Back in the dugout, Seidou's players were already teasing Sawamura.
"Honestly, the coach was pretty bold to send you out there in this situation," Kuramochi Yoichi said.
"You were showing off way too much earlier." Kominato Ryosuke lightly chopped Sawamura on the head.
"Don't start thinking you're the main character, you brat!" Kuramochi added, kicking Sawamura in the backside.
"Why?!" Sawamura shouted in protest.
Ryosuke chuckled.
"Well, the coach probably just admires Sawamura's courage."
"I think so too," Yuki Tetsuya said calmly.
Miyuki Kazuya smiled meaningfully.
"Well… everyone saw what happened last night, right?"
On the Field
"Ball!"
Snap!
"The last warm-up pitch!"
Miyuki returned the ball to Sawamura.
Watching from the Akikawa dugout, several players commented quietly.
"Compared to that previous pitcher, this one clearly doesn't have the same power."
"What should we do, Coach?"
"Keep observing?"
Coach Ogata smiled calmly.
"No. You've all held back long enough."
"Now it's time to attack with everything you've got."
You Shunshin looked toward Ninomiya, who was preparing to bat.
"Ninomiya, if we knock this pitcher out right now, victory will be within reach."
Ninomiya grinned as he stepped toward the batter's box.
"Just tell us how many runs you want."
"It's up to you now, Ninomiya!"
"Don't miss any easy pitches!"
"Show them what you've got!"
The morale in Akikawa's dugout was still extremely high.
"In the middle of the game, the score difference is only two runs," Owada Akiko said.
"Seidou definitely wants to end this half-inning quickly so they can launch their offense afterward. The question is—will this pitching change alter the flow of the game?" Mine Fujio analyzed thoughtfully.
On the Mound
Sawamura stood stiffly on the mound.
Please draw the pitcher's attention, Ninomiya thought while glancing at the runner on first base.
If the pitch is good, I'll hit it with everything I have.
Behind the plate, Miyuki frowned slightly.
He's too tense.
Why is he copying Furuya's serious expression?
He gave a signal.
First distract the runner.
Sawamura suddenly realized his mistake.
"Ah! I forgot to check the runner!"
He immediately glared fiercely at Takada on first base and hurriedly threw a pick-off attempt.
The throw flew high.
"Idiot!"
"Ahhh!!"
Seidou's supporters screamed.
Fortunately, captain Yuki Tetsuya reacted instantly and leaped into the air to catch the ball.
"That was way too dangerous!"
"Where are you throwing?!"
"Get it together!"
"Can't you calm down?!"
Even Seidou's fans started shouting in frustration.
Owada Akiko stared in disbelief.
"Even his own teammates are complaining about him."
"I told you this guy would cause trouble," one assistant coach muttered nervously. "Coach, shouldn't we switch to Kawakami before he makes another mistake?"
But Coach Kataoka remained completely calm.
His expression showed absolute trust in Sawamura.
What exactly makes the coach believe in him so much? the assistant wondered.
Sawamura stood on the mound, taking deep breaths.
"It's too late to start calming down now!!"
"Do that before you step onto the mound!"
His teammates shouted angrily.
Miyuki wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
That scared me to death.
But there's no time to complain.
He set the target near Ninomiya's chest.
Start with an inside four-seam fastball. He should be able to throw that.
Sawamura stared at the baseball, carefully adjusting his grip.
Miyuki looked speechless.
Stop checking the grip like that. It's just a basic pitch.
I'll swing with everything I've got, Ninomiya thought firmly.
Sawamura threw the pitch with full force.
"Strike!"
Ninomiya swung hard.
Snap!
"Nice pitch!"
But his bat passed through empty air.
The ball was already in Miyuki's glove.
You Shunshin's eyes widened.
"His swing… was late?"
"For that kind of fastball?"
Sawamura glared at the runner on first base again before delivering the next pitch.
"Strike!"
Ninomiya swung faster.
Ping!
The ball flew foul.
"Strike two!"
"What are you doing, Ninomiya?!"
"That pitch should be easy to hit!"
"Once you see the target, just crush it!"
Akikawa's dugout grew noisy.
But Ninomiya felt something different.
Damn it…
This pitcher's timing is strange.
His left arm stays hidden behind his body…
Then suddenly the ball appears.
"Strike!"
Ninomiya swung again.
Ping!
"Third base!"
The ball flew sharply toward third.
Matsuko Tooru moved quickly and caught it cleanly.
"Out!"
For a moment, the entire stadium fell silent.
Then Seidou's supporters exploded.
"Whoa!!"
"He got him!"
"Sawamura didn't allow the runner to advance at all!"
"YEAH!!!"
Sawamura began shouting excitedly—
Only to get kicked by Kuramochi.
"Calm down!"
Behind the plate, Miyuki smiled.
"First an inside fastball, then a finishing pitch exactly where I called it."
"Still a little too hittable… but not bad."
Chris nodded from the dugout.
"He carried Furuya's fighting spirit and finished the inning with momentum."
"The important thing is that he prevented the runner from advancing in this crucial situation."
Kanemaru laughed proudly.
"That idiot finally did it."
"All that training throwing inside pitches at me wasn't wasted."
"My body still hurts from those!"
"Nice job, Sawamura!"
"Sawamura-kun was amazing!"
"To hold the line like that during his first relief appearance with runners on base…"
The audience erupted in cheers.
In the Stands
Kitamura Kou watched Sawamura with great interest.
"How fascinating… this pitcher named Sawamura."
Ge turned toward his teammate.
"Sanada-senpai."
"He reminds me a lot of you."
Sanada Shunpei raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? How so?"
Kou smiled slightly.
"That last pitch wasn't a fastball."
"It was a moving fastball."
"The ball shifted slightly at the last moment."
His eyes gleamed.