Chapter 76: I Can Still Hold On

Two rounds in a row, with the same opponent hitting singles.

This kind of thing almost never happens in the minds of the players on the Seidou High School baseball team.

Sawamura is experienced and has many tactics. Even when facing formidable opponents, he always manages to come up with solutions.

When the opponent occasionally hits a single or scores, there are always various objective reasons for it.

For example, errors in their defense or some other reason...

But right now, this opponent has been able to get hits purely with personal strength.

This is something no one on the team had ever thought possible.

"BILL!!"

"ATTABOY!!"

"NICE SHOT!!!"

The fans from America in the stands were almost going wild.

Standing in their shoes and watching the game, they must have felt incredibly frustrated.

Their almost invincible Dream Team was being suppressed by Seidou High School's baseball team not giving them a chance to fight back.

And it seemed like the Dream Team was on the verge of losing.

If nothing else changes in the game, a defeat for the Dream Team is very likely.

They were behind in the score, and it seemed almost impossible to break through Sawamura's defense.

If they couldn't change either of these two factors, the Dream Team's defeat would be inevitable.

The pressure was mounting.

Fortunately, it seemed that Heavens had not abandoned the Dream Team.

In the later stages of the game, they finally found an opportunity to score.

This opportunity was created by the fourth batter, Bill.

With his overwhelming power, Bill managed to hit one of Sawamura's pitches.

A beautiful double!

This double was enough to transform the Dream Team's prospects.

On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura's breathing became rapid, and beads of sweat started forming on his forehead.

Though he tried to regulate his breathing, the effect wasn't ideal.

Sawamura smiled bitterly in his mind.

The exhaustion was much worse than he had imagined.

In the past, Sawamura could pitch for over ten innings in a single game. His stamina, while not the best among pitchers his age, was still more than adequate.

But now, Sawamura felt that his physical stamina was rapidly reaching its limit.

He had prepared himself for this. The main reason for this rapid exhaustion was the strength of the opponent.

The Dream Team's players were incredibly powerful.

In their previous matchups, Sawamura had suppressed them beautifully on the surface.

But that hadn't come without cost.

It could even be said that during the previous game, Sawamura had expended a lot of both physical and mental energy.

He hadn't felt it at the time because things had gone smoothly.

But now, with the Dream Team beginning a desperate counterattack and hitting a single, the feeling of fatigue hit him like a tidal wave.

'My breathing is all messed up!'

From the catcher's position, Miyuki's alarm bells went off in his head.

Miyuki was the one who could most deeply understand how hard Sawamura was working.

He had also sensed that such a moment would eventually come.

But he hadn't expected it to come so quickly.

The pressure from the Dream Team's players was enormous. If they didn't find a way to relieve it, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"TIME!"

Miyuki decisively called for a time-out.

He pushed his mask aside and slowly walked to the pitcher's mound.

When he arrived at the mound, Miyuki covered his mouth with his Mitt to prevent the opponents from reading his lips and figuring out what he was saying.

In fact, he was overthinking it.

They weren't in Japan. Even if someone in America had the ability to read lips, they wouldn't understand Japanese.

But you better be safe than sorry.

"How much longer can you last?"

That was the question Miyuki cared most about.

To be honest, the Dream Team's power was simply overwhelming.

Aside from Sawamura, the other three pitchers on the Seidou High School baseball team were unlikely to hold an inning with them.

With good luck, they might last a few more innings losing a run or two.

But with bad luck, they could be completely beaten in the very first inning of a direct confrontation. It wasn't impossible.

Sawamura closed his eyes, taking the opportunity to rest. As he rested, he answered Miyuki's question.

"Don't worry, I can still hold on!"

Even though he couldn't maintain his peak form, Sawamura could still fight in this condition.

When he was in Akagi Middle School's baseball team, hadn't he faced similar crises before?

And hadn't he always managed to push through?

"The opponent's strength is different!"

Miyuki seemed to understand Sawamura's thoughts almost effortlessly as if he were reading his mind.

Sawamura tugged at the corner of his mouth, drawing a slight smile.

"Don't worry, I won't push myself too hard."

The two of them communicated on the pitcher's mound for a long time. In fact, their conversation was quite mundane. They even ended up discussing whether the Coach of the Dream Team was pretty or not.

None of these topics were meaningful.

But that wasn't their real purpose.

Their real goal was to waste some time, allowing Sawamura to recover as much stamina as possible.

And it worked pretty well.

By the time the umpire gave the first warning, Sawamura had managed to adjust his breathing rhythm quite a bit.

One Out, a runner on second.

Now up to bat was Mike O'Connor.

He was another very difficult opponent, and in terms of difficulty, he might even surpass Bill.

The three musketeers of the Dream Team — Ramirez, Bill, and Mike.

Without a doubt, Bill was the strongest in terms of overall power.

But if you're talking about Dynamic Vision, Mike might actually have the edge.

Looking at their final achievements, Mike might even surpass Bill.

Sawamura was well aware that Mike was just a low-key player.

In terms of real strength, he wasn't necessarily weaker than Bill.

Miyuki also took Mike very seriously.

The two of them had spent quite a bit of time on the mound discussing two issues.

First, stamina, and second, how to deal with Mike?

'Should we use the Level 4 breaking ball?'

Sawamura gave Miyuki a big smile.

The Level 4 breaking ball was sealed.

He would only use it in the last inning, if absolutely necessary.

"Why?"

"Simple, my stamina can't handle it."

The Level 4 breaking ball is hard to use and would need a lot of concentration.

Once used, Sawamura wouldn't be able to guarantee he could continue pitching effectively.

He might not even last until the ninth inning.

On top of that, there was the concern of media exposure...

That was the real reason Sawamura had sealed the Level 4 breaking ball for now.

Miyuki could only support this decision.

He didn't agree, but there was no other choice...

Mike was the one who had hit a single with Bill earlier.

He was an extraordinary player.

Without the option of using the Level 4 breaking ball, it would take a lot of effort to figure out how to deal with him.

Miyuki hesitated for a moment before decisively giving the signal.

A gentle breeze blew over the pitcher's mound.

Sawamura adjusted the cap on his head and smiled with a hint of relaxation and comfort at the corner of his mouth.

When he had just allowed a hit, he felt an instant fatigue.

On one hand, it was caused by the pressure of the game; on the other hand, it was also due to the tense situation.

Fortunately, his partner took action before the opponent noticed the problem. He didn't give the opponent any chance to exploit it.

Miyuki proactively called for a timeout, ostensibly to discuss a strategy for overcoming the current crisis. In reality, it was to let Sawamura adjust as much as possible and recover his stamina.

In this regard, Sawamura did well.

He quickly regained his composure and didn't disappoint his partner's good intentions.

Now, Sawamura was reassessing the crisis in front of him. It didn't seem as difficult to overcome as he initially thought.

Mike, the fifth batter of the Dream Team, certainly had impressive skills.

However, to Sawamura, he wasn't an opponent who couldn't be dealt with.

Even without using his level-4 breaking ball, Sawamura was about 50-60% confident that he could get the better of his opponent.

And with the cooperation of his partner and teammates, the odds improved significantly!

At this moment, Sawamura couldn't help but feel a little self-critical.

'Why did I get so caught up in a mental loop just now?'

Although the players from the Dream Team were skilled, compared to the opponents he faced in the Major Leagues, they weren't that much stronger, were they?

Sawamura knew he was indulging in a "spiritual victory" here.

But so what?

'Could a bunch of immature little kids really turn the tide?'

With this thought, Sawamura's confidence and fighting spirit surged.

As his partner, Miyuki could easily sense this renewed fighting spirit in Sawamura.

Miyuki was a bit surprised. What had caused Sawamura to snap like this midway through the game?

However, this was ultimately a good thing.

Having a fighting spirit was definitely better than having none!

'Don't overdo it. You need to be aware that your stamina isn't limitless.'

Having regained his spirit, Sawamura couldn't care less about Miyuki's advice.

Right now, his mind was consumed with how to take down his opponent.

WHRROOSH!

Sawamura braced himself and hurled the baseball in his hand forcefully.

The ball shot out like a laser, crossing over ten meters in an instant, reaching the batter's position.

Mike, standing in the Batter's Box, stared at the incoming baseball in confusion.

As previously mentioned, his dynamic vision was the best in the Dream Team.

So, he watched the ball Sawamura threw with utmost focus.

This was just a regular fastball. If anything, the only special aspect might be its precise location, and it felt a bit faster than a typical fastball.

Other than that, there was nothing extraordinary about it.

Mike found it hard to believe that, with a runner on second base, Sawamura would throw such a basic pitch.

Was he looking for trouble?

This question, however, would remain unanswered, as Mike had no time to figure it out.

Players like him don't overthink things; they just swing the bat when they see an opportunity.

Shuuuuuuu!!

Mike was no exception. Seeing the baseball come toward him, he decisively swung his bat.

Paak!

The bat made precise contact with the ball.

The moment he saw Mike swing, Sawamura's lips curled into a faint smile.

His initial thought wasn't wrong. After all, even though the Dream Team players performed well, in the end, they were just a bunch of immature kids who hadn't fully grown up yet.

To deal with such kids, there was no need for complex tactics.

In fact, the simpler the approach, the more likely they would fall for it.

Just like this pitch!

During the throw, Sawamura subtly lowered his wrist, applying more spin to the ball.

Because the wrist movement wasn't drastic, the added spin wasn't much.

Even with Mike's top-tier dynamic vision, he probably wouldn't catch the subtle difference.

Everything unfolded just as Sawamura had imagined.

Faced with the seemingly normal "fastball," Mike didn't let it go.

He swung his bat decisively and hit the ball with precision.

A fly high ball!

Sawamura had already mentally labeled this hit as a foregone conclusion. In his mind, there was no doubt about what was going to happen.

The members of the Seidou High School baseball team were all seasoned players.

No matter where the high fly landed, it would definitely be caught.

Following the trajectory of the ball, Sawamura's gaze followed it.

The landing point: left field!

These Dream Team players were really something.

Even if they didn't hit the ball perfectly, they could still send it flying far and hard.

Fortunately, Asou from the third year was no pushover.

Even though the ball flew fast, he managed to reach the landing spot in time.

"Good!"

Sawamura silently cheered in his mind.

Although the process was a bit nerve-wracking, the result was good.

If they could catch this ball, his remaining task would be simple.

However, the next moment left Sawamura stunned.

Snap!

Asou reached the ball's landing spot and caught it with his glove.

But as soon as the ball entered his glove, it didn't settle. Instead, it bounced out and fell into the outfield.

...

T/N: Well, That's it for now.

Thank you all for reading!

Have a good day!

You also can check my Patre0n for extra Chapters.

https://www.patre0n.com/ColdColt

There are +170 Chapters there.