Chapter 34: A Crushing Crash Course!

If there's anyone at Seidou High who has studied Chris the most thoroughly, it would definitely be Miyuki.

Miyuki has imagined more than once what it would be like to face off against Chris. What should he do if his partner is Sawamura? What if his partner is Furuya? He has even considered what to do if his partner is Kawakami.

In truth, he didn't really need to be so focused on this. Although Chris's hitting power isn't weak, he isn't the most terrifying among the third-year seniors.

Forget about Captain Yuuki, even Jun-san and Ryo-san, might not be any less challenging in terms of difficulty.

But human emotions are often quite peculiar. Even though there was no real necessity, Miyuki still looked up to Chris-senpai and anticipated the showdown.

He had already developed a strategy for game calling.

So without much hesitation, he made a sign for Furuya.

'The current situation was that there were runners on first and third base, with the first pitch coming up. Chris-senpai would definitely not swing, so we could start by getting a good Strike.'

'Let's take it one good Strike at a time and eventually Strike him out here.'

Miyuki's plan was perfect, but as he saw Furuya prepare to pitch, he knew he had lost.

Some things, even if they haven't happened yet, can be predicted.

Seeing Furuya focus intently on pitching, Miyuki's mind felt like it was about to explode.

At that moment, he wanted to shout out loud.

'The runner! Stop the runner!'

The Captain at first base, had already moved three or four meters away from the base and was continuously advancing toward second base.

At third base, Isashiki was equally relentless. He was also moving toward home plate.

At this moment, Miyuki's back felt like it had been doused with a bucket of ice water.

What was about to happen, he could predict even without seeing it.

The third-year seniors had clearly plotted this.

He wanted to alert Furuya, but couldn't.

Furuya was already fully engaged, ready to pitch. If he shouted now, Furuya's action would stop, resulting in a pitching violation.

The runners on the bases would advance a base automatically.

Isashiki at third base would essentially return to home plate.

Even though he anticipated the upcoming tragedy, Miyuki was helpless.

On the Koshien field, the monstrous rookie who had dominated and spun the top batters in the country around, Furuya Satoru, was still quite immature.

However, no one had anticipated this before.

Furuya's performance on the Koshien stage was so stunning that people around him unconsciously believed his skills were formidable, possibly even very strong!

But the reality was often the exact opposite.

When there are runners on bases, a pitcher needs to use their gaze to control, and if necessary, they need to pitch a pick-off throw.

This is a fundamental skill for a pitcher.

But Furuya had no such concept in his mind; he was fully absorbed in the direct confrontation with the batter.

At this moment, Miyuki felt particularly foolish. Calculated everything and made a 'perfect' plan, but the one thing he didn't foresee was that his partner was still quite green.

This flaw became a fatal weakness.

And this flaw did not escape the sharp eyes of the third-year seniors.

Roaar!

The white ball whizzed in, still impressive in momentum.

What happened next was exactly as he had ominously predicted. Chris, who had originally set up for a normal hit, suddenly changed to a bunt.

Ping!

The white ball, after being hit, fell right in front of the shortstop.

And even before Furuya had thrown the ball, Yuuki at first base and Isashiki at third base had already started moving!

They actively aimed to advance to the next base.

The fastball at 150 km/h(93 mph) was hard to bunt, and Furuya's pitch had not only speed but also strong power.

But they trusted Chris would make contact, and that the ball wouldn't go directly into the fielder's Mitt but would fall to the ground.

Their trust built a wonderful cooperation.

The white ball fell right in front of Kuramochi, who had been prepared. Kuramochi ran and picked up the ball.

His defensive speed was not slow, but unfortunately, it was of no use.

Captain Yuuki and Isashiki were too fast, having moved ahead of time.

By the time Kuramochi picked up the ball, both had already entered the sliding range.

Too late!

Kuramochi was very frustrated but helpless.

They had been completely outplayed.

"Damn it!"

Kuramochi could only reluctantly throw the ball to first base.

The chances for stopping Captain Yuuki and Senior Isashiki were already gone. He could only record the out of Senior Chris.

Snap!

"Out!"

Chris's Out was almost a given, but his tactical goal had been achieved.

Isashiki had safely returned to home plate, helping the third-year seniors score their second run.

The score became 2-0.

In the catcher's position, Miyuki could only smile wryly.

Even before this practice game was set, he had imagined various scenarios. According to his previous estimates, it was indeed difficult to score against the third-year seniors.

Senior Tanpa's strength, after the tempering of Koshien, was no weakness at all.

Additionally, the third-year seniors cooperated very well. Their defensive skills were among the best in the country.

Moreover, with Chris as the Catcher, scoring seemed incredibly hard.

Of course, the most important point was that the current Seidou High's scoring ability could not be compared to the previous team.

However, similarly, it wasn't easy for the third-year seniors to score against them.

Not to mention the weapon that is Sawamura, Miyuki even doubted if the third-year seniors could score off Sawamura.

Even with Furuya and Kawakami, as long as they didn't complete the game, holding them off for two or three innings shouldn't be too problematic.

Their abilities were evident and not weak at all. Plus, they each had their unique characteristics, making it challenging for the third-year seniors to break through.

But the reality was a harsh slap in the face.

From the opponent's perspective, the third-year seniors' offensive power was terrifying!

It was as if they were teaching the new team members how to score, step by step.

"As expected of the Senpais!"

Thinking back to what Sawamura had said earlier, Miyuki had some doubts. Now, there was no doubt at all.

'In this game, we might end up losing badly!'

Especially regarding Furuya, his next area of effort had become clear.

Control is secondary; he must first become a competent pitcher.

"This play was really terrible!"

On the periphery of the field, a player who had come to visit Seidou High School specifically happened to be present today.

He gave a very blunt two-word evaluation of Furuya's performance.

Really terrible!

…