Chapter 233: Substitution, the Genius Takes the Stage!
"Safe!!"
"Run scored!!!"
"The total score is now 2-1! Seido High School's baseball team leads by one point!!!"
The commentator's excited voice echoed throughout Jingu Stadium.
In the stands, supporters of Seido High School's baseball team, along with the team's players, erupted in cheers.
In this evenly matched contest.
It was ultimately Seido High School's baseball team that had the upper hand.
Harada, standing at the catcher's position, held the ball that had just been thrown back, his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at Furuya.
"How could he be so fast?"
Given Furuya's normal speed, they should have had a chance to stop him!
But now, they could only watch helplessly as Furuya Satoru ran to home plate.
It wasn't just Harada.
Many players from Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team had the same look of confusion in their eyes.
They couldn't understand, they couldn't figure it out.
Why could this boy accelerate while running?
According to normal logic, shouldn't he slow down as he runs?
"This is too strange, how could he actually make it back?"
In the dugout of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team, the balding manager muttered in doubt.
Clearly, this manager, like the team's players and supporters, was harboring a huge question in his heart.
"There's nothing strange about it!"
Unlike the manager, Coach Kunimoto shook his neck, the joints cracking.
"Coach, what do you mean?"
"He just starts a bit slower, but once he's in full sprint, Furuya's speed is not inferior to that of top runners. In fact, due to his unique explosive power, he can even accelerate while running!!"
With Coach Kunimoto's explanation.
The manager of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team instantly understood the whole story.
"Then this first-year kid is just too terrifying, isn't he?"
Immediately after, the balding manager couldn't help but voice his disbelief.
Coach Kunimoto said nothing.
He simply nodded.
The terror of Furuya was a given.
If this young man weren't so terrifying?
How could he have made such a name for himself on the baseball field?
It's important to remember that the team he's on, and the opponents they face, are all among the nation's top elite.
"Losing two points to Seido High School's baseball team is inevitable! What's more important is the players' mentality..."
Although there has been talk that the side which breaks the deadlock first gains a significant advantage in a stalemate.
Coach Kunimoto himself does not fully agree with this view.
Today's game is destined to be a duel between pitchers.
And in such a pitcher's duel, what's being tested is not just their raw skill, but also their endurance and mental fortitude.
Compared to last year, Inashiro Industrial High School's ace, Narumiya Mei, has grown a lot.
But that's still not the state that Coach Kunimoto is most satisfied with.
"Only through trials can one grow! Only through storms can one truly see the rainbow!!"
Coach Kunimoto turned his gaze to his own ace.
"The moment for your trial is coming, are you ready?"
On the pitcher's mound, Narumiya Mei's face turned grim.
The miraculous base running of Furuya meant little to him.
Securing an out under such circumstances wasn't in the spirit of the Tokyo Prince.
What truly concerned Narumiya was that his rival, Miyuki, had managed to hit his corner pitch that exceeded 150 km/h?
"Over the past two months, it's not just me who has grown. Kazuya!!"
Narumiya truly realized that his rival had also improved.
And the extent of that improvement was not small.
"This is good! This makes defeating you even more meaningful!"
Trailing in score, the situation was not optimistic.
By normal logic, Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team was bound to face a tough battle in the upcoming game.
However, the reality was not so.
Having conceded a run, Narumiya seemed completely unaffected by the loss.
He set his stance and threw the ball with all his might.
"Boom!!"
The white baseball came rushing in.
Seeing this pitch, Shirasu's silver teeth nearly shattered.
As the eighth batter for Seido High School's baseball team, Shirasu might seem somewhat low-key overall.
But his skills were genuine.
Even facing a pitch nearing 150 km/h, he gritted his teeth and managed to make contact.
"Ping!"
The moment the bat hit the white baseball.
Shirasu felt a sharp pain in the tiger's mouth of both hands.
He almost lost his grip on the bat.
"So heavy!!!"
Speed is power!
The pitch, nearing 150 km/h, carried an outrageous amount of force.
Despite Shirasu using every ounce of his strength, the baseball he hit didn't travel far.
Narumiya caught the ball effortlessly in his glove.
But that wasn't all; he swiftly threw the ball to second base.
"Snap!"
Shirakawa received the ball and then threw it to first base.
"Out!"
"Out!!"
"Double play!!!"
Just after conceding a run, they immediately turned a double play.
Narumiya demonstrated with his skill, telling everyone present.
They were not defeated yet!!
It was just a one-point difference.
They would catch up soon.
The Seido supporters, who had been wildly celebrating moments before, quieted down significantly.
There was no helping it.
The strength and determination shown by their opponents were overwhelming.
They simply couldn't turn a blind eye to it.
"Damn it, the players from Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team are just too tenacious."
"Especially their ace pitcher, it's like he has no weaknesses at all..."
Everyone was buzzing with discussion.
Frankly speaking, they were truly shocked by the strength displayed by their opponents.
On the other hand, Inashiro, having just given up a run, seemed relatively relaxed.
Three outs, and the teams switched roles.
The players from Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team all returned to the dugout.
Looking at his proud disciples, Coach Kunimoto, who usually didn't speak much, surprisingly opened his mouth.
"Well done!!"
When the players of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team heard these words, they were deeply startled.
Based on their understanding of their coach, they strongly suspected that he was being sarcastic.
However, contrary to their expectations, Coach Kunimoto's expression was completely serious.
It was clear that their coach was not being sarcastic.
At this very moment, this was exactly what their coach was thinking.
"Coach?"
The coach, who had always been known for his iron-willed demeanor, suddenly showed a tender side.
To be honest, the players of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team were somewhat caught off guard.
