Ushijima Wakatoshi slid across the ground, rapidly closing in on home plate.
"THWACK!"
At that exact moment, the catcher received the throw from third base.
Without hesitation, he dropped his body forward, blocking the plate and preparing for the tag.
In baseball, the runner must be tagged out before touching home.
But Ushijima was already there.
As he slid, he stretched his arm forward with incredible reach.
The umpire watched closely, tension filling the air.
Just before the catcher could tag him—
Ushijima twisted his body mid-slide, narrowly avoiding the contact.
Then—
His hand reached back.
"SNAP!"
His fingertips touched home plate.
The umpire immediately spread his arms wide.
"Safe!"
"WOOOOOOO!!!"
The stadium erupted.
Ushijima stood up, clenched his fist, and let out a roar.
This rematch, two years in the making—
He had taken it back.
The defeat from the past had been repaid.
"Yeah!!"
"Unbelievable!"
The audience buzzed with excitement.
"Did he really score from center field?!"
"That takes insane speed and guts!"
"He turned a long hit into a run?!"
But for Akikawa—
This was a devastating blow.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Carlos from Inashiro Industrial swallowed hard.
"Is that even possible?"
Masatoshi Harada analyzed calmly with his arms crossed.
"Ushijima's speed and confidence made the difference."
"Akikawa's outfield was positioned too far forward."
"The hit went to deep right-center—the furthest point from third base."
"He took advantage of the moment the outfielder chose a direct throw to third…"
"…stepped past the play without slowing down…"
"…and went straight home."
"It was a small defensive miscalculation."
"But against most players, that mistake wouldn't cost a run."
"At worst, the runner would stop at third."
"However…"
"They underestimated Ushijima Wakatoshi's speed."
"And that cost them a point."
Back in Seido's dugout, Ushijima was welcomed by loud cheers.
"You idiot! That was insane!"
Kuramochi jumped onto his back, laughing.
"How did you even pull that off?!"
Ushijima simply smiled.
"Akikawa made a defensive mistake."
"I originally planned to stop at third."
"But when I saw the center fielder throw directly to third…"
"I knew I had a chance."
"If they had relayed the ball through second baseman or shortstop…"
"I wouldn't have made it home."
"I would've stayed at third."
"But since they gambled…"
"I accepted the opportunity."
Even so—
Even if he hadn't gone home immediately, Seido still had a strong chance to score.
Masuko was up next.
A simple hit would have brought Ushijima home anyway.
On the mound, You Shunshin's mindset had subtly changed.
But he quickly regained his composure.
He retired Masuko in just two pitches.
Then he struck out Miyuki.
When it was Shirasu's turn, he managed to reach first base with a steady hit.
However—
Furuya followed with an infield grounder.
Akikawa turned it cleanly into a double play.
With that, the inning ended.
Score:
Akikawa: 0
Seido: 1
Despite allowing a run, You Shunshin's performance remained stable.
He hadn't collapsed under pressure.
When Seido returned to defense, Ushijima stepped onto the mound again.
He struck out three consecutive batters.
Akikawa's lineup—
Nine batters in total—
Had all been retired in order.
"That was incredibly aggressive pitching."
Reporter Owada Akiko was visibly surprised.
"To face an entire lineup using mostly fastballs…"
Fujio nodded in admiration.
"Yes. By controlling the inside and outside corners, he suppressed Akikawa's offense."
"I have to say…"
"Ushijima Wakatoshi's mental strength is exceptional."
"Most pitchers wouldn't dare pitch like that."
Owada tilted her head slightly.
"Is it because Akikawa's batting lineup isn't that strong?"
Fujio replied:
"That's part of it."
"Akikawa's pitcher, You Shunshin, is outstanding."
"But their batting lineup lacks overall power."
"That's why Ushijima could dominate them with fastballs alone."
"Especially his occasional 155 km/h four-seam fastball…"
"That kind of pitch creates tremendous pressure."
"Even if not every pitch is a strike, the sheer speed forces batters to swing defensively."
The audience gradually began to understand.
At the start of the next inning, You Shunshin returned to the mound.
His pitching remained steady.
Kuramochi was quickly retired.
Kominato managed to make contact, but the ball was caught for an out.
Then came the third batter—
Isashiki Jun.
Even against a curveball outside the strike zone, Isashiki used his unique swing to knock the ball into play.
"What? That guy again?"
You Shunshin frowned slightly.
"I still can't find his weakness…"
"He's the one I struggle with the most."
Standing on second base, Isashiki glared back.
"What are you looking at?!"
Next up—
Seido's fourth batter.
Captain Yuki Tetsuya.
"This is the second time…"
Yuki adjusted his stance.
He had been unlucky in his previous at-bat.
"I can't let this continue."
"Even Ushijima, a first-year, has already scored."
"As the captain…"
"I have to deliver."
His presence surged.
Even You Shunshin felt it.
The catcher hesitated.
"Should we walk him?"
But You Shunshin shook his head.
No.
If they put Yuki on first base—
There would already be a runner in scoring position.
And the next batter…
Was Ushijima Wakatoshi.
The same player who had just scored in spectacular fashion.
Allowing both runners on base could easily lead to multiple runs.
You Shunshin's eyes sharpened.
I won't give in.