the air.

"Ping!"

The ball made contact with the edge of the bat.

The timing was perfect, but the angle was slightly off.

"Thud!"

"Foul ball!"

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