Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

The baseball that was hit flew out.

But it didn't travel very far before it dropped in the left field.

Sawamura arrived at the ball's landing spot first, ready to catch it.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough!

The ball had arrived so quickly that Sawamura didn't have any time to react.

The ball fell to the ground.

Unable to catch the ball directly, Sawamura had no choice but to adjust.

He positioned himself in front of where the ball would first bounce and securely caught it.

Snap!

With that delay, by the time Sawamura returned the ball to first base, Carlisle had already reached first base.

No Outs, runners on first and second.

Up to this point, the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team had already accumulated three hits.

And these three hits had been consecutive.

At this point, to say that Furuya's condition wasn't problematic would be a lie.

Miyuki couldn't help but turn to the Seidou baseball team's bench for help.

He also wanted to help Furuya regain his composure, but given the current situation, there was no way to do so in time.

The safest move now would definitely be to substitute. Even if they couldn't immediately bring Sawamura back, they should at least pick between Nishiyama and Kawakami.

Only in this way could the Seidou baseball team shift from a passive to an active stance.

However, Coach Kataoka, with a stern face, completely ignored Miyuki's gaze.

He was determined to stick to his decision!

It seemed that Coach Kataoka had made up his mind to have his own players weather the crisis.

This had always been his plan.

Before, Coach Kataoka had always been thinking of pushing his team into a corner to see how they performed. He believed that only in such a situation could the true strength of a player be revealed.

Players who could only perform well when everything was going smoothly, but shrank back at the first sign of difficulty.

Coach Kataoka wasn't planning on keeping such players in the first string.

But there was nothing he could do. The players from Seidou High School were too capable. In the previous six practice games, Seidou High School had won every match.

In the final match against the Dream Team, even Coach Kataoka dared not risk jeopardizing Seidou's future in that game.

Such an action would not only harm the interests of the Seidou High School baseball team but also the players themselves.

So, after thinking it through, the only game left to make a point was this one.

Now that the opportunity had finally presented itself, Coach Kataoka wasn't going to let it slip away.

Sigh…

Miyuki turned back in despair.

They already had no advantage in the game against American Los Angeles. Now, even their own Coach had taken the opposing side.

How could they still play?

"Time!"

Even though they were cornered, Miyuki hadn't completely given up hope of winning. He called for a timeout and went to the mound to help Furuya adjust.

But Furuya, standing on the mound, had a distant expression as if his mind was far away.

The pitch he had thought was the most reliable had flown out just like that!

This was a huge blow to Furuya.

It made him deeply realize how terrifying the mound could be.

The timeout and adjustments didn't change Seidou High School's predicament.

What was bound to happen, happened!

Paak!

Harris, the fifth batter, hit a clean double.

The ball landed behind shortstop Kuramochi.

Without any targeted preparation, it was impossible to stop such a ball.

Moreover, it was a typical line drive!

That spot wasn't covered, and once the ball hit the ground, it could travel far.

Just like Harris, who ran directly to second base.

Meanwhile, Carlisle, originally on first, and Reinhardt, originally on second, both made it home.

Carlisle's long and powerful legs moved like two large wheels of fire. In the blink of an eye, he crossed second and third base and charged straight for home plate.

"Don't underestimate us!"

Whoooosh!

The Seidou center fielder, Toujou, who picked up the ball, quickly threw it back.

All three of Seidou High School's outfielders had incredibly strong arms.

Their throws were as sharp as laser beams.

In previous games, they had thrown out opponents more than once.

But this time, Seidou's players were destined to be sidelined.

Someone's speed was faster than their throws.

Before the ball even made it back, that player had already leaped ahead, stomping on home plate with his foot.

"WOOHOO!!!!"

"YEAAAAHH!!"

In the Los Angeles team's dugout, the previously suppressed atmosphere erupted in full.

Score: 3-4

Finally, they had caught up in the score.

No one could fully understand how the players from American Los Angeles felt at this moment.

They had started the game against Seidou High School with a three-Run difference.

For the Wind Youth team, it was fair to say they had suffered a roller coaster of emotions.

But now, they had finally caught up, and it felt like a victory in itself.

It wasn't over yet. In the next inning, the sixth batter used a bunt to advance Harris from second to third.

The situation became one Out, with a runner on third.

This move stunned Seidou's players.

Before, Seidou's players had thought that the Los Angeles team wouldn't employ such tactical offensive plays.

But they had shown they could play tactical baseball just as well.

It looked like Seidou High School would continue to give up runs.

Coach Ochiai, in the dugout, couldn't sit still.

"The crisis is here! We're behind now, and if we give up another run, we will be extremely pressured."

He didn't directly suggest anything but voiced his thoughts.

Coach Kataoka glanced at the American pitcher, Conrad!

Earlier, Conrad had even retired Sawamura.

If Seidou High School fell behind now, could they possibly catch up?

It seemed unlikely.

With a slight nod, Coach Kataoka took a step forward and signaled for a substitution.

Substitution!

Sawamura would switch places with Furuya.

On the pitcher's mound.

Furuya, who was replaced from the mound, had an unwilling expression on his face.

In today's game, he had already given up four runs. However, this did not dampen his fighting spirit.

On the contrary, he was now desperately hoping to stay on the mound.

'I can still do it!'

Although these words were not spoken aloud, the expression on Furuya's face and his body language conveyed that sentiment.

Sawamura, preparing to take the mound, showed a hint of impatience in his eyes.

If it was at their home, Furuya's stubbornness might be excused.

But in a foreign land, for him to behave like this, seemed somewhat unreasonable.

Sawamura's gaze darkened, and he merely uttered one sentence in a calm tone.

