Chapter 46: Praying For The Opponent

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

"Another Change-up!!"

"Is it still a Change-up?!?!?"

The entire Hachioji stadium fell into silence.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the pitcher's mound where Narumiya stood.

They couldn't comprehend what they were witnessing.

The Change-up is not uncommon in baseball. There are thousands if not tens of thousands, of pitchers in the country who can throw this type of pitch.

However, it's rare to see the same pitcher use a Change-up consecutively in the same game.

Without enough confidence, such a strategy would be tantamount to praying for a disaster.

Only Sawamura, with the cooperation of Miyuki, had done this a few times.

They were the epitome of skillful and brave players, and it had caused quite a stir back then.

Some media even reported the event as a shining achievement for the two.

From this, it's clear how impressive it is for a player to successfully pull off such a strategy.

When Change-up is used well, paired with a Fastball, it can create a speed differential that disrupts the batter's timing.

But if the Change-up is used alone, it's really nothing extraordinary.

To throw three consecutive Change-ups and Strike Out the batter, has it happened in unofficial or lesser-tier games?

No one knows.

But in high-level games, games that will be remembered by people, this was the first time.

Narumiya had just done more than throw three Change-up and strike out his opponent.

Just now, he made history.

Everyone present was a witness to this history.

Reinhardt in the Batter's Box was completely stunned.

It wasn't until the Umpire reminded him that he sluggishly returned to his team's dugout.

The surrounding teammates wanted to say something but hesitated.

It wasn't that they were indifferent or didn't comfort their teammate at that moment.

It was just that they couldn't care less.

In the eyes of the American players, Narumiya, who still seemed a bit immature, now appeared overwhelmingly tall.

On the Tokyo team's side, their players also half silently returned to the dugout.

The shock in their hearts was no less than that of the North American players.

At this point, they couldn't even be bothered to congratulate Narumiya.

Sawamura and Miyuki, the last to return to their team, walked at the back.

Miyuki looked at Sawamura, seemingly wanting to say something.

He had something to say but couldn't find the right words.

Sawamura himself was deeply shaken.

He wasn't unaware that, thanks to his influence, Narumiya had progressed more than he did during the same period in high school.

But he never imagined that Narumiya could evolve to such a level.

'It was almost breaking the rules, wasn't it?'

That kind of pitching, that kind of strong heart.

Everything about it showcased Narumiya's strength.

'When it came to the summer tournament, with the batting lineup of the Seidou baseball team...'

'Could we really score off this guy?'

If Sawamura were honest with himself, he couldn't be sure at all.

It was a tough situation!

Not to mention his teammates in the Seidou team, even Sawamura himself didn't have such confidence.

What kind of Change-up could deceive a batter into swinging continuously and missing the ball every time?

It was like a huge question mark, spinning in the minds of Sawamura and Miyuki.

They couldn't rest easy.

Meanwhile, within the inner circle of the Inashiro Industrial High School baseball team, Narumiya had a big grin on his face.

The young man was so happy he could hardly contain himself.

Seeing the astonished eyes of the All-Tokyo players around him and hearing the cheering from the stands, Narumiya felt like the center of the world.

He was thoroughly enjoying the sensation.

Though he knew such vanity had no real benefits, he was young, and if he didn't indulge in it, wouldn't that be a shame?

"Don't get too carried away. Did you use your trump card in front of Sawamura and Miyuki? Aren't you considering how Coach Kunitomo feels about it?"

Shirakawa muttered from the side.

At that moment, it felt as if Mei had fallen from the clouds to the ground.

His neck seemed frozen like it was controlled by someone, turning stiffly back to face the Niflheim-cold gaze of Coach Kunitomo.

In an instant, Narumiya Mei froze, standing still.

"You better feel the same excitement about the field maintaining duties, because you will have a lot of it after this game." Coach Kunitomo said, without regard for the players around them, his face turning stern.

The sweat on Mei's face couldn't be stopped, falling like rain.

He turned to look for Inui, seemingly hoping for some comfort.

However, Inui avoided him, staying far away.

He didn't want to get involved.

When Mei looked at him with a pleading gaze, Inui innocently shrugged.

'This was all your choice; I have nothing to do with it.'

'Even if Coach Kunitomo gets mad at you, it's your own fault...'

However, when it came to pitchers like Narumiya and the little guy on his team, Inui couldn't understand them.

They often got competitive over things that seemed completely unnecessary, always trying to prove a point.

Sometimes Inui even envied them.

Perhaps their simplicity and purity of thought made them so direct and straightforward.

This way, the world seemed much simpler to them.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was now the Tokyo team's turn to bat.

Narumiya had just shown off on the mound, completely outclassing the American players.

At this moment, the American players were experiencing the most intense emotional turmoil.

As long as they seized the opportunity, they wouldn't have trouble scoring.

"This is truly a good opportunity!"

The first to step into the Batter's Box, Shirakawa, had a fighting spirit in his eyes.

Although he had different views on Narumiya's arrogance, he couldn't deny that Narumiya's pitching had given the batters a great chance.

As long as they seized this opportunity, scoring wouldn't be an issue.

Here it comes!

Shirakawa eagerly took his position in the Batter's Box.

At that moment, he saw the baseball coming toward him.

It seemed like Weede was greatly affected, and his pitch was way off target.

Shirakawa's eyes lit up upon seeing the pitch.

'The opportunity had arrived...!'

Seeing the first pitch thrown by Weede, Shirakawa immediately realized their chance to strike.

Although the ball's speed was still fast, it was very obvious that the pitcher's rhythm had been disrupted.

Ordinary people might not notice it, but Shirakawa, with his keen sense, immediately picked up on it.

Once he realized that the opposing pitcher's rhythm had broken down, he didn't hesitate to engage in a battle with him.

Though the outcome of this battle might not necessarily be in his favor, it would at least add to the pressure on the opposing pitcher, making him more unstable.

Paak!

"FOUL!"

Paak!

"FOUL!!"

The baseball kept flying out of bounds.

On the mound, Weede's expression grew increasingly serious.

He was starting to get anxious.

After seeing Narumiya's pitching, Weede had already realized very clearly that his skills were likely no match for this pitcher.

If the American team was still hoping for a comeback, Weede knew he needed to shine brighter on the mound.

Thus, he couldn't help but become anxious.

But the more anxious he got, the harder it was for him to control his pitching.

The baseball seemed completely uncontrollable, darting in all directions.

Soon, the full count arrived.

This was tragic!

Two Strikes, three Balls!

The next pitch would be the one that decided it all.

'GO!'

Whoosh!

Weede, now flustered, suddenly threw a perfectly accurate pitch.

'TSK!!'

Shirakawa, who had been thinking of taking the Walk, now had no choice but to swing. This pitch was one that, even if he wanted to Foul it off, would not be easy to do.

'In that case...'

He decided to hit it!

Shirakawa made up his mind quickly.

Facing the incoming baseball, he swung his bat without hesitation.

Paak!

After hitting the baseball, it flew behind the first baseman.

Shirakawa's expression finally softened, revealing a slight smile.

For someone with his reserved personality, this was the most expressive gesture he could make.

Behind the first baseman, though the ball wasn't hit far, as long as it touched the ground, it would be a super long hit.

Shirakawa started running full speed ahead.

At that moment, he saw a figure, darting toward the ball's landing spot like a swift lightning bolt.

In a split second, the figure managed to catch the baseball.

After catching the ball, due to the momentum, the player rolled twice before finally raising the ball.

"OUT!"

Shirakawa, who had been dominant until now, was Out.

The performance of the outfielder Marlin became the talk of the game.

"Indeed, the American players were formidable, and their range on defense was incredibly wide."

"Playing alongside such a player, you couldn't help but feel the adrenaline rushing through your veins."

It was as if they couldn't just sit back and do nothing; they had to do something to match up.

With that thought in mind, they quickly moved into action.

The first to act was Miyuki, batting third.

"Well, that was really helpful." Said Miyuki with an amused smile.

"Don't misunderstand, I was doing it for the team." Shirakawa, who heard his words, looked away as he said.

Although Shirakawa had just failed to get a hit or safely reach base, that didn't mean he didn't contribute during his at-bat.

On the contrary, Miyuki recognized that Shirakawa had made a huge contribution by exposing the opposing pitcher's issues.

This was incredibly helpful to Miyuki.

Miyuki was the type of player who collected data on his opponents to predict their pitching styles.

Now that he realized the opposing pitcher was rattled, it made predicting his pitch selections much easier.

Miyuki's only wish at that moment was:

'I hope Weede would throw a more accurate pitch!'

If the pitcher's throws went wildly off target, even if Miyuki guessed the pitch pattern right, it wouldn't matter.

The opposing pitcher wasn't going to throw it to the spot Miyuki had set, so what good would a correct guess do?

Unfortunately...

Weede couldn't guarantee his control at this moment.

"FOUL!"

"FOUL!!"

After two off-target pitches, Miyuki had fouled them both off.

To be honest, Miyuki was starting to feel desperate.

'Come on dude!'

He could only pray quietly in his heart that Weede would settle down and pitch more reliably.

This was something that Weede and the catcher Carlisle didn't know.

Had they known, they would've been furious at Miyuki's audacity.

After two Strikes, on the third pitch, Weede finally threw one that was on target by pure luck.

Seeing this, his partner, Carlisle, was almost moved to tears.

'After adjusting for a few pitches, Weede finally regained his form.'

At least now, he could get through the core lineup of the inning.

This was incredibly important for the American team.

They didn't have as deep a pitching squad as the All-Tokyo team, and only two pitchers could really handle the game.

If the second pitcher had to face the core lineup from the beginning, it would be difficult to regain control of the game.

So, Weede holding on a little longer had huge significance.

Just as Carlisle let out a sigh of relief, a bat suddenly appeared in front of him.

Looking at the wooden smasher of hope, Carlisle's heart skipped a beat.

It was so sudden, he nearly choked.

'What…?'

Carlisle's eyes filled with disbelief.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't believe what was happening right before him.

PAAK!!

But whether he accepted it or not, the bat made precise contact with the baseball.

The ball flew far out into the distance.

On the Batter's Box, Miyuki's smug smile could no longer be contained.

'THANK YOU!!'

He had been patient, and his patience had paid off.

Finally, the reliable pitch had come.

When that ball flew towards him, the result was already decided.

Tak!

Despite the American outfielders rushing toward the landing spot of the ball, they couldn't make it in time. The ball hit the ground.

Miyuki naturally ran to second base.

The situation had become one Out, with a runner on second base.

The first hit was from Seidou, and the second hit was from Seidou as well.

The reputation of the Kings was undoubtedly justified.

However, in this game, the most sensational moment was not them.

It was Narumiya, who struck out Reinhardt with three consecutive Change-ups.

Though both Sawamura and Miyuki performed excellently, compared to Narumiya, their performances felt slightly lacking.

"Alright, time to show off!"

This was something Sawamura couldn't accept.

Thus, he was determined to reclaim the spotlight.

…