Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 207: A Great Victory at Maimon West

The bottom of the first inning begins! Maimon West High School takes their turn at bat.

"The leadoff batter, left fielder, Hasunuma!"

Maimon West starts their offense, following their coach's instructions to only swing at pitches they can confidently hit.

However, their lack of scouting during the Kanto Tournament reveals the gap between elite schools and ordinary teams.

Their negligence and underestimation of baseball's complexity are about to cost them.

The batter steps up to the plate, unaware of what awaits him.

Speaking of which, Seidou's two pitchers have very different batting approaches—one needs to stand close to the plate, while the other absolutely should not.

For a team like Maimon West, unfamiliar with Furuya's pitches, standing too close could be terrifying.

"You're standing way too close. No one's going to take responsibility for what happens next," thought Miyuki and Sendo, who seemed to share the same mischievous instincts.

Meanwhile, Seidou's seniors watched intently, curious to see whether Furuya's start would bring fortune or disaster.

The outcome was immediate.

"Boom! Whoosh!"

As Furuya released his pitch, the batter was met with the deafening roar of the ball slicing through the air.

Thud!

"Strike!"

The combination of Furuya's incredible pitch speed and power, along with the catcher's precise technique, created a thunderous sound that silenced the crowd.

Those who hadn't witnessed Furuya pitch in the Kanto Tournament were left speechless.

Even the umpire momentarily forgot his duties, illustrating the overwhelming impact.

"Ahhh!!!" Coach Chiba of Maimon West stood with his mouth agape, stunned. He couldn't decide whether to be shocked at the pitch itself or at the batter's futile swing at what was clearly a bad ball.

The perspective from the batter's box and the dugout was worlds apart. Only by standing in the box could one truly grasp the terror of facing such a fastball.

"What kind of pitch was that?!"

"Can a first-year pitcher even throw something like that?"

"How fast was that ball?!"

The crowd erupted in astonished murmurs after their initial silence, but the game continued.

"Boom! Whoosh!"

Thud!

"Strike!"

By the second pitch, Coach Chiba was frantically banging on the dugout railing with a megaphone, unable to comprehend why his batter was swinging at another high pitch outside the zone.

Yet, as an amateur coach, he could never fully understand the sheer pressure of facing such a fastball.

"This isn't going to work," thought Sendo from the outfield, watching the batter struggle.

"What is this? A pitch like that is impossible for even a pitching machine! Standing in the batter's box is terrifying!" The batter trembled, paralyzed with fear.

"Boom! Whoosh!"

Thud!

"Strike three! Batter out!"

Amid Coach Chiba's desperate shouting, Furuya struck out three consecutive batters.

These amateur players, used to facing pitches around 130 km/h during practice, had no chance against Furuya's blistering fastballs.

As Seidou celebrated, Maimon West's players stood in stunned silence, some even looking despairing.

They realized that defeating this pitcher was impossible.

Back in the dugout, Furuya wore a blissful expression, clearly reveling in the praise he'd received the night before.

"Stop basking in it already!" Sawamura, his rival, couldn't help but interject.

Meanwhile, Maimon West's players, still dazed from Furuya's pitching, had to be reminded by their coach to snap out of it and prepare to defend.

But what awaited them was Seidou's strongest batter—captain Tetsuya Yuuki.

The moment Yuuki stepped up, his signature BGM echoed across the stadium. Unlike other players, even Seidou's benchwarmers and cheer squad joined in the chant, reinforcing the captain's authority as their main cannon.

"Hit it, Yuuki! Yuuki! Yuuki!"

Maimon West's defense shifted heavily to the right, with the shortstop positioned near second base. It was clear their plan was to pitch low and outside, even risking a walk, to deal with Yuuki.

"Watch Yuuki's at-bat closely," instructed the coach, turning it into a live lesson for Seidou's younger players. Sendo, helmet in hand, obediently observed the captain.

The first pitch was so far outside it nearly hit the edge of the batter's box. It showed their caution, but the pitcher's lack of control was evident.

