Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 219: The Yakushi Battle (2)

Bottom of the First Inning – Seidou High School's Offense

"Leading off, the shortstop, Kuramochi-kun!"

"Use your speed to disrupt them!"

"Get on base, Kuramochi!"

As Kuramochi's cheer song played, Seidou High School's offense began.

It wasn't that they were underestimating Yakushi's starting pitcher—after all, he had already given up three runs against Ichidaisan in the first three innings.

Ping!

"Alright! First hit of the game!"

Kuramochi reached base with an infield hit.

Yakushi didn't give enough credit to Kuramochi's speed. Well, they weren't completely ignoring it either, but after being tormented by You Shunshin so badly, he was understandably cautious.

Once on base, Kuramochi started showing his true value. As a second-year, getting on base was essentially his only role.

As someone once put it, he was too greedy—he wanted to do everything, yet lacked the ability to learn quickly, which led to him struggling in all aspects.

The only thing he could truly rely on was his natural speed, using it to make an impact on the bases.

Pop!

"Safe!"

"Successful steal! The runner is now in scoring position!"

"Nice baserunning!"

"Nice running, Kuramochi-senpai!" Sawamura cheered from the dugout, watching as Miyauchi readied his glove.

Next, Ryousuke-san laid down a bunt, successfully advancing the runner to third. This ensured that they had a chance to tie the game.

Ping!

Thud!

Jun-san responded with a solid hit straight to center field.

Kuramochi easily made it home.

Jun raced toward second!

"Oh ho ho ho! A direct hit off the outfield fence! The runner scores!"

"Great hit!"

"It's a tie game now! Keep it going, Tetsu!"

"Jun-san!"

"Of course! When it comes to scoring, we're not losing to them! Brace yourselves, you bastards!"

"Oh! As expected of you, Silky Terrier-senpai!" Sawamura waved his arms wildly in the bullpen.

"Who the hell is a Silky Terrier?" If it weren't for the game, Jun might have run over and punched him.

Yet, as if guided by fate, this wasn't Yuuki's moment to be the hero. His hit went straight into Raichi's glove, nearly scaring the wild monkey out of his wits.

With that, the batting order turned to Sendo.

"I keep saying it—Seidou's lineup is ridiculous!"

"Even after getting that lucky out on their cleanup hitter, the next batter is still someone this dangerous!"

"Right, Sanada?"

"Coach, you're too loud!"

"Sendo! Crush it!"

"Go for it, Sendo-kun!"

"Let's score as much as we can before their ace takes the mound!" Sendo thought to himself as he glanced toward Yakushi's bench.

He knew his matchup with Sanada wasn't favorable—or rather, he just didn't like facing Sanada's style of pitching. That's why he wanted to extend the lead, making things easier for their pitchers.

However, just like they did against Yuuki, Yakushi's battery kept throwing borderline pitches!

Even though Sendo swung at a few, driving the count full and preventing them from walking him outright, they still refused to throw anything hittable.

"This is already the sixth pitch! They're completely unwilling to throw a good pitch to hit, but they also don't want to just walk him?" Chris muttered under his breath, jotting down notes.

Coach Kataoka didn't respond, his eyes fixed on the field, watching Sendo.

"Walk him. But don't make it too obvious!" In the end, they opted for an intentional but subtle four-pitch walk.

Just then, Sendo suddenly took a step forward.

"Huh? He's swinging? At that pitch way out of the zone?"

Ping!

Whoosh!

"It lands! A deep hit to left field!"

"Yes! Second run scored!"

Sendo easily reached third base!

"Amazing! Incredible, Sendo!"

"There was nothing they could do about that hit. The one they really need to watch out for is their seventh batter, the catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"

And just as that warning was given—

Boom!

Masuko crushed a fastball, sending it flying out of the park!

"It's gone!!!"

"Two-run home run!"

"Masuko-san!"

"Beautiful hit, Masuko-senpai!"

"...So why did I even bother running so hard?" Sendo muttered to himself.

"Oh! Ma... Masuko!!! Ohhh! Masuko! Woohoo, Masuko! Masukoooo!!!" Sawamura was completely incoherent, wildly flailing his arms in celebration.

Masuko-senpai could only sigh at the spectacle, while Miyauchi-senpai's forehead veins bulged with several # symbols.

It looked like he was about to hit someone.

This hit wasn't just about Masuko using compact swing techniques—it was also the result of applying Sendo's advice to choke up on the bat. The ball had landed right in the sweet spot.

"With this kind of momentum, I have to keep it going!" Miyuki declared confidently.

And then—he completely flopped.

"Ah, I messed up!" Miyuki jogged nonchalantly back to the bench.

"That was pathetic!" Kuramochi snarked.

"It's beyond pathetic. The moment there were no runners on base, the outcome was already decided, Kuramochi-senpai." Sendo added with a straight face.

