Chapter 14: Change Of Plans

In the Batter's Box, Lincoln appeared eager and active.

On the stands, Coach Abel's eyes were fixed, watching closely.

Lincoln knew that Coach Abel had expectations for him.

He could never disappoint Coach Abel.

This wasn't just about respect for the Coach, but because Coach Abel was the key to Lincoln's future career.

As the Texas team's Coach had told Lincoln before,

"Lincoln, this is a good chance, do your best, and don't waste it!"

The invitation from the Major Leagues, the Coach's expectations.

All these things turned into fuel, burning inside Lincoln.

He had to hit that ball out, to respond to the expectations of his Coach and to Coach Abel's focused gaze.

On the other side, Sawamura on the mound was also filled with anticipation.

Sawamura faces off against Lincoln.

This is undoubtedly the highlight of today's game.

Although many American fans still have no idea who Sawamura is, they aren't fools.

From the tense atmosphere on the field, they can tell that this duel is not to be taken lightly.

The fans who had previously supported Sawamura and Miyuki are now fully engaged.

Everyone around was saying that Sawamura and Miyuki were substituted, but only he had noticed that these two were extraordinary.

Now, seeing the atmosphere on the field, he knows he was right, and feels a sense of pride and satisfaction.

"See? I told you..."

But his friends aren't in the mood to listen to him talk.

"Stop blabbering and watch the game."

At this moment, most of the audience has no interest in hearing analysis.

Their eyes are fixed on the field, waiting to see how the duel plays out.

The new pitcher for Seidou looks like he has some skills.

But whether or not he can suppress Lincoln is still uncertain.

Lincoln might not be as famous now as he will be when he enters professional baseball, but fans who are familiar with him know that his skills are among the best in Texas, both in batting and pitching.

Whether Sawamura can suppress Lincoln will directly affect the direction of this game.

At the Batter's Box, Lincoln is also feeling extremely excited.

For Lincoln, this game is an exam, an exam that could determine his future.

Given this situation, how could he not be determined to perform well?

It doesn't matter if Sawamura or a legendary Major League pitcher is on the mound, Lincoln is determined to take down his opponent.

"Bring It!!!" he shouts, eagerly raising his bat, ready to hit the incoming baseball.

'Such enthusiasm!' Miyuki observes from the catcher's position, his eyes gleaming with sharpness.

Although Lincoln hasn't swung yet, Miyuki has already figured out Lincoln's plan from his movements.

And Lincoln is not trying to hide his intentions.

'He is going to swing the bat, no matter what type of pitch comes his way.'

Seeing that Lincoln is preparing to swing with full enthusiasm, Miyuki feels excited.

He likes opponents who come straight at you.

'Since you're straightforward, we'll be too.'

'Let's go!'

Seeing Miyuki's signal, Sawamura raises his leg high and then, brings it down as he shifts his body's center of gravity, and his right hand moves like a whip.

Throughout the pitch, Sawamura hides his throwing arm with his mitt.

Lincoln, without hesitation, swings his bat at the incoming pitch.

But he's late.

Even though Lincoln had prepared for it, facing Sawamura's pitch, he finds himself helpless.

The ball comes in faster than he anticipated.

Standing in the Batter's Box, he estimated Sawamura's pitch speed to be around 90 to 93 mph. (145~150 km/h)

Though he didn't use a radar gun to measure it, Lincoln, based on his experience, had a pretty good guess.

He was sure about what he had seen before.

But when standing in the Batter's Box, not seeing Sawamura's release point, the pitch seemed even faster.

It looked like it exceeded 96 mph. (155 km/h)

Caught off guard by the sudden speed, it's no surprise that he missed.

After his first swing missed, Lincoln didn't get too discouraged.

Instead, he focused intently on his opponent.

Sawamura's second pitch was soon released.

WHRROOSH!

The baseball whizzed toward Lincoln, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

Lincoln had expected this pitch, so without hesitation, he swung his bat again.

With the experience from the first pitch, he finally made contact.

Paak!

But the baseball was hit foul, flying far outside the lines.

"FOUL!"

One Strike, one Foul.

Lincoln quickly found himself in a two-strike situation.

Normally, at this point, Lincoln would be in a very tough spot.

But he wasn't.

The young man had an unexplainable quality when facing adversity.

Not only did he not give up, but he also became even more focused.

WHRROOSH!

And then, the third pitch from Sawamura came.

During this pitch, Sawamura showed no hesitation whatsoever.

His pitching was decisive, smooth, and efficient.

'Here it comes!'

Looking at the baseball coming toward him, Lincoln swung his bat with full determination.

Having been pushed to the brink, he gathered all his courage.

But Lincoln was destined to be disappointed.

The ball didn't go in the direction he hoped. Instead, it suddenly dropped sharply as it neared him.

'A Splitter!?'

Looking at the pitch, Lincoln's face turned as if he had just eaten a fly.

It was disgustingly perfect.

Because Sawamura's fastball was so sharp and smooth.

Without realizing it, they had forgotten.

'This guy wasn't a power pitcher.'

'He was a master of breaking balls!'

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

When this result appeared, the scene fell silent.

Although this situation was commonplace for the players of the Seidou High School baseball team, it was still remarkable.

Over the past year or so, they had played many games with Sawamura.

Sawamura's miraculous performances had become a given in the eyes of his teammates.

Even if the opponent was the incredibly strong Texas team, even if the opponent was the previously dominant Lincoln.

When it came to comparing them with Sawamura, the ultimate winner was always going to be Sawamura.

Of course, knowing this and being confident in it didn't mean they were indifferent.

When Sawamura struck out Lincoln, his teammates were overjoyed.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!"

"ACEEEEEEE!!!!"

"SAWAMURAA!!"

"I Always Believed In You!"

"Two Out!"

"Sawamura!!"

Their opponents before had pushed them back, but now, they could finally hold their heads high.

On the other side, the American players were different.

One by one, their faces turned grim, and their gazes toward Sawamura were filled with astonishment and confusion.

Perhaps the American Texas team players didn't always know Sawamura, but they knew Lincoln!

It was because they knew Lincoln's strength that they found Sawamura striking him out even more unbelievable!

Given their experience, they couldn't even fathom the existence of such a player.

Even the legendary Son of Baseball, when facing Lincoln in a head-to-head, didn't have such a huge advantage.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

With astonished and confused gazes from the American players, Sawamura calmly recorded the third Out.

His method for getting Outs was very simple and direct.

It was just constantly switching between inside and outside corners.

Fastballs! Fastballs!! Fastballs!!!

Aside from using a Splitter against Lincoln, Sawamura had used only fastballs to deal with his opponents.

"We are still leading. As long as we hold the lead, we'll win this game."

Seeing Sawamura's dominant performance on the mound, even the Texas team's Coach had changed his previous strategy.

First, ensure the victory in this game, then talk about the rest.

…