"Haha!"
Kuramochi pointed at Furuya and burst out laughing.
"Nice one, Furuya!"
"Did you see that? That guy Ushijima started walking back to the dugout before the ball even landed."
Even Kominato Ryosuke couldn't help but shake his head.
"That was way too pretentious."
"Hahaha!"
Isashiki and the others joined in, laughing loudly.
Meanwhile, the players and supporters on Inashiro's side were completely stunned.
Had they really seen that correctly?
That quiet first-year left fielder...
Didn't his throw look ridiculously fast?
It didn't seem much slower than Ushijima's pitches.
"Furuya, nice throw!"
"150 kilometers per hour!"
The Seidou supporters erupted in cheers.
"Wait, what? 150 km/h?"
Azuma Kiyokuni and the former Seidou players stared in disbelief.
"That's right."
Maezono nodded.
"Furuya is one of Seidou's first-year pitchers."
"His Four-Seam Fastball can exceed 150 km/h."
"You're kidding."
Uesugi nearly lost his composure.
"This year's team has two pitchers who can throw over 150 km/h?"
"Senpai, I'm not joking."
Even Asou chimed in.
"Then why isn't he pitching?" Uesugi demanded.
"If he can throw that hard, why is he playing left field?"
Maezono smiled awkwardly.
"Well, Furuya and Ushijima are both power pitchers, but Ushijima's velocity is more stable."
"Furuya can reach 150 km/h, but he can't do it consistently."
"And while his control has improved, it's still not reliable enough."
"Ushijima, on the other hand, knows how to sacrifice a little velocity for command."
"His control, mentality, pitch variety, and consistency are all at an elite level."
"That's why Coach Kataoka chose him as the ace."
"Besides, Furuya's batting is too valuable to waste."
"By putting him in left field, we keep his bat in the lineup while also turning the outfield into a weapon."
"With Furuya in left, Isashiki in center, and Shirasu in right, all three have cannon arms."
"If the ball reaches the outfield, they don't even need a relay throw."
"Their arms are strong enough to throw directly home from over ninety meters away."
Maezono didn't need to finish.
The former players understood immediately.
Looking at Seidou's lineup, goosebumps spread across their bodies.
"What kind of monster team is this?"
"It's only been half a year since we graduated."
"How did Seidou become this strong?"
"In terms of offense, they're stronger than last year's team," Uesugi said seriously.
"Honestly, Ushijima and Yuki might be even better hitters than Azuma and Nitta were."
Nitta nodded.
"The lineup definitely has more firepower."
"And the pitching staff is on an entirely different level."
"If we'd had a backup pitcher like Furuya during our Koshien run, we could've dominated the tournament."
"Unfortunately, last year only Uesugi could reliably carry us through the game."
"And Tanba..."
The conversation fell silent.
The regret from last summer still lingered.
Then Azuma smiled.
"That's why we're here today."
"To see them accomplish what we couldn't."
At the same time, Inashiro's dugout was in shock.
"What was that throw?"
"Who exactly is that left fielder?"
Coach Kunimoto immediately turned toward the team's scout.
"Do we have information on him?"
The scout quickly flipped through his notes.
"Furuya Satoru. Number 11."
"Excellent batting ability."
"He has hit home runs in three of his last five games."
"As for pitching, he hasn't appeared in an official game."
"He only pitched in a Golden Week practice game, and we didn't consider it important enough to gather detailed information."
"So we never realized he possessed this kind of arm strength."
Even Coach Kunimoto was speechless.
Narumiya Mei narrowed his eyes.
"That throw wasn't any slower than Ushijima's Two-Seamer or Cutter."
"Yeah."
"It was probably around 150 km/h."
"Seriously..."
Mei clicked his tongue.
"How does one team have two pitchers throwing over 150?"
What should have been an easy run for Inashiro had vanished in an instant.
The psychological blow was enormous.
The once-energetic Inashiro supporters had fallen completely silent.
Back in Seidou's dugout, Ushijima approached Furuya.
"Thanks."
"If you're really grateful," Furuya replied immediately, "then give me the mound."
Everyone laughed.
To their surprise, Ushijima nodded.
"Sure."
Furuya blinked.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Ushijima smiled.
"If we make it to Koshien, I'll let you start the first game."
For the first time all day, genuine surprise appeared on Furuya's face.
"Really?"
"Of course."
Ushijima nodded.
"But first, we have to defeat Inashiro."
That reminder instantly brought everyone's attention back to the game.
The players exchanged determined smiles.
End of the Fourth Inning
Seidou: 2 – 0
Inashiro: 0 – 0
The top of the fifth inning began.
Leading off for Seidou was the eighth batter.
Kominato Ryosuke.
As he prepared to bat, he quietly exhaled.
Then he lowered his head.
"Coach... I'm sorry."
"My body won't cooperate anymore."
Coach Kataoka looked at him silently.
"Can you really not continue?"
The truth was, Kataoka had been struggling with this decision since yesterday.
Kominato was injured.
And this was the final.
If he kept playing, he could become a liability.
Yet replacing him wasn't easy.
Second base required perfect coordination with the shortstop.
The substitute's defense wasn't as polished as Kominato's.
Nor did he have the same chemistry with Kuramochi.
If Inashiro noticed a weakness in the middle infield, they would attack it relentlessly.
Worse, discovering that Seidou had an injured starter would greatly boost Inashiro's morale.
That was why Kataoka had taken the risk.
As long as Kominato stayed on the field, Inashiro would remain unaware.
And if Seidou could build a lead before making a substitution, the situation would become much safer.
Especially with Ushijima controlling the game from the mound.
More importantly...
Kataoka understood Kominato's feelings.
For three years, Kominato had worked tirelessly.
For three years, he had waited for this moment.
This was his first Summer Tournament Final as a starter.
Of course he didn't want to leave the field.
Even if he was injured.
Even if he was hurting the team.
He wanted to keep playing.
Kominato smiled bitterly.
"I know I've been selfish."
"But if I keep forcing myself..."
"This really could become the last game of my high school career."
"And if that happens, there won't be any Koshien."
His gaze shifted toward the field.
"This inning is important."
"If either Furuya or I can get on base..."
"Then Ushijima will have a chance to drive us in."
"With his batting ability, another run is very possible."
He paused.
Then nodded firmly.
"As long as we win today, I'll still have another chance to play."
"But if we lose..."
"Then it's truly over."
Everyone in the dugout fell silent.
His reasoning was impossible to argue against.
Kominato lowered his head.
"Ushijima..."
Before he could continue, Ushijima interrupted him.
His voice was calm but firm.
"I promised you."
"I promised that you and Haruichi would appear at Koshien together."
"And I don't break my promises."
For a moment, Kominato stared at him.
Then a relieved smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you."
He turned toward the bench.
"Coach."
"Please make the substitution."