[424] The Intense Clash Against Ouya

Chapter 424: The Intense Clash Against Ouya

"It all depends on how much Kawakami and Miyuki can suppress them," Chris murmured, a faint gleam in his eyes.

"There are still five innings left. Nothing's certain yet," said Yuuki, as calm and composed as ever.

"Let's go, Miyuki! Kawakami! Shut those guys down!" Sakai suddenly shouted.

"Charge! Crush them!"

"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"

You had to admit—even in this tense moment, the third-years were still full of spirit. Their voices joined in with the cheers from the stands.

"Bottom of the fourth! Batting second for Ouya High, the second baseman—Kamii-kun!"

Gotta be careful here, Kawakami-senpai. The other side's probably going to go all out this inning.

In left field…

Eijun pursed his lips, eyes focused.

His gaze locked onto Kawakami's back on the mound, a single thought flickering through his mind.

"Kawakami, let's change the pitch sequence here. Use more sliders and sinkers this inning. Slow down the tempo, and aim for the edges. Balls are fine—we just need to completely kill their momentum."

At home plate, Miyuki subtly shifted his arm.

And on the mound, Kawakami—bending slightly forward—nodded solemnly.

Control.

That was where Kawakami had the most confidence. In terms of command, he wouldn't lose to any pitcher.

"One by one—get them all, Kawakami-senpai!"

"Kamii, now's the time to knock one out!"

"Let's go, Kawakami! Shut them down!"

"This is your moment, Kamii—show them what you've got!"

"Come on!"

"Get a hit!"

We have to