The second pitch, however, drifted too far inside, entering the strike zone. Yuuki wasn't going to let it go.

Ping!

The ball shot off Yuuki's bat with such speed and force that it overwhelmed the infield defense. Even a professional with top-tier reflexes would struggle to react, let alone intercept it.

The ball then tore through center field, exploiting a gap the fielders couldn't cover due to their lack of speed. Had Sendo been the center fielder, he might have held it to a single or even made an out. But this time, Yuuki comfortably advanced to second base.

The crowd roared in approval, their energy reignited by Yuuki's hit. Furuya had already proven that a mere hit was a luxury for Maimon West. Now, Yuuki demonstrated that their defense was equally vulnerable.

"Fifth batter! Center fielder, Sendo!"

As Sendo stepped into the batter's box, Maimon West's fielders grew visibly anxious. The pressure was mounting, and the audience could feel it. The game was slipping further into Seidou's hands.

"Damn it! The pitch was so slow that there was almost no speed difference between the fastball and the breaking ball?" Sendo realized this pitch was the same one Kuramochi had let pass on the second ball. But there was no time to think further—he dropped the bat and started running.

Although Sendo didn't hit it well, the ball flew far—and fast!

"It landed!"

"Yes! Back-to-back hits!"

With Yuuki safely making it back to home plate, Sendo didn't take any reckless risks charging for third base, especially since the opposing left fielder had a strong arm and the ball landed fairly close to him. He decided to wait and assess just how strong that arm really was.

"Alright! First run scored!"

Seidou High's offense was in full swing!

Ping!

"That's a triple hit!"

"Now it's runners on first and third with no outs!"

Next up was the one and only Miyuki, who's practically invincible when there are runners on base.

The first at-bat of the summer tournament felt like a lucky turning point for him—it was as if the game was handing him an easy opportunity.

The opponent seemed ready to gamble on forcing an out, as the infield moved in closer.

The first pitch Miyuki faced was shockingly the same one that struck Kuramochi out.

Ping!

Miyuki, having already read the opponent's intentions with near-perfect accuracy, swung at the breaking ball on the first pitch—even though it was slightly outside the strike zone.

Sendo leisurely jogged back to home plate, while Masuko—a giant of a player—ran to third base with his large frame wobbling dramatically. He shouted "Ooga ooga" as he ran, yet despite his size, he wasn't slow at all.

"Four consecutive hits!!!"

"Damn it! Miyuki always gets the good stuff!" Jun fumed, clearly annoyed.

"Only when there are runners on base," said the older players, exposing Miyuki's tendency.

Meanwhile, Kuramochi looked ready to punch Miyuki. Hitting the very pitch that had struck him out earlier was like Miyuki was openly mocking him.

After those four consecutive hits, the first-pitch squeeze play by Shirasu brought Masuko home as he slid into the plate, roaring "Ooga!" The score now stood at 3-0, with a runner still on third.

After contributed a sacrifice out, it was two outs with a runner on third when Kuramochi stepped up to bat.

Seidou's lineup erupted once again as Kuramochi delivered a single, bringing Miyuki home for the fourth run.

With clever coordination between the shortstop and second baseman, a stolen base followed by a hit-and-run scored the fifth run.

In the top half of the inning, Jun added another solid hit, while Yuuki, their cleanup batter, continued his reliable performance.

With the score at 7-0, the fifth batter stepped in with a runner on second.

Ping!

"It's in!"

"It's gone! Two-run home run!"

"The first homer of the game!"

"As expected of Sendo!"

The bench erupted in cheers, while Sendo, with his usual calm demeanor, casually jogged around the bases. The stark contrast between the excitement on the bench and Sendo's nonchalant attitude was striking.

With such a significant lead, the game was nearing its early conclusion.

To end it prematurely, Seidou needed a 10-run lead in the fifth or sixth inning, or a 7-run lead in the seventh inning. With Sendo's home run, they widened the gap to 9 runs in just the second inning, leaving the opposing players visibly demoralized.

