"Whoosh!"
Ushijima Wakatoshi opened the at-bat against Harada with a full-power fastball.
The pitch screamed toward the low inside corner.
Fast!
Harada's eyes widened.
At least 150 km/h.
But which one was it?
A four-seam fastball?
A two-seamer?
A cutter?
That was the problem when facing Ushijima.
Too many of his pitches now reached the 150 km/h range.
Even experienced hitters struggled to identify them immediately.
Still, Harada committed to his swing.
CLANG!
The ball nicked the bat and shot foul.
Tch! Too late.
Harada clicked his tongue.
How did Isashiki manage to drive one of these?
And Yuki too...
Even after being set up by a changeup, he still got a hit.
No wonder Ushijima personally throws batting practice.
The thought actually reassured him.
If Seidou's hitters had spent months facing these pitches, their success suddenly made sense.
Ushijima quickly received the return throw.
Without hesitation, he delivered the second pitch.
WHOOSH!
Again, the velocity exceeded 150 km/h.
Harada tracked it carefully and held back his swing.
THUD!
The pitch broke sharply away and buried itself near the outside corner.
"Ball!"
The umpire spread his arms.
The crowd murmured.
"A cutter."
"The break was too large."
"That one never had a chance of catching the zone."
Harada quietly nodded.
Good.
One strike, one ball.
The third pitch came immediately.
Again, blistering velocity.
The ball started right down the middle.
Harada couldn't afford to let it pass.
He swung.
CLANG!
The ball glanced off the bottom of the bat and flew foul.
"Foul ball!"
Now the count moved to one ball and two strikes.
Harada adjusted his batting gloves.
That was the two-seamer.
Started middle and tailed away at the last moment.
He's forcing me to commit early.
The pressure was building.
Behind the plate, Miyuki studied Harada's reactions.
Then he called for the next pitch.
Ushijima nodded.
The fourth pitch arrived.
This time the velocity dropped slightly.
Around 145 km/h.
Harada immediately recognized the difference.
Off-speed pitch?
He began his swing.
Then his instincts screamed at him.
The ball suddenly sank toward the inside corner.
His bat stopped halfway.
THUD!
The pitch disappeared beneath the strike zone and landed in Miyuki's glove.
"Ball!"
Harada exhaled heavily.
Sinker.
I thought it was a shootball.
That was close.
If he had committed fully, he would have chased.
The Inashiro bench erupted.
"Nice eye, Captain!"
"Stay patient!"
"Don't force it!"
Harada calmly stepped back into the box.
Two balls.
Two strikes.
The battle continued.
Across from him, Ushijima watched silently.
As expected.
He's tough.
Few batters could remain this composed against his pitch mix.
Miyuki gave the next sign.
Harada narrowed his eyes.
Where's the four-seamer?
He's barely used it today.
They're hiding something.
The thought lingered in his mind.
Then Ushijima delivered the fifth pitch.
WHOOSH!
The ball raced toward the outside corner.
Harada instantly recognized it.
There it is!
The pure backspin.
The familiar trajectory.
A four-seam fastball.
He attacked without hesitation.
CRACK!
The sweet spot met the ball cleanly.
The baseball shot into center field.
Harada immediately left the batter's box.
The ball dropped safely in front of the outfielder.
A clean single.
"Nice hit!"
"Captain!"
"Inashiro finally has a runner!"
The Inashiro supporters roared with excitement.
Harada stood on first base and allowed himself a small smile.
He had finally forced his way on.
On the mound, Ushijima wiped the sweat from his chin.
Then he grinned.
Even he hadn't expected Harada to stay disciplined enough to wait for the four-seamer.
Behind the plate, Miyuki sighed.
The first four-seamer we've shown all game...
And he immediately punishes it.
Then he shook his head.
Fortunately, the pitch had been low and away.
If it had drifted inside, it might have become extra bases.
Still, neither Miyuki nor Ushijima looked rattled.
It was only a single.
The real battle was still ahead.
Then a chilling aura swept across the field.
Miyuki turned his head.
Narumiya Mei had entered the batter's box.
Bat resting on his shoulder.
Eyes burning.
The two runs Seidou scored earlier were still weighing heavily on him.
Now he wanted revenge.
Immediately.
Trying to get those runs back?
Ushijima smirked.
Not happening.
The first pitch came.
WHOOSH!
Narumiya swung instantly.
No hesitation.
No patience.
Pure aggression.
Then his expression changed.
The baseball suddenly dropped toward the inside corner.
THUD!
It disappeared into Miyuki's glove.
Narumiya's bat cut through empty air.
"Strike!"
The umpire's voice echoed across the field.
Miyuki couldn't help smiling.
Narumiya glared at the ground.
He had completely misread the pitch.
He had expected a sinker.
Instead—
It was a cutter.
On first base, Harada silently clenched his fist.
Good.
Stay calm, Mei.
Don't let him drag you into his rhythm.
Because more than anyone else—
Harada knew how dangerous Ushijima Wakatoshi became when his opponent started playing emotionally.