"Oi!" Miyuki was speechless.

"Kuramochi! Miyuki!" Jun was furious.

"Why is it that every time the bases are empty, you can't hit!?"

...

Top of the Second Inning

Miyuki noticed that Yakushi's batters weren't swinging at high fastballs, so he instructed Furuya to increase his pitching speed.

He knew that Yakushi's lineup was capable of making contact, but he had faith in the defense behind him.

Thanks to Seidou's solid defensive plays, Yakushi's offense was shut down in this inning, ending with their eighth batter.

Getting out Yakushi's eighth batter was a big morale booster. He wasn't just some weak bottom-order hitter—before Raichi and the other two first-years became the heart of the lineup, the eighth and ninth batters were the true core of Yakushi's offense.

As Chris had pointed out, when people talk about Yakushi's ultra-aggressive lineup, they're really referring to those two.

...

Bottom of the Second Inning

"Straight into the scoreboard!"

"What a monster! It's hard to believe he's just a first-year!"

"Furuya-kun!"

Ignoring Raichi's attempts to talk to him, Furuya remained completely absorbed in his own world, unwilling to leave the mound.

He rounded the bases at his own pace after launching a monstrous home run.

"That was an impressive swing!" Yuuki was practically fuming with excitement.

"Man, he totally stole my job! That's embarrassing." Sendo joked.

"Well played, Furuya-kun!" Haruichi congratulated him as he returned to the dugout.

"Miyuki! Even though his pitches are fast, we're switching him out after the second round!"

"Ah! Got it!"

"Furuya! Yakushi's eighth and ninth batters were the core of their lineup before Raichi moved up. We already handled their eighth batter, so make sure to shut down their ninth as well."

"After that, switch places with Sakai and move to left field. That way, you'll be ready to return to the mound anytime!"

Sakai willingly lent Furuya his glove—a gesture of trust and team spirit that was truly touching.

Unknowingly, the game had already diverged from the events of the original timeline. Not that Sendo knew how things originally played out anyway.

After Sakai's at-bat was taken care of by Yakushi's defense, Furuya stepped up and crushed a fastball, sending it straight into the center-field scoreboard for a home run!

...

Why Not Use Shirasu?

The reason they didn't put Shirasu in?

Because Seidou's pitching rotation was unstable!

If Shirasu took the field, Furuya would inevitably be replaced, and Seidou's bullpen was full of pitchers with their own issues. They couldn't afford to switch him out so soon.

...

After Sakai, the lineup turned back to the top.

Kuramochi was retired, and…

"A four-run gap… We can't go head-to-head with their top order anymore." Coach Raizou thought to himself.

"Watanabe!"

"Yakushi High School is making a substitution! Pitcher Mino-kun is being replaced by Sanada-kun!"

"Now pitching—Sanada-kun!"

"Finally, he's here! Much earlier than expected." Sendo said with a grin.

"Heh! Just watch me crush that bastard!" The ever-confident Fox-senpai cracked his knuckles as he prepared to step into the batter's box.

"I'm looking forward to it!"

...

As soon as Sanada took the mound, the Yakushi dugout became lively.

"Sanada-senpai! Let them hit it my way! I'll stop everything!"

"No way! It's too risky sending balls your way! You look like you're about to make an error!"

"Ugh!"

"I'm serious." Sanada's blunt honesty made it even worse.

The lively atmosphere in Yakushi's dugout quickly turned into them relentlessly teasing Raichi.

"Raichi! Don't be a liability to Sanada!"

"Think before you throw the ball in different situations! You're not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed!"

"Shut up, you idiot old man! It's your genes—I can't help it!"

The entire stadium burst into laughter.

Even Sendo couldn't help but chuckle—only to get a sharp glare from Coach Kataoka.

At this moment, Seidou fully confirmed who Yakushi's real ace was.

"A fastball pitcher who primarily throws inside… but if it's Ryou-san, that won't be a problem. I wonder if he'll mix in a cutter (cutball)?"

However—

Pop!

"Ball!"

"Four-pitch walk!"

...

"Ugh!" Sendo had been expecting Ryousuke to at least make contact with a low pitch, but instead, Ryousuke ended up drawing a four-pitch walk.

Well, that was to be expected. Sanada often struggled with control in key moments, and Ryousuke was the type of batter who excelled at choosing his pitches.

"Guess I'll have to carry this burden myself! Why do I have to endure this kind of suffering at my age?" Sendo silently complained.

At least he still remembered that he was just a first-year.

Ping!

Pop!

Jun-san connected with a fastball but ended up hitting a line drive straight to third base.

"Three outs."

Sendo put his helmet back down.

...

Top of the Third Inning

Yakushi's ninth batter was quickly struck out by Furuya, who was looking sharper by the inning.

"Leading off, third baseman, Raichi-kun!"