"Give it to me."

Looking into Sawamura's determined eyes, Furuya finally backed down.

He could be selfish, but when it came to Sawamura, it was different.

To Furuya, Sawamura was not only his teammate but also his rival and goal.

If not for Sawamura's correct guidance, even with Furuya's natural talent, reaching the peak of Japanese baseball would have been an impossible feat.

Though Furuya didn't fully understand what Sawamura was asking of him, he was still willing to carry it out.

Thus, he sulkily handed over the baseball in his hand to Sawamura.

"Please..."

In the end, he muttered the heavy word.

Sawamura, staring seriously into Furuya's eyes, nodded.

"Don't worry!"

At that moment, Sawamura's expression was incredibly serious.

Since he had promised Furuya, Sawamura could not afford to make any mistakes.

Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team!

The score on the field was 4-3!!

The timing of Coach Kataoka's substitution came earlier than Sawamura had initially expected.

But that was fine!

As long as he could stabilize the situation on the field and prevent the Los Angeles Wind Youth Academy team from scoring again, then Sawamura could give them the final blow.

The game would be won!!

What exactly was Coach Kataoka's plan? Sawamura had an inkling.

But even if he could guess, Sawamura didn't pay it any mind.

For Sawamura, as long as he was on the field, his goal was always the same.

That is, to win!

This wasn't just a player's professional ethics, but also Sawamura's personal desire for victory.

He yearned to win!

There was no reason, no justification.

As long as there was a chance to face an opponent head-on on the field, Sawamura eagerly hoped for victory.

Without this passionate blood running in his veins, relying solely on his body, which wasn't trained to its peak, and his makeshift skills, Sawamura would never have been able to achieve anything in Major League Baseball.

In the end, Sawamura's greatest achievements weren't just due to his natural talent; a bigger reason was his relentless effort.

It was the same now.

Facing the crisis of one Out and runners on third base, Sawamura's fighting spirit was about to burst forth.

Taking a deep breath in and out, he raised his hands and declared loudly.

"BATTERS WILL BE DOWN AND OUT!!! EVERYONE AT THE BACK PLEASE TAKE CARE OF ME!!!"

This not only affected him but also his partner and his teammates on defense.

"YOU GOT IT!!"

"LEAVE IT TO ME!!"

"GO WILD!!"

"BE AGGRESSIVE!"

"SAWAMURA!"

Behind the plate.

Miyuki grinned and smiled with relief.

Sawamura's ability to take the mound without even needing a long warm-up was truly reassuring.

Even though Sawamura hadn't pitched yet, Miyuki knew that Sawamura had already adjusted himself to his best form.

He was ready to pitch at full force at any moment.

"It's a blessing to be able to play with a partner like him."

Miyuki sincerely felt this way.

Honestly speaking, without Sawamura, even if the Seidou High School baseball team made it to Koshien, they wouldn't have created such an outstanding legacy.

From this perspective, all of the Seidou players truly appreciated Sawamura.

Especially when playing alongside Sawamura, their feelings were even more pronounced.

At times like these, the teammates felt particularly motivated to play.

No matter who the opponent was, they had the confidence to go toe-to-toe with them.

And even win in the end!

It was the same now.

Since Conrad, the pitcher, had solved Sawamura in the earlier matchup, the Los Angeles team's momentum had surged.

In baseball, momentum shifts like the wind on a stormy day.

With Conrad's excellent performance, the Los Angeles team's momentum naturally rose.

But ever since Sawamura took the mound, everything changed.

The Seidou team, who were originally at a disadvantage in momentum, now saw their spirits soar.

Though they hadn't yet surpassed the Los Angeles team's momentum, the game had at least reached a level playing field.

"This is the power of the Great Demon King Sawamura!"

A scruffy middle-aged man watched Sawamura on the mound with intense eyes.

It was worth it for him to come all the way from Japan to America; he had definitely seen something good.

The shift in momentum, while noticeable in Japan, was not as dramatic.

In Japan, Seidou's baseball team rarely faced teams that put them under real pressure.

And those that could pressure Seidou were mostly familiar faces.

Because of this, the players were confident and didn't feel rushed.

But in America, it was different!

Because the opponents were strong and Seidou's players didn't know them as well, they had no choice but to push themselves further.

Naturally, those with outstanding abilities became even more eye-catching.

Just like Sawamura!

Facing the crisis of one Out and a runner on third base, he didn't even flinch, instead, he took his stance and threw the ball.

The tricky pitch successfully evaded the batter's swing.

Seidou scored a good strike.

Now, the seventh batter for the Los Angeles team was their pitcher, Conrad.

Conrad was a decent hitter, but facing Sawamura, he was somewhat overmatched.

In this situation, the Los Angeles team was forced to try other tactics.

Seeing that they couldn't hit Sawamura's pitches, Los Angeles prepared to force a run.

Harris on third base continued inching closer to home plate.

Conrad at the Batter's Box was now in a sacrifice bunt position.

By this point, the Los Angeles players had a 'No Turning Back' determination.

There was no doubt that this was their best chance to score.

After this, getting a hit off of Sawamura would not be easy.

These Los Angeles players had faced Sawamura before and were fully aware of his capabilities.

Getting a hit off him was as difficult as climbing a mountain.

Let alone stringing together hits to score.

That was an impossible task.

Even though the Los Angeles players had prepared well for the game, they still didn't have much confidence in scoring against Sawamura.

After all, they couldn't judge how much Sawamura had actually played his hand in that exchange game between Tokyo and Los Angeles.

Was it 100%?

120%?

Or 80%?

Those were all unknowns.

…