Could it be that because they had lost a point, the coach was afraid they might mentally collapse, and that's why he was acting this way?
"Even though we're behind! The scales of victory are already tipping in our favor."
Coach Kunimoto continued to speak.
The players of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team grew even more anxious.
If they had previously thought he was joking, now they were genuinely starting to have a bad feeling.
Their coach's behavior was just too unusual.
Could it be that the pressure was too much?
Had it driven him to a mental breakdown?
Just as the players of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team were letting their imaginations run wild, Coach Kunimoto provided his answer.
"Furuya is too impatient! His eagerness to secure this point shows that his physical condition must not be good..."
Coach Kunimoto's piercing eyes seemed to see through everything.
Meanwhile, in the Seido High School baseball team's dugout.
The usually stern Kataoka also approached Furuya.
"That was reckless! You're the team's ace, using such a dangerous method to steal a base is completely unacceptable. It's not wrong to fight hard for points, but you also need to take care of yourself."
Hearing his coach's concern, Furuya nodded.
"I understand, Coach!!"
Furuya agreed too readily.
This made Coach Kataoka and Miyuki both frown simultaneously.
"How much longer can your stamina hold out?"
Even Coach Kunimoto could figure this out, so naturally, they couldn't have missed it.
"I'm fine."
Furuya insisted stubbornly.
He wasn't entirely bluffing.
He genuinely believed he could pitch until the end of the game.
However, it was precisely this kind of response that made Coach Kataoka and Miyuki's hearts sink.
Furuya usually trained very hard.
Although his endurance wasn't on par with the third-year starters, compared to the second-year starters, he wasn't far behind.
Because of this, the Seido High School baseball team members had subconsciously assumed that his stamina wouldn't be an issue so quickly.
But now, it seemed they had been too optimistic.
From the start of the game until now, Furuya had been competing with the opponent in pitching speed.
Up to this point, his performance had been commendable.
Even excessively outstanding.
But at the same time, Furuya's stamina must have been draining much faster than before.
"Don't push yourself! How many innings do you need to rest?"
According to Seido High School baseball team's original plan, they were going to use a pitching rotation.
Only in the event of an unexpected situation would Furuya, the starting pitcher, return to the mound.
But now the situation was different.
With the game so tightly contested, both Coach Kataoka and the Seido High School baseball team's manager understood.
They couldn't do without Furuya.
Therefore, Furuya must eventually return to the game!
In other words, the conclusion of the game must be handled by him, the team's ace pitcher.
Before that, finding someone to replace him is absolutely essential.
Hearing Coach Kataoka's question, although Furuya was reluctant to accept it internally, reason told him that this was undoubtedly the best choice.
Although the pitcher who rotates in to replace him might encounter unexpected situations during the game, potentially causing the team to lose points, this risk is manageable.
Firstly, they are leading by one point, which undoubtedly adds a layer of security.
Secondly, the ace pitcher of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team is not in great shape either.
Narumiya Mei is definitely going to pitch until the end of the game.
As his stamina continues to deplete, the members of Seido High School's baseball team are gradually adapting to the rhythm of his pitches.
Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff of Seido High School's baseball team firmly believe that they can continue to score points in the subsequent innings.
When the time comes, Furuya's return will become their trump card for victory.
Conversely, if Furuya encounters an unexpected issue due to stamina problems at the end, and the substitute pitcher isn't up to the task, then Seido High School's baseball team would be in a very awkward position.
"Two innings!"
The game has now gone through a full 5 innings.
This means the game has entered its middle to late stages.
The remaining four innings are undoubtedly crucial.
Furuya actually needs to rest for two full innings.
Many of the Seido teammates who had previously harbored a sense of complacency now felt a wave of relief.
If it weren't for their coach's insistence, things could have really gone wrong...
Coach Kataoka also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to other players of the same age, Furuya Akira was clearly more mature.
However, he still possessed some of the typical traits of a young person.
For instance, his tendency to push himself too hard!
Even though his stamina was already starting to falter, even though he had gone to such lengths to steal a base and score...
When Coach Kataoka asked, Furuya's response was still that he could hold on!
Such an ace pitcher undoubtedly brought a sense of security.
But precisely because of this sense of security, the team inevitably developed a strong reliance on him.
"We must be mindful of this. If the team wants to make it to Koshien and even dominate the nation, we can't place all the burden on a single person."
Having realized this, Coach Kataoka began to seriously consider.
Who should handle the next two innings?
Aside from Furuya, the ace pitcher, they had three other pitchers.
Kawakami's ability wasn't sufficient, so he could be ruled out directly.
Of the remaining two, one was the former third-year ace, Tanba Koichiro.
The other was another first-year rookie pitcher, Sawamura Eijun.
Tanba stood up on his own.
As the team's former ace, he clearly understood what his role was.
"Coach, I can do it!!"
The other first-year, however, was noticeably more proactive.
Not only did he step forward on his own, but he also made a direct request.
Many of the Seido High School baseball team members looked at Sawamura, who had stepped forward, with disbelief.
Did this kid even understand?
How crucial the next two innings were?
Although they firmly held the initiative and had a double safety net,
if the pitcher performed too poorly on the mound, it could still lead to unfavorable consequences.
Does he even realize this?
And next, it will be Inashiro's turn to attack...
The players of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team are not just there to make up the numbers...
Having been suppressed by Furuya earlier, they are undoubtedly holding a grudge.
Coach Kataoka's gaze shifted back and forth between the two faces, and finally, it settled on Sawamura Eijun.
"Sawamura, you're up! Tanba, be ready! We must ensure Furuya gets a full two innings of rest. If anything unexpected happens in between, Tanba will step in..."
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