At that moment, Coach Kataoka and Miyuki exchanged a glance.

"Time-out! Requesting a pitching change!"

As murmurs spread throughout the stadium, the umpire made the official announcement.

"Seidou High School is making a substitution!"

"Ninth batter, Sakai-kun is out. The new pitcher is Sawamura-kun!"

"Ninth batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun!"

"Eighth batter, left fielder, Furuya-kun!"

"Third batter, right fielder, Isashiki-kun!"

"That confirms it—Seidou is going on the offensive now."

Sawamura was beginning to gain some recognition after his performance against Akikawa, though some people assumed he was only being brought in as a one-out pitcher specifically to counter Raichi, a lefty-on-lefty matchup.

To put it bluntly, they thought Seidou was using him just to get through Raichi's at-bat before subbing him out again.

...

"I'll make them keep hitting it! Defense, get ready—!" Sawamura suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

"Wait, I should focus more on analyzing the batter. Right? There aren't any baserunners, after all!"

"Don't say that out loud, you idiot! You're totally exposed!" Kuramochi scolded.

"Wow! He just says exactly what he's thinking so naturally. Incredible!" Raizou was about to make a sarcastic remark, but his dumb son, Raichi, blurted out his admiration instead.

Sawamura Fan +1…

"This isn't the time to be impressed! This idiot completely exposed himself!" The teasing quickly turned into loud scolding, nearly in unison.

And, oddly enough, their insults even had a nice rhythm to them.

...

Sawamura then defied Miyuki's calls for the first time, leading to Miyuki snapping at him before finally managing to reel him back in.

On the second pitch, Miyuki called for an outside ball to widen Raichi's field of vision. But instead of a low outside pitch, it was actually aimed at the inside chest-level area—the effective inner corner for a right-handed batter.

Since it was a clear ball, and Raichi wasn't like Sendo, who had long arms, long legs, and an absurdly long bat, there was no real danger of him reaching it.

On the third pitch, Raichi made contact, sending a blazing foul ball between left field and third base. It was low and fast, and if not for the umpire calling it foul, Raichi would've already started sprinting around the bases.

The final pitch was a four-seam fastball, completely straight without any breaking movement.

Raichi swung and ended up hitting a high pop fly to the pitcher's mound.

A classic scene unfolded—aside from Tetsu, who stood on the base to ensure the force out in case Sawamura missed, three other infielders circled around Sawamura, terrified he would drop the ball.

But the way they positioned themselves, it almost looked like they were kneeling in a ceremonial bow, making for an amusing sight.

After securing the out against Raichi, Sawamura's confidence and morale skyrocketed.

Yakushi's next batter, Akiba, also struggled and was quickly retired.

And with that, the inning came to an end.

...

Bottom of the Third Inning – Seidou's Second Time Through the Order

It was now Seidou's second time through the batting order, with Yuuki's second at-bat leading things off.

However, since Yakushi had switched pitchers, this second round wasn't much different from the first.

The only real difference was that Yuuki's hands had warmed up a bit.

But even that little bit was enough to put Yakushi on high alert.

And to make matters worse for Yakushi, the fifth batter, Sendo, was also seen as a troublesome hitter from their perspective.

...

First Pitch:

"Pop"

"Ball!"

The first pitch was a fastball on the outside corner.

"He didn't even flinch! This cleanup hitter won't swing at anything tough to hit. We have no choice but to throw precise, tricky pitches."

...

Second Pitch:

"Ping!"

"Foul!"

The second pitch was an inside fastball with late movement.

Yuuki barely managed to make contact.

Sanada's explosive fastball was too sharp, and since it was still a straight pitch, Yuuki had assumed it was a hittable ball.

For a right-handed batter seeing this pitch for the first time, it was incredibly difficult to react properly.

...

Third Pitch:

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

Another outside ball, keeping the count even.

Sanada's pitch sequencing was fairly standard so far, but because of his unique fastball movement, the results were better than expected.

...

Fourth Pitch:

"Ping!"

Yuuki connected perfectly, sending the ball bouncing off the right-field fence—his third home run of the game.

"It's gone!"

"As expected from Yuuki! So reliable!"

"Now the lead is completely out of reach!"

"Hell yeah!"

"CAPTAIN!!!" Sawamura shouted with uncontained excitement.

"As expected from Tetsu-san! Now this is a real headache…"

"Three home runs already! These monsters... The pressure is insane! Damn it!" Sendo scratched his head in frustration.

The score had suddenly ballooned to 6-1.

If someone only looked at the scoreboard and hadn't watched the game, they'd never believe this was a match between Yakushi and Seidou.

It was expected that Seidou would score runs, but Yakushi's powerful lineup being completely shut down was a shocking development.

Now, Yakushi faced another major problem—

With no outs and Sendo stepping up to bat, the situation spelled serious danger for them.

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