Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 139: A Tense Match

Just as Hori dismissed all his earlier assumptions and realized what the opponent was trying to do:

Ping!

"No, that's an infield single off a bunt!" Aoki thought as he corrected himself while running the bases.

The ball bounced along the third base line!

Unable to stop it, Hori instinctively called for the ball to be thrown to first base.

But then, an unexpected turn of events occurred!

While sprinting, Aoki's left foot accidentally kicked the ball back toward the field!

Everyone on and off the field froze in shock.

Fortunately for Akagi, luck seemed to favor them today. Instead of flying out of bounds, the ball sped toward the outfield behind the pitcher's mound!

The pitcher had no time to react, and the outfielders were caught off guard as well.

By the time the outfielders retrieved the ball and threw it back, Aoki had already reached third base!

For Tokugawa, this unexpected event had little impact. But for Akagi, it was a startling development.

Why?

On the surface, it seemed like Akagi gained two bases.

But anyone could tell that Tokugawa's pitcher and catcher were powerless against Akagi's base stealing. Even without the mishap, Aoki could've likely stolen third base anyway.

So, in the end, the result was the same.

But if the ball had been kicked out of bounds, the runner would've had to return, and Kondou would've had to resume batting with an additional strike against him.

This bizarre turn of events was essentially a freebie for Tokugawa if it had gone out of bounds.

But with the current outcome, it was neither a loss nor a gain for them.

Baseball is a sport that often hinges on such unpredictable occurrences.

The vast field, the fast-moving ball, and the variable conditions make it prone to unexpected situations.

"Phew! That scared me! Baseball really is full of surprises! I've never even heard of something like this happening before!" Sendo exclaimed from the sidelines, startled by the twist. He slumped back onto the bench to calm his racing heart.

Moments like this reminded him of baseball's uncontrollable and thrilling nature.

Even professional players can't guarantee where the ball will land after a hit.

No matter how skilled a fielder is, they can't cover the entire field.

When luck strikes, even a weaker team can perform miraculous plays, leaving professional-level teams defenseless. Such randomness is rare in other sports.

Despite the shock, the atmosphere on the field lightened a bit after the incident.

"Batting fourth, pitcher, Sawamura!"

"Batting fourth, pitcher, Sawamura!"

As Sawamura stepped up to the plate, Hori signaled the infielders to move forward.

Akagi was no longer an unknown, unremarkable team. As their ace, Sawamura's abilities were well known to Tokugawa players, who regarded him as a formidable batter despite his unconventional style.

With Sawamura's bunt skills and Akagi's exceptional base-stealing prowess, it was inevitable that Akagi would score again.

Aoki safely returned home, but Sawamura was tagged out, earning Tokugawa a much-needed out.

Three runs in a single inning—this was the cost of letting Akagi players get on base. At the middle school level, Akasei's aggressive tactics were relentless.

But Tokugawa couldn't let their guard down yet. Next up was Akagi's fifth batter, outfielder Omura.

"Batting fifth, center fielder, Omura!"

"Batting fifth, center fielder, Omura!"

If Kondou was Akagi's best hitter, Omura was undoubtedly their second-best. And with only one out, a hit from Omura could set the stage for more scoring.

Tokugawa's pitcher and catcher decided to throw three breaking balls against Omura.

After a tense at-bat, Omura struck out on four pitches.

The sixth batter, Oyama, then hit a weak pop fly to the infield, ending the inning.

As the teams switched sides, the crowd erupted in cheers.

For the first time in the Autumn Tournament, Tokugawa had conceded three runs in the opening inning!

After nearly 20 pitches and three runs allowed, the pressure on Tokugawa was immense.

"Top of the second inning, Tokugawa Junior High's turn to bat!"

"Batting fifth, second baseman, Egawa!"

"Batting fifth, second baseman, Egawa!"

Under the mounting pressure, Egawa, known for his tenacity and refusal to back down, was the ideal leadoff batter for the inning.

The lengthy first inning meant Tokugawa's initial strategy was no longer relevant.

Understanding this, Akagi's pitcher, Shin, threw an inside pitch to assert control early in the count. The pitch was effective, and Sawamura quickly gained the upper hand.

