Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 241: The Sudden Offensive in the Battle Against Ikuei

It must be said, as the starting catcher of a powerhouse team, Matsushita had a keen sense of crisis.

Without hesitation, he decided to take a risk and speed up the pace. If they let Seidou High dictate the rhythm, Ikuei High would lose their edge.

"This pitch will decide everything!"

A sharp glint flashed in Matsushita's eyes as he signaled subtly with his fingers.

On the mound, Kimura's pupils contracted.

As Matsushita's longtime partner, Kimura understood him well. With a slight nod, he prepared himself.

As his arm moved, the pitch was released with a dazzling speed.

Swish!

The ball tore through the air, gleaming under the stadium lights.

Sakai swung his bat with all his might, but the timing was off by a fraction of a second.

The ball curved precisely into the inside corner, just out of reach of Sakai's bat.

Poo!

"Strike! Batter out!"

The umpire's call echoed loudly.

Sakai's face froze in surprise.

An inside-corner breaking ball at that moment?

He gritted his teeth in frustration.

On the scoreboard, the radar gun flashed 142 km/h.

A breaking ball maintaining such velocity left many in the stands stunned.

"They've upped the tempo," thought Eijun, narrowing his eyes. Clearly, Ikuei High had anticipated something and adjusted accordingly.

"Now batting, ninth in the lineup, right fielder, Shirasu!"

Ikuei High's sharp defensive adjustments instantly heightened Seidou High's vigilance.

"They've started to change their strategy," Chris commented softly from the dugout.

Coach Kataoka nodded.

He had initially planned for Seidou to ease into an attack and pick up momentum by Shirasu's at-bat.

But Matsushita's awareness had preemptively disrupted that plan by accelerating the game's tempo.

The dynamics of offense and defense had flipped in an instant.

"Well, if they've figured it out, there's no need to hold back anymore. Let's go all out and decide this head-on," Kataoka declared firmly.

At this stage, both teams had revealed nearly all their strategies. What remained was a pure contest of strength. On that front, Seidou had absolute confidence.

"All-out attack!"

Kataoka's directive was clear.

On the field, both Eijun and Shirasu adjusted their positions, touching the brims of their caps in acknowledgment.

Their stances became overtly aggressive, with Eijun noticeably extending his lead off first base.

It was a blatant statement to Ikuei High: This inning will decide the winner!

Ikuei High caught on immediately.

Based on Seidou's tendencies, they knew an all-out offensive was coming.

By the third inning, Seidou's batters were likely beginning to adapt to Kimura's pitches.

Coach Natsume's eyes sharpened as he signaled for heightened vigilance, particularly toward Eijun, whose lead off first base had grown significantly.

The infielders subtly shifted closer to first base.

First baseman Sato locked his gaze onto Eijun, not letting him out of his sight.

Though the probability of a steal wasn't high, it couldn't be ruled out. If Eijun dared to move, they were determined to shut him down immediately.

Eijun kept his gaze steady, fully aware of the piercing scrutiny directed at him.

This guy is watching me like a hawk, he thought, smirking slightly.

When the time comes to act, hesitation is not an option.

Eijun took a deep breath.

This was no longer about risks or conserving energy—it was a moment to seize.

A sharp determination flashed in his eyes as his body tensed in preparation.

With Eijun ready on first base and Shirasu standing resolute in the batter's box, the signal for offense was unmistakably sounded.

"Play ball!" The umpire's voice rang out, and in an instant, a streak of light cut across the infield.

Swish!

Shirasu stepped confidently into his swing, his body rotating powerfully to channel the momentum into his bat.

Ping!

The resounding hit sent the ball flying, crashing into the ground with a heavy impact.

Thud!

The force of the vibration made Shirasu instinctively grip his bat tighter.

The sheer power behind that pitch had nearly caused him to lose hold of it.

The second pitch came, an outside breaking ball.

Whoosh!

At first base, Eijun's eyes sharpened. Without hesitation, he sprinted towards second base with explosive speed.

"A steal!?"

"No, it's a hit-and-run!?"

"Unbelievable! They're going all-in on the second pitch!"

The crowd erupted in astonished murmurs as the boldness of Seidou High's aggressive play became apparent.

On the field, Sato's urgent shout sent Ikuei High into a flurry, while in the batter's box, Shirasu's sudden swing made Matsushita's pupils contract.

Ping!

Despite his slightly off form, Shirasu managed to connect with the pitch, sending the ball soaring.

Whoosh!

"Right field!"

The ball streaked through the sky, swiftly clearing the infield and landing in the gap between center and right field.

Thud!

By the time Ikuei High's center and right fielders reached the ball, Eijun had already dashed past second base and was heading full speed towards third.

"Is he seriously trying to reach third on a single to right field!?"

Ikuei's right fielder quickly retrieved the ball, gritted his teeth, and unleashed a powerful throw toward third base.

Whoosh!

Pop!

The ball raced through the air, but Eijun, with an incredible dive, reached the third base bag just before the tag.

"Safe!"

Simultaneously, Shirasu used the gap created by the throw to advance to second base.

"Unbelievable! After a tense exchange of pitches, Seidou High's offense proves to be just a bit stronger. With one out and runners on second and third, Seidou is back to the top of their lineup. This is a golden opportunity for them to close the one-run gap and potentially turn the game around in one fell swoop!"

The crowd roared in excitement as the momentum shifted heavily in Seidou's favor.

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