Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 283: A Battle of Patience in the Finals

Coach Nitta's confidence was grounded in logic.

A pitcher throwing consecutive games and starting in the finals would naturally show more openings as the game progressed into the later innings.

As for Seidou's other three primary pitchers, Coach Nitta honestly didn't see them as threats.

The second-year sidearm pitcher, Kawakami, hadn't played at all and could be ignored.

The third-year ace had skill, but teams that had studied Seidou's games knew how to handle him.

He might be a challenge for one rotation through the lineup, but Coach Nitta had his strategies ready.

As for the first-year power pitcher, Furuya, while he appeared even more promising than Hongou in terms of raw talent, his overall skillset was severely lacking.

At this stage, Furuya didn't even qualify to be compared to Hongou.

Coach Nitta paid him no mind.

That left only one target—Eijun.

If they could break Eijun, Komadai Fujimaki High's victory would be almost assured.

The single run Seidou scored in the first inning was a fluke, and from here on, scoring against Komadai would be far from easy.

Coach Nitta's calm and confident tone brought smiles to the faces of Komadai Fujimaki's players in the dugout.

"Patience, huh? Well, if there's one thing we excel at, it's patience. The game is still in the middle innings, and we have plenty of ways to equalize the score and even pull ahead."

...

On the other side of the field, in the front rows of the audience, a group of seven or eight well-dressed middle-aged men had begun whispering among themselves as the game progressed into the mid-innings.

These men were the least concerned with the game's outcome in the entire stadium.

To them, the most important thing wasn't which team won but the individual performances of the players.

The true value of the players revealed during the game was their focus.

After all, these men were scouts from various professional baseball organizations.

They cared little about which team claimed victory or national dominance.

Their sole concern was identifying players worth scouting and whether their performances met or exceeded expectations.

With the draft just around the corner in October, preparations were already in full swing.

But their observations didn't stop with this year's draft—they were also looking ahead to the next year and beyond.

Any player with potential was added to their watchlist early.

This was a critical task.

It was clear that Eijun's performance throughout the summer tournament had caught the sharp eyes of these scouts.

In their opinion, Eijun had the potential to develop into an ace capable of leading a team in the future, provided his growth over the next two years proceeded as expected.

Most of the scouts held an optimistic view about his future.

...

"Bottom of the fourth inning. Seidou High at bat. Fourth batter, first baseman, Yuuki-kun."

The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium, signaling the start of Seidou's offense.

Although it was already the fourth inning, Komadai Fujimaki still had three primary pitchers in reserve.

Logically speaking, the current situation seemed to favor Seidou.

However, amidst this stalemate, Eijun couldn't shake a sense of foreboding deep within his heart.

"Captain, I'll leave this to you," Eijun thought silently as his eyes fixed on Yuuki Tetsuya's broad figure on the field.

On the other side, Kanemoto glanced toward Komadai Fujimaki's dugout for guidance.

Coach Nitta remained calm and gave a slight nod.

That was all Kanemoto needed to confirm the plan.

According to their strategy, there was no need to hold back.

They would go all out, crush the opposing lineup, and then switch pitchers at the planned time to maintain control of the defensive rhythm.

At home plate, Kanemoto and pitcher Iguchi exchanged nods of understanding.

In the batter's box, Yuuki Tetsuya could sense the shift in the atmosphere. A faint frown crossed his face.

"!"

The umpire's call signaled the start of the duel, and a flash of cold energy surged forth.

"Whoosh!"

The roaring fastball charged toward the plate.

In Yuuki's eyes, a faint glimmer of icy light flickered. He stepped forward with determination.

"Swish!"

The bat swung with full force.

The chilling momentum sent a shiver through Kanemoto's spine, his pupils contracting involuntarily.

"Ping!!!"

A deafening crack rang out—expected, yet unexpected.

"Whoosh!"

A streak of white light shot through the air.

Kanemoto's brows furrowed as the ball soared unimpeded, racing past third base and landing in the stands with a dull thud.

"Foul ball!"

Though it was clearly a foul, the trajectory and power of that swing confirmed one thing—this batter had fully read Iguchi's pitches after just one plate appearance.

A hint of dread flickered in Kanemoto's eyes.

This was the same as Yuuki's previous at-bat. If not for some good luck on their part, he would have already succeeded. This batter's ability was terrifying.

"Keep the pitches low, Iguchi," Kanemoto decided after a brief consideration. "Avoid giving him an opportunity for a long hit."

Playing conservatively seemed the wiser choice.

Their defensive rhythm was still intact, and there was no need to force the pace. Doing so could work against them.

In this game, the one who remained composed would ultimately earn the right to claim the crown.

After two and a half years of enduring the harsh winters of the north, Komadai Fujimaki's players understood this truth well: Patience is the key to victory.

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