Sawamura, still in excellent form, was a tough pitcher to crack. With Akagi holding the momentum, Sawamura seemed even sharper than usual.

But Tokugawa's batters weren't easily swayed by the game's mood. In the summer tournament, Egawa had turned a seemingly hopeless situation around with his fighting spirit and determination.

Compared to summer, Egawa had improved significantly. On the third pitch, he connected solidly, driving the ball out of the infield and reaching second base safely.

The hit lifted Tokugawa's spirits and broke the tension, as if declaring, "Look at this! We won't be dominated—we're equals!"

Egawa boldly took a large lead off the base, putting pressure on Sawamura.

At the same time, the next batter, sixth in the lineup, was Fukushima—the player who had crushed Akagi's dreams with a decisive hit during the summer.

As Fukushima approached the plate, several Akagi players' eyes turned red with emotion. The pain of that summer loss was still fresh, and seeing their rival again stirred strong feelings.

But the game didn't unfold as Akagi might've expected. Egawa successfully stole third base, and Fukushima executed a bunt to bring him home, narrowing the score to 3-1.

Tokugawa's attack ended there, however, as the next two batters were retired in quick succession.

In a similar turn of events, Akagi's lower lineup struggled against Tokugawa.

Batters Shin and Wakana were both struck out, while Ohno, after a six-pitch battle, also struck out swinging.

The second inning ended with little change to the score.

However, Tokugawa's pitcher, Kanda, had already thrown over 30 pitches, raising concerns that he might exceed 100 pitches by the game's end.

With both teams locked in a close contest, the batting order would only become harder to handle as the game progressed.

"Top of the third inning, Tokugawa Junior High's turn to bat!"

"Batting ninth, pitcher, Kanda!"

"Batting ninth, pitcher, Kanda!"

In baseball, does batting ninth mean a weak hitter? Not always. In fact, for well-rounded teams, the ninth batter can often be the strongest among the lower order.

For Tokugawa, this was the case with Kanda. With his powerful arm and exceptional ball sense, Kanda's batting position was solely because he was the pitcher. Otherwise, he'd be placed higher in the lineup.

At the very least, he was on par with the core batters of his own team, like Ike and others!

In Nagano, no one would underestimate this player's batting ability.

This inning was a favorable start for both teams!

"Be cautious, Ei-chan!"

"Here comes the first pitch!"

Ping!

"An inside fastball, completely mishit! Foul ball!"

"Now for the second pitch!"

"Ball!"

"Third pitch!"

"Strike!"

"The batter is cornered now. Fourth pitch!"

Pop!

...

"Strike three! Batter is out!"

"A called strikeout! Akagi's pitcher and catcher made full use of the inside and outside corners, ending with an inside fastball! That's one out!" The commentator loudly announced the result after a brief silence.

"Batting first, shortstop, Mito!"

"Batting first, shortstop, Mito!"

Tokugawa's power hitters continued to step up. As the second time through the lineup began, it was clear they wouldn't give up their offensive chances easily.

"Luckily, in the first inning, these top batters didn't see much of Ei-chan's pitching," Shin thought with relief. "Otherwise, things could've been tough!"

"Alright! Since Sendo told us to be aggressive, let's not hold back!"

"A pitch right down the middle?"

Smack!

"Strike!"

"Just as expected, this pitch had some movement!" Mito watched the ball closely, realizing why he had been struck out on a single pitch in his previous at-bat.

"But his control on outside pitches isn't great," Mito thought as the second pitch, an outside fastball, approached.

Ping!

"Foul ball!"

"Still not good enough," Mito muttered, feeling a bit helpless. Seeing only three pitches from Sawamura so far in this game made it difficult to adjust.

He wasn't overly concerned, though. Hitting Sawamura's pitches wasn't too hard. While fast, they lacked power. The real challenge lay in Akagi's improved defense.

The game was only in the third inning, and there could easily be a fourth round of at-bats. The longer the game dragged on, the more unfavorable it would be for Akagi.

But for now, Mito's at-bat ended. Even after choking up on the bat, he popped up an inside fastball.

The next batter, Nakajima, forced a seven-pitch duel before being retired.

