Ichidai San High's second batter was seething.
He had already seen two pitches—there was no room left to retreat.
The third pitch from Ushijima Wakatoshi made his pupils shrink.
"The speed's lower… a two-seam?"
He remembered what his teammate—the first batter—had said.
The four-seam fastball came in around 140 kilometers per hour.
A two-seam would be slightly slower, with lateral movement.
Seeing the reduced speed, the batter instinctively treated it as a two-seam.
Bang!
The bat made contact.
But the timing was off.
The hitting point wasn't where he had anticipated, and the power never transferred properly.
The ball dribbled weakly toward the first-base side of the infield.
"Damn it—this isn't a two-seam, it's a four-seam!"
Dropping his bat, the batter sprinted toward first, furious.
"What—?!"
Mid-run, his eyes widened.
Ushijima Wakatoshi had already charged off the mound at terrifying speed.
Scooping up the ball cleanly, Ushijima fired it to first base without hesitation.
Smack!
"Out!"
The first-base umpire's call was decisive.
"Whoa—three pitches again to shut down the batter!"
"Even without a strikeout, he completely denied him!"
"That last pitch wasn't a two-seam, was it?"
"Yeah, the first batter fell to a two-seam, so everyone expected it again. Instead, he used a slightly slower four-seam."
"The batter guessed wrong—even though he made contact, the placement was ruined."
"This first-year pitcher from Seido is something else."
"No wonder they took the ace number from Tanba—he really has the skill."
In the stands, cheers erupted.
"Yay—! Yay—!"
Seido's second-string players were shouting at the top of their lungs.
Especially the first-years.
None of them had imagined it.
Someone our age… is this strong?
To dominate Ichidai San High's lineup like this—
"Ushijima's insane! Three pitches per batter!"
"Hey, don't get cocky!"
"Go, Ushijima! Keep throwing like that!"
The encouragement poured in.
Back in the dugout, Rei Takashima smiled faintly.
"That backup defense just now—very decisive."
"Yes," Coach Kataoka replied calmly.
"Even I didn't expect him to charge off the mound that fast."
His satisfaction with Ushijima continued to grow.
It was only the first inning—
Yet Ushijima had already retired two batters cleanly and efficiently.
Facing Ichidai San High's third batter, Ushijima and Miyuki worked seamlessly.
By alternating inside and outside pitches, they ended the at-bat in just two throws.
"Three up, three down."
"That first-year is surprisingly strong."
"Only eight pitches for the inning—that's extremely economical."
"Seido's defense has always been solid, but pitching was their weakness."
"It looks like that problem is gone this year."
After finishing the inning, Ushijima jogged back to the dugout.
"Nice pitching, you little brat!"
Isashiki happily locked Ushijima in a headlock.
"Three up, three down… honestly, I was ready to give up two runs,"
Kominato said dryly.
"Onii-san, that's a bit much," Ushijima replied, half amused, half exasperated.
Still, Ushijima remained clear-headed.
"This is only the first inning," he said calmly.
"It doesn't mean much yet."
"They don't know me. They're not familiar with my pitching style."
"For the first rotation, getting three up and three down is normal."
"But once we reach the fourth inning—when the lineup turns over again…"
"With the experience they've gained, they'll start guessing my pitches."
His composed self-analysis made the dugout fall silent.
Miyuki puffed out his cheeks and complained,
"Hey, act like a first-year, will you?"
"Your calmness makes us seniors look useless."
"Mmm," Kuramochi, Masuko, and the others nodded in agreement.
Coach Kataoka crossed his arms, listening without comment.
Ushijima smiled faintly.
"I can't help it."
"Can third-years make it to Koshien?"
"All the pressure is on me."
"This is the responsibility I inherited from Tanba-senpai."
"To be honest, I'd like to be carefree like a normal first-year."
"But if I'm not calm—if I don't prepare myself mentally—"
"I'm afraid all the effort my seniors have put in over the past three years will go to waste."
"I don't want that responsibility."
"But if we make it to Koshien, then everything will be fine."
"I'm not great at pure ball control, so I have to pitch with my brain."
"I can't afford to be impulsive."
His maturity earned silent respect from everyone present.
Coach Kataoka's evaluation of Ushijima rose yet another level.
"From the second rotation onward," Ushijima continued,
"I'll probably need more help from the defense."
"At that point, I'll rely on you guys to back me up."
"Let's try to finish this in five innings."
"Don't worry!" Isashiki said confidently.
"I'll send them back one by one!"
Though he often complained about Ushijima, when it mattered, he was always dependable.
"Right field's covered," Shirasu added calmly.
Ushijima smiled and said nothing more.
Kuramochi had already pulled on his gloves and helmet, ready to step up.
First inning—Seido batted around the lineup and scored five runs.
Score: 5–0.
"Once Kuramochi reaches base, steal aggressively," the coach reminded.
"The timing Ushijima calculated is tight."
"Your speed gives you the second-highest steal success rate on the team."
"Once you steal, you pressure the pitcher and open chances for the batters behind you."
"The grudge from last autumn's tournament—repay it tenfold today."
Kuramochi grinned.
"Ha—"
"I'm almost starting to feel sorry for Manaka."
Standing in the batter's box, Kuramochi stared excitedly at Manaka Kaname on the mound.
After giving up five runs in the first inning—
Manaka's second inning had already begun under heavy pressure.