In the bottom of the second, the lineup ended with Masuko's groundout.

On defense, Furuya maintained his dominance, racking up strikeouts—six in total—as the opposing batters couldn't even touch his pitches.

By the third inning, Miyuki cooled off with no runners on base, but Shirasu managed to grind his way onto first. After Furuya was retired, Kuramochi delivered a bunt single. This inning, Seidou added five more runs, thanks in part to Sendo's fourth hit of the game, and teamwork with Masuko.

By the top of the fourth, the score had ballooned to a 20-run lead.

At this point, Seidou switched up the lineup, bringing in Sawamura to replace Furuya, and Jun moved to right field as part of a training rotation.

"You're allowed to give up two runs. Anything more, and you're dead!" Jun teased, keeping the mood light.

"I'll let them keep hitting it, so please back me up, everyone!" Sawamura shouted.

Furuya stood with his hands on his hips, avoiding eye contact.

"Furuya! Say something too," Sawamura demanded.

As for Seidou, he knew Furuya wouldn't bother responding.

The coach from Maimon, observing from the dugout, had already realized the vast difference between their team and a powerhouse like Seidou. His goal shifted to letting his players showcase their three years of hard work, even if their chances of winning were slim.

Sawamura, seemingly intimidated by their determination, lost control on his first pitch and hit the batter.

Miyuki immediately called a timeout, and Sendo jogged over to join the conversation.

"What's he doing over there?" the team manager, Ota, said with his hands on his head.

"Just ignore him," Coach Kataoka replied calmly.

Sawamura found himself surrounded by his teammates.

"Hey! Don't freak out the moment you get on the mound!" Kuramochi yelled, kicking Sawamura's backside.

"Not like that! Hit him where no one can see!" Miyuki, ever the sly one, joked.

Jun asked if they should hit him again to help him calm down.

"Do you want to get pulled off the mound?" Kuramochi finally asked seriously.

"No! Only I can handle this crisis!" Sawamura replied with a bizarre declaration that left everyone speechless.

"What crisis?" Yuuki and the others looked confused.

"You don't get to say that!" Miyuki and Sendo chimed in unison.

"Hey, Sendo, why are you here?" Kuramochi, noticing Sendo for the first time, growled.

"How could I miss such a fun moment?" Sendo replied with a grin, lightening the tense atmosphere.

Seeing Sawamura still being his usual silly self, everyone knew his mentality was intact.

They began calmly offering him advice, telling him his pitches were fine and he didn't need to force it.

"I'll keep letting them hit it, so I'm counting on you guys!" Hearing Sawamura's iconic declaration, Sendo felt reassured.

After the pep talk, Jun gave Sawamura a karate chop to the head, followed by a knee from Kuramochi, leaving the umpire momentarily dumbfounded.

Back on the field, Sawamura's unique pitching style forced the batter into a failed bunt attempt that resulted in a 1-6-3 double play.

Despite some control issues, including two walks, Sawamura managed to hold the opposing team scoreless.

Seidou's purpose in putting Sawamura on the mound was clear—it was a training opportunity to see how he would perform under real-game pressure and to help him grow. The outcome was secondary, as long as he showed the right mentality and effort.

By the top of the fifth, Seidou scaled back their offense, and Sawamura's time on the mound ended. Haruichi, stepping in as a pinch hitter, delivered a solid hit to drive in another run.

Sawamura, oblivious to the rules, tried to argue for a chance to bat for Furuya, only to be dragged back by his two roommates. Even if the rules allowed it, his time on the field was over.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kawakami took the mound and shut the door, sealing a perfect 23-0 victory.

After the game, Sawamura clung to the opposing team's starting pitcher, who had been pulled in the second inning after Seidou's explosive offensive display. Kominato had to drag him away.

Following the match, Chris gathered both pitchers for a critique session, while the rest of the team engaged in individual practice. Having racked up five hits, including a home run, Sendo eagerly joined the batting cages, already looking forward to the next round.

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