Akagi's lineup also had a favorable start this inning, but Hori had begun adapting to their batting style.

While Akagi's base-running was relentless, their batting wasn't entirely uncontainable.

With Tokugawa's pitcher-catcher duo mixing in breaking balls with fastballs, Akagi's batters were retired in order, despite the lineup including hitters like Aoki, Kondou, and even the inconsistent Sawamura.

Strictly speaking, Aoki wasn't a true power hitter either.

Though he had improved significantly since the summer and boasted a decent batting average, it still depended on the opponent.

The third inning concluded with Sawamura's overly enthusiastic three consecutive outs.

The fourth inning began, and Akagi continued to face challenges.

Tokugawa opened the inning with their third batter, and their lineup began prioritizing contact over power, adopting techniques like shorter swings and moving their batting stances forward, similar to Akagi.

Shin and Sawamura struggled, with Tokugawa's Sumiyoshi getting another hit, reaching second base for his second consecutive at-bat.

This showcased why Sumiyoshi was Tokugawa's most skilled hitter at capitalizing on pitches.

"Batting fourth, center fielder, Ike!"

"Batting fourth, center fielder, Ike!"

With no outs and a runner on second, Tokugawa's cleanup hitter stepped into the box.

Shin had a bold idea but decided it wasn't the time to take such risks yet.

Pop!

"Ball!"

Ping!

"Foul ball!"

Thanks to following Sendo's guidance, Shin had learned diverse pitching strategies, making it hard for Tokugawa to predict his calls.

On the third pitch, another fastball down the middle resulted in another foul ball.

Unexpectedly, Sumiyoshi at second base attempted a steal. He had observed Sawamura's pitching rhythm and found an opening to time his jump.

Despite not being particularly fast, his sudden dash caught Akagi off guard, and Shin's weak arm didn't help matters.

Sawamura, however, stuck to Shin's plan and threw an inside pitch for the fourth ball. It was a high-quality pitch that Ike mishit into a groundout.

Tokugawa couldn't execute a squeeze play at this stage of the game.

As the game progressed, even with inside and outside corner pitching, Sawamura's declining control and Tokugawa's aggressive core batters began breaking through Akagi's defense.

Interestingly, while Tokugawa's fourth batter had been retired twice in a row, their third and fifth batters continued to deliver hits.

Indeed, Egawa, the fifth batter, managed another hit, this time grounding the ball into the gap between third and short.

Tokugawa closed the gap further, leaving just a one-run difference.

However, Egawa refrained from stealing bases this time. Akagi had strengthened their defense against steals, and Egawa's base-running skills were still too raw for consecutive attempts.

The sixth batter, Fukushima, initially planned to bunt but was stopped by coach Kunimi.

Fukushima's successors in the lineup were weaker, so the coach decided to let him take his chances.

Starting offense with two outs is viable only with a strong lineup, which neither middle school teams nor even elite high school teams could guarantee across all batters.

Ultimately, both the sixth and seventh batters were retired consecutively.

From there, the game turned into a defensive battle. Tokugawa relied on their pitcher to compensate for defensive gaps, while Akagi used their cohesion to offset weaknesses in their battery.

During Tokugawa's third trip through their lineup, the pressure forced Shin to implement his earlier idea.

After calling a timeout, Shin explained his plan: to have Sawamura slightly increase his pitch speed. Not full power—just enough to raise his average velocity.

The goal was to elevate Sawamura's maximum speed to match the new average, creating a deceptive speed difference for the batters.

Sawamura's usual pitching speed ranged from 110 to 120 km/h, with an average of about 113 km/h. By slightly increasing his effort, his pitches consistently reached 118 km/h.

The tradeoff was reduced control. Sawamura's pitching mechanics were amateurish, and he hadn't trained extensively in control.

With a more stable lower body foundation, he was building a base for future control development.

The adjustment limited his ability to target outside corners and forced inside pitches closer to the middle. However, the added speed difference disrupted Tokugawa's batters.

While Akagi conceded two runs during the adjustment phase, they managed to add runs of their own, bringing the score to a tie.

The game entered the final inning with both teams deadlocked!