Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 59: Rebirth – Practice Match (11)

Honestly, if the bases had been loaded earlier, with Wakana's speed, she likely would have been triple-played out by throws from the pitcher to home, then to second, and finally to first.

"What a pity! But with one out and runners on first and second, there's still a chance for the top of the lineup to score," Fumino's voice chimed in.

"That's true! But baseball is unpredictable. Who knows what could happen? We can only hope Ohno puts an end to the offense for this game!"

"Huh?"

"The second batter, Aoki, is really there to set up for Ohno. Only when Ohno's on base and there's room with fewer outs can Aoki shine. If someone gets out, it'll be two outs, and then they can just focus on taking down Aoki. Honestly, Aoki's batting ability isn't all that great!"

"Ah, I see!"

"Ohno!"

"Cut it out already! Ei-chan, keep quiet!"

But with Sawamura's personality, there was no way he'd just sit still, so they decided to let him be.

"Alright, let's settle this once and for all, Ohno!" Sendo thought as he watched Ohno from the sidelines.

"I never thought I'd be the one to take the final at-bat! It's an honor... though I'm honestly pretty nervous! Baseball can be so thrilling!"

"That's true; usually, the game's decided early on, so I never got to feel this tension!"

"But now, all I can do is go for it!"

"Even though we've got one out with runners on first and second, those runners are from the bottom of the lineup—the 8th and 9th spots, and they don't have advanced baserunning skills! Time to settle this!" Ishihara thought. But it was understandable for him to think that way.

Aside from Takada, the fifth batter, and Wakana, the ninth, who were truly slow, Shin hadn't tried stealing bases all game. This had led people to mistakenly assume he wasn't good at stealing or that he was a slow runner.

In reality, Shin, although he didn't get as much baserunning practice as the others, had picked up a few tricks from the Wildcats. His skills were somewhat lacking, but not to that extent. Besides, Sendo hadn't given him too many instructions because he knew catching was tough work.

Sendo didn't think they had to win this game; in fact, he even thought that losing might be better for their growth, but he had no intention of going easy on them.

This game was a perfect opportunity for Shin to learn and refine his game sense.

"Exactly, Ishihara. Right now, although there's only one out, if we can safely finish off this one, the inning's offense will be over. It's practically the same as having two outs!" Coach Takei thought, satisfied with Ishihara's calm approach.

First pitch—

Wham!

Second pitch—

"Stealing!"

Thud!

"Ball!"

"In this situation... stealing...? And he's not even good at it... wait a minute?" Ishihara suddenly realized the timing was perfect!

"Safe!"

"Nice baserunning, Shin!" Sawamura called out, dragging out the compliment.

"Not bad, huh? Looks like he made the decision himself. It seems that even Sendo didn't expect the catcher to try stealing. But the situation hasn't changed; our goal remains to get the leadoff batter out," Coach Takei chuckled, shaking his head.

"Is he that determined not to lose? Shin, that was some nice baserunning!" Sendo smiled widely, baring his teeth in excitement.

This decision not only showed that the catcher didn't want to lose, but it also reflected his growing mindset, and Sendo was thrilled about it.

"Haha! When it comes to offense, we won't lose to you guys! We won't lose!"

"Hey, we're the ones in the lead, alright? Don't jinx it!" Sendo retorted sharply, pouring a cold bucket of water over Sawamura's enthusiasm.

But you couldn't really blame Sawamura. Since that four-run lead in the first inning, the opponent's extraordinary plays had kept Akagi scoreless, gradually eroding their lead.

Most of the runs they gave up were due to errors, not hits—in fact, strictly speaking, the opponent hadn't managed a single hit.

With a count of one ball, one strike, this entire game now hinged on this at-bat.

"Ball!"

By the third inning, Morishita's breaking pitches had been limited by his control issues, putting both sides at their limits. This was also Akagi Junior High School's best chance to score.

The fourth pitch—

"Oh no, that pitch is right over the plate!"

Crack!

"Go! Go!" Sawamura shouted, already anticipating the hit.

However—

Ding!

Thud!

"OUT!"

"Yes!" Morishita and Ishihara shouted in unison.

Turns out, the hit had bounced off the shortstop's protective gear on his shoe, and he managed to grab it in the split second it popped up, passing it to the second baseman covering second, who then threw to first for a dramatic double play.

"Ah! So close!" Sawamura crouched on the ground, hands on his head, yelling in frustration.

You couldn't really blame him—he'd just been celebrating, only for disaster to strike the next moment.

"Seems luck isn't on our side!" Sendo chuckled as he watched the unexpected twist unfold.

"So, what's the plan now?"

"We have to defend this one-run lead with everything we've got!"

"Eijun!" Sendo shouted back at Sawamura after answering Fumino's question.

"Huh? What is it?" It looked like he was still sulking.

"It's just a little bad luck. We're still up by one run!"

"Hah…"

"Now, the rest is all up to you—our ace!"

In that instant, Sawamura felt like his entire world had changed.

"Alright! Leave it all to me!" He strutted to the mound with a cocky, almost crab-like walk, showing his determination.

"Now it's time for the final defense! The day's lesson comes down to this last step. Let's go!" Sendo said in a serious tone, turning to the team while watching Sawamura's back.

"Oh!"

"Let's go!"

Indeed, this was the last defense, and the top of the opponent's lineup was coming up—a perfect scoring opportunity for them, but also an excellent chance for Akagi Junior High School to prove themselves. Victory or defeat could be decided in a flash.

To Sendo, this final inning was exactly what he'd hoped for—a chance to test the defense, the pitcher, and the catcher under pressure.

The opponent's leadoff and second batter were now facing their fourth at-bats, and no one knew when they might suddenly break their no-hitter streak.

At Sendo's level, he couldn't tell if they had the raw ability to pull it off.

But the fact remained—they'd given up three runs over the past six innings. This was a crucial moment to see how well their defensive lineup had been trained, and to gauge the entire team's resilience under pressure.

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