Ping!
After a few exchanges, Kuramochi finally managed to barely hit the ball.
The baseball, after being hit by him, flew toward the back of the first baseman, Masamoto.
Although the ball wasn't hit very fast and didn't travel very far, its placement near the sideline, falling just behind the first baseman, was enough to make it difficult for the defense to react.
If Kuramochi had played it well, he could have used this hit to charge toward second base with momentum.
"Hyaa-ha-ha!" Kuramochi let out a strange laugh, dropped his bat, and quickly ran toward first base.
Although Nanami was indeed a tough opponent, in this exchange, he was the one who came out on top!
The Seidou Cheetah, Kuramochi Youichi.
Kuramochi excitedly sprinted toward first base.
As long as the ball landed, with his skill and speed, he was confident he could go even further.
He could charge toward second base or even third base.
But just then, it seemed like the heavens were playing a joke on him.
The outfielder, Hattori, appeared near the sideline for some reason.
This wasn't his usual position, but he mysteriously appeared there.
In the Seidou High team's bench area, Sawamura and Miyuki exchanged a shocked look.
They both saw fear in each other's eyes.
This was different. This time, it was really different.
Nanami, without them noticing, had used a fishing strategy.
From their vantage point, it seemed like Kuramochi and Nanami were evenly matched because both were giving their all during the duel.
But without any warning, Nanami had already set up a trap.
Using a fishing ball to lure Kuramochi into swinging.
Before that, he had already planned where the ball would land.
This seemingly simple move was actually very complex, enough to make anyone gasp.
It wasn't that simple—it was incredibly difficult!
To pull this off, one not only needed superb skills but also a brilliant mind.
Nanami.
In the past, Sawamura had never noticed this about him.
His level of calculation was so precise, it almost reminded him of Akutsu from West Plains High School.
"This performance is amazing!" Sawamura exclaimed in awe.
Snap!
Hattori skillfully intercepted the ball and caught Kuramochi Out.
The Cheetah returned to the dugout feeling embarrassed.
This was too humiliating!
"The other side also gave their all in the duel. During the exchange, you indeed had the upper hand. But they calculated things more thoroughly, which is why they managed to catch the ball after it was hit. You don't need to be too disappointed…" Sawamura, seeing Kuramochi's disheartened expression, spoke up to comfort him.
It wasn't all just comforting words, though.
From the earlier exchange, it was clear that Nanami had been forced to bring out his true abilities.
He had truly shown his skills during the duel.
If he had intended to use a fishing ball from the start, he didn't need to engage with Kuramochi for so long.
What would be the point of dragging it out, aside from putting more pressure on him?
His final move seemed somewhat reluctant.
If he could have easily struck out Kuramochi, why wouldn't he have done that?
The answer was obvious.
There was no reason. No reason at all.
The only reason he hadn't done that was because the chances of success were too low, and it wasn't worth taking the risk.
This also showed that Kuramochi had indeed put a lot of pressure on Nanami during their duel.
Hearing Sawamura's comforting words, Kuramochi's expression remained unchanged.
After a moment of pause, he reacted, then confidently nodded silently.
This guy's confidence was really something. He had adjusted his state so quickly that even Sawamura, who had been trying to comfort him, was caught off guard.
Three Outs, change of sides.
The game reached the top of the fourth inning. Although Hoshiryu High didn't seem as strong as Seidou High, they had been very resilient in these early innings, resisting Seidou's players with all their might.
During the exchanges, Seidou's team hadn't gained any advantage.
In fact, several times, they almost found themselves at a disadvantage.
The score was 1:0, and the game reached the top of the 4th inning.
The first batter, Oda, stood in the Batter's Box in a bunting stance.
With no one on base, his sudden switch of offense raised suspicions.
"What do these guys from Hoshiryu want to do?"
Whispers could be heard from the audience.
In Seidou's dugout, the players exchanged confused looks.
They didn't quite understand why the other side was showing this stance.
Miyuki, the catcher, frowned slightly.
He really couldn't figure out what Hoshiryu's players were thinking.
But at this point, it didn't matter.
The situation had already reached this point, and they would just have to face whatever came.
Seidou's pitchers, whether it was Ace Sawamura Eijun or his substitute, Furuya, were not particularly afraid of bunts.
Sawamura was especially skilled.
With his Last Moment Adjustment and his Hook ball that couldn't be touched by bunts, he would make any batter attempting to bunt against him doubt their entire existence.
Furuya, with the nation's fastest pitching speed and impressive pitching power, would also make it hard to bunt his pitches.
Most likely, any ball that got hit would bounce high, turning into a pop-up or a rebounding ball.
Without Sawamura's level of bunting technique, it was impossible to perfectly deaden the ball's force.
Oda Honjo.
Among the shining stars of Hoshiryu High, Oda didn't seem to have much presence.
Although Miyuki knew that Oda had once been Sawamura's teammate, he must have some skill.
'But to deal with Furuya, having basic skills wouldn't be enough.'
Oda had to show even greater ability.
With no hesitation, Furuya pitched hard.
As expected, his fast pitch made everyone feel desperate.
The ball screamed toward the batter.
Vroooooooooo!
Seeing the pitch, Oda's legs trembled.
He couldn't stop trembling!
It was terrifying!
The feeling of suffocation was something he couldn't forget for a long time.
Even though he had faced him before, Oda thought he'd developed some resistance.
But when it came down to it, he still shrank away.
Seeing the fast pitch come at him, he instinctively pulled his bat back.
Kaboom!
The ball landed heavily in Miyuki's Mitt, making a loud, resounding noise.
Miyuki, the catcher, smiled lightly.
'The opponent had retreated!'
There was no better news for them than this.
Fear is contagious.
Oda's retreat might have just sounded the death knell for Hoshiryu High.
…