Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Looking at Sawamura in the Batter's Box, Benjamin unceremoniously threw the baseball from his hand.

His ball speed wasn't fast; what made him dangerous were the subtle changes hidden in the pitch.

If Sawamura entered his special state, he could easily deal with such a pitch.

But strangely, Sawamura didn't do that.

He carefully observed Benjamin on the mound, sensing a faint threat from him.

'This guy is a bit scary!'

Although Benjamin wasn't throwing fast pitches, he was still very tricky to deal with.

His methods were endless, and no one knew what kind of strange idea would pop up.

As Sawamura watched the baseball come at him, he almost became dumbfounded.

Previously, Sawamura hadn't faced Benjamin's pitch directly in the Batter's Box, but he had observed Benjamin's pitching style and had his own insights into it.

This was a pitcher who had already developed his own system, and while pitchers like this were terrifying, their pitches were still predictable.

But just now, as Sawamura observed his opponent's pitch, it was completely different from anything Benjamin had thrown before.

It was as if the young man had completely changed his style in a very short amount of time.

This left Sawamura completely unprepared, and he could only watch as the baseball flew toward him.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

The mighty Sawamura was one ball behind.

This was something no one had expected.

Many people were stunned, their eyes filled with confusion.

What is going on?

Why did that happen?

This massive question reverberated in their minds again.

No matter what their reactions were, the game continued, and the confrontation was ongoing.

Sawamura frowned slightly and observed Benjamin on the mound closely.

This guy's performance was very strange; he had changed his style again.

Before, he relied on speed differences, but now, he focuses on off-speed pitches.

Most people might not notice, but Sawamura had seen enough pitches to recognize it instantly.

But what good would that do him?

Facing this sudden change in style, Sawamura's plan to collect intel and share it with his teammates seemed to have failed.

He had no choice but to adjust his approach to hitting.

Originally, he had planned to study the opponent's pitches carefully and then completely crush them once he understood their style.

But now, it seemed this approach wouldn't work. It wasn't that his opponent was prepared; it was that his opponent had put in great effort to counter him.

Two completely different pitching styles were solid proof of his opponent's preparations.

In this case, Sawamura's goal changed.

He no longer insisted on dissecting all of his opponent's secrets and sharing them with his teammates.

Now, he didn't have the time or energy for that.

His main task was to study his opponent's style thoroughly and hit a clean single, or even a home run, as quickly as possible.

There was no need to overthink it.

Sawamura immersed himself in his state.

When Sawamura was in this mode, it felt as though everything around him disappeared—the spectators in the stands and his teammates in the dugout.

At that moment, he saw nothing but his opponent.

Every cell in Sawamura's body was like it was charged. The moment the pitcher on the mound made a move, Sawamura would sense it and take appropriate action.

Here it comes!

Sawamura didn't have to wait long. The baseball was already flying toward him.

As the baseball approached, Sawamura's blood began to boil with excitement.

He was thrilled to see this pitch...

This pitch was far beyond the level of a high school player.

The difficulty of completely defeating his opponent had increased exponentially.

This was exactly what Sawamura wanted to see. He didn't want soft opponents.

If he kept facing weak opponents, his skill would never improve. It might even stagnate or regress.

Only truly outstanding opponents could push Sawamura to keep advancing.

In Sawamura's eyes, the baseball grew larger and larger.

Now, not only could he see the ball clearly, but he could even make out the stitching on it.

'A perfect opportunity!'

He watched the baseball coming at him and felt the moment was right.

He swung his bat like a whirlwind. When the ball got close enough, he didn't hesitate and swung his bat with full force.

The bat hit the baseball sharply.

PAAAKKKKK!!!!!!

The baseball flew high into the air.

Everyone watching was stunned, their mouths agape in disbelief.

It was just too unbelievable!

They couldn't accept this reality.

Under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators, the baseball flew higher and higher, until it completely left the field!

At this point, everyone stood up in shock.

No one had expected that Sawamura would hit a home run on the second pitch, securing a clean home run.

The score changed to 1:0.

This was something America had desperately tried to avoid, and something Japan had strived for.

From this result, it was clear that Japan had gained the upper hand.

And this advantage was significant and stable.

The overall score was 1:0, and the game continued.

The fans in the stands went wild.

"I knew it!"

"Our mighty Sawamura would definitely make it!"

"He's truly incredible, no wonder they talked so highly about him!"

"Of course!"

The fans in the stands were absolutely ecstatic, cheering for Sawamura.

Not only Japan fans, but even some from Taiwan also showed great interest in Sawamura's performance, applauding him and expressing their respect.

But it wasn't over yet.

American players didn't give up easily. After taking the hit, they quickly adjusted their mindset.

In the next confrontation, they displayed excellent composure.

In the intense battle with Japan, they managed to defend against Japan's team without making mistakes.

The score remained at 1:0.

This meant that aside from Sawamura's run, Japan hadn't gained any advantage.

This was something special!

Benjamin, the American pitcher, didn't fall apart after being hit with a home run.

On the contrary, he quickly regained his composure and continued to use his speed differences to deal with the opponent.

He succeeded in getting three Outs.

This demonstrated his exceptional technique.

Even though Japan led 1:0, America wasn't losing on the field.

In fact, their momentum seemed even stronger.

Especially after Benjamin regained his composure and smoothly got three Outs.

America's momentum increased rather than decreased.

Meanwhile, Japan wasn't willing to give up either.

In the bottom of the third inning,

The mighty Sawamura stood on the mound.

He quickly struck out two batters.

Two Outs, no one on base.

Now it was the turn of their 9th batter.

That was their pitcher, Benjamin.

No one expected Benjamin to hit a pitch from Sawamura.

In fact, the real plan for America was just to drag things out.

It was so hot, people felt like they were in a steam room.

They didn't believe Sawamura's stamina was infinite.

Eventually, he would crack.

Once he did, the outcome of the game would be clear.

But no one expected Sawamura to make a mistake this time.

He threw a pitch right down the middle.

Benjamin, seeing this pitch, felt a wave of excitement.

He couldn't believe his luck—this was the perfect opportunity.

If he didn't hit this, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

PAAK!

The batter hit the baseball with a clean strike, sending it flying far.

It wasn't just far—it was high.

No one knew how long it flew before it came down.

Sawamura, on the mound, didn't move a single step.

He calmly caught the ball in his mitt.

…

T/N: Well, That's it for now.

Thank you all for reading!

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