Chapter 105: <105> Furuya Satoru in Middle School
Chapter 105: Furuya Satoru in Middle School
At the top of the seventh inning, Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team is on offense.
The players of Seidou High School baseball team have put on their gear and are getting ready to take the field.
It is at this time that Miyuki approaches Furuya with concern. "How are you feeling?"
Most of Seidou's own team and the players from Inashiro Industrial had not noticed that Furuya's condition had been an issue for a while.
Despite the fact that his pitching speed remained as astonishing as ever, Miyuki, who was catching Furuya's pitches, knew that the power in this young man's pitches was not quite the same as before.
It was easy for Miyuki to determine this just from the feeling in his glove. This awareness is why he was so concerned about Furuya's state at this point.
"Do you think a pitcher's stamina has limits, Miyuki-senpai?" Furuya asked.
Hearing Furuya's question, Miyuki was visibly taken aback. However, he nodded, acknowledging Furuya's words.
"We're all only human beings, to put it plainly, we're just flesh and blood. Of course, there are limits! Are you nearing yours?"
Miyuki felt a weight on his heart. The game was at its peak, with both sides evenly matched, neither giving an inch. For both teams, every player had to perform at their best to keep the game going. The slightest display of weakness from one side would allow the other to capitalize instantly.
"I've already surpassed my limits!" Furuya confessed.
If there was any chance at all, he wouldn't display any signs of fatigue on the field. As competitors, especially at their high school level, the game was not just about skill, but also about spirit.
If one side had a stronger spirit and the other weaker, even if they were of similar skill levels, the game could still end in a one-sided defeat. Showing fatigue would only boost the opponent's confidence, which would be disastrous for their own team.
Of course, Furuya didn't want this to happen. But since the previous inning, his body had begun to disobey him.
Competing against such a formidable team as Inashiro Industrial High School had cornered Furuya in a way none of his previous opponents had. Not even against Yokohama Kohouku had he felt such immense pressure.
This meant that during each pitch, Furuya had to give his all. Others only saw the immense pressure their batters put on Inashiro Industrial High School's ace pitcher. They didn't see the pressure that Furuya was under.
In some ways, the burden on Furuya might have been greater, depleting his stamina rapidly.
"You've already gone past your limits! But your pitch speed?" Miyuki asked incredulously.
How could a player, who had surpassed their physical limits, still pitch at such speeds? It seemed almost unbelievable!
"I'm not sure how, but I'll pitch as far as I can." Furuya said matter-of-factly.
With the game so closely contested, if Furuya were to step down, and Seidou High School opted to bring in Kawakami, the outcome seemed pretty obvious. Seidou High School would likely lose all chances of winning.
"You're not injured, are you?"
At Miyuki's question, Furuya made a deliberate effort to move his arm and wrist, and then shook his head reassuringly at Miyuki.
"It's just that I pushed too hard and feel a bit exhausted! There's no discomfort in my body..."
Because of Tanba's precedent, the Seidou High School team members were extremely sensitive to the issue of injuries.
Satisfied with Furuya's reassurances, Miyuki nodded. Although he nodded in acknowledgment of Furuya's condition, it didn't mean Miyuki was truly relieved.
On the contrary, the ace catcher of Seidou High School baseball team furrowed his brows even more tightly.
How long could Furuya's luck hold out? That was anyone's guess.
Relying entirely on such unpredictability for the outcome of a game was clearly not Miyuki's style.
"Damn it, even just two more months would be enough."
The time since the freshmen joined was simply too short. To expect Furuya to adapt to the high-intensity pace of high school baseball in such a short period was clearly asking too much.
It would generally take two to three months of training for a first-year rookie to truly become a key player and compete in matches.
Miyuki understood this well, as did the coach of Seidou High School's baseball team and the other players.
But they had no choice at the moment.
Their pitching resources were already quite weak. Having someone like Furuya was a stroke of luck they couldn't afford to ignore, let alone when their ace, Tanba, was injured.
Suddenly, Furuya's position in the team became prominent. Even if they wanted to switch him out, the situation wouldn't allow it.
Both teams were holding onto their motivation and spirit tightly. If it was a normal rotation it wouldn't be a problem, but making a sudden change in pitchers could easily give the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team an opportunity.
Miyuki glanced at their coach, Kataoka, who seemed to have regained his composure. With his arms crossed over his chest, he exuded an aura of calmness and stability.
"Does the coach know about this?"
If their coach was unaware, it was one thing. However, if the coach was aware of Furuya's stamina issues yet insisted on having him pitch, that would be concerning.
Perhaps losing this match could be a wake-up call for Furuya, especially with Tanba's injury fresh in their minds.
Maybe at this point, their coach had already decided to groom Furuya as the team's new ace.
Regardless of what their coach was planning, Miyuki couldn't afford to delve deeper into it at this moment.
The seventh inning's game had already started, and Miyuki was crouching in the catcher's position, signaling to Furuya.
"Let's do this!"
Whatever objectives their coach had in mind, the game must go on. Only in this way, regardless of the final result, could they avoid regrets, and give their pitcher the opportunity to gain the most on the field.
"Boom!"
Facing Carlos, the first batter, Furuya released a fastball that looked as terrifying as ever.
The fans in the stands erupted with cheers.
"You're amazing, monster kid!"
"Fourteen strikeouts already, just keep it up and get the remaining nine!"
"Twenty-three strikeouts in one game! Unprecedented and unbeatable…"
Supporters of Seidou High School's baseball team were extremely enthusiastic. From their perspective, as long as Furuya was on the mound, winning the game was inevitable.
Even though Inashiro's ace, Narumiya, was performing exceptionally well, he wasn't considered on the same level as their rookie "monster."
While fans went wild, Carlos on the batter's box remained unaffected. Although everyone was astonished by Furuya's terrifying pitch speed, Carlos, the nimble player, noticed something different.
He felt like Furuya's pitches were slowing down.
To confirm his suspicion, Carlos glanced at the large electronic scoreboard on the field.
"150 km/h!!"
Upon seeing that number, Carlos frowned slightly.
"Was it a misjudgment on my part?"
For a moment, Carlos genuinely felt he might have been mistaken.
Furuya's pitch speed was as terrifying as ever! But when Carlos watched Furuya pitch the second ball, his thoughts shifted.
"No, it wasn't a mistake!"
Furuya's pitch speed was indeed slowing down. This rookie, who had already pitched six innings, was finally getting tired.
"148.5 km/h!!"
Even though this speed was still fast, even surpassing Inashiro's ace's top speed, it was pitched by Furuya.
Thus, this speed was evidently lower than normal.
"Boom!"
When Furuya threw the third pitch, Carlos swung forcefully, sending the ball flying.
"Ping!"
The moment the ball was hit, the die-hard supporters of Seidou High School baseball team showed a flash of disbelief in their eyes.
This was a far cry from the scene they had imagined.
"It's okay, that hit wasn't solid."
"The ball went straight to the third baseman. Furuya still has the upper hand!"
Seidou's loyal supporters were quick to come up with excuses for Furuya, preferring to find explanations rather than admit that his pitching speed had decreased.
"Ugh!"
Seidou's third baseman swiftly moved to field the ball, picking it up and throwing it cleanly to first base.
The entire process was smooth and efficient, leaving no room for criticism.
Yet, even with such proficiency, Carlos almost made it to base. When the ball was thrown back, he was just two steps away from first base.
"Wow!"
"What terrifying speed!"
"That guy runs even faster than Kuramochi!"
Seidou's players and fans were taken aback. They were so close to being at a disadvantage.
Even if Seidou's loyal fans refused to admit it, they knew deep down that the situation had changed.
In the dugout of Inashiro Industrial High School, it felt like they were wrapped in a bubble of happiness.
Not long ago, the players of Inashiro Industrial had resigned themselves to their fate. As long as Furuya kept up his previous form, their chances in this game seemed dim.
But now, as they fell deeper into despair, Seidou's first-year "monster" rookie was handing them an opportunity.
"He's done!"
"Take advantage of this, let's score as much as possible."
Narumiya, observing the situation, frowned.
He had been using his newly honed breaking balls, hoping to have a proper showdown with Seidou's first-year phenom. But the game had only reached the seventh inning and Furuya was already wavering.
"Is it that middle school games only went seven innings? Is it a conditioned response?"
While everyone speculated, Furuya signaled for a time-out from the pitcher's mound.
"Seidou High School baseball team calls for a time-out!" announced the umpire upon noticing.
Once the game paused, all the infielders of Seidou gathered around Furuya.
"You out of steam, kid?" Kuramochi frowned and asked.
As a first-year freshman, Furuya's performance on the field had been nearly impeccable, a fact even the harshest critic couldn't deny.
Kuramochi understood this well. Maybe his expectations were just too greedy...
If Furuya could pitch a couple more innings, they might seize today's game. When Seidou's lineup came up for their third turn at-bat, the players were confident about scoring.
But if Furuya had to leave now, continuing would be tough for Seidou.
It wasn't about underestimating Kawakami, who was also a freshman; it was just that in such intense matches, it would be hard for him not to falter.
"What do we do?"
Coach Kataoka in the dugout gave no sign of intervening. It seemed he had made up his mind to let Furuya continue.
The decision puzzled Seidou's players; normally, such trust was placed only in their ace.
"Do you want to be subbed out?" Miyuki asked.
Even though the coach hadn't given any instructions, if Furuya felt he couldn't go on, he could request to be replaced.
However, such a move would likely mean a longer path to becoming Seidou's ace for Furuya. Coach Kataoka was observing to see how Furuya would handle himself in this crisis.
"I can't pitch at that speed anymore! Even if I use all my strength, my speed is still dropping."
"What do you mean?"
"Besides fastballs, I have other weapons. In middle school, without a suitable partner, I never used them. As the team's ace then, I relied on normal pitching in games. My control is slightly better with normal pitches, and I have two types of breaking balls..."
Despite Furuya's clear explanation, the second and third-year players of Seidou looked confused.
Normal pitching? What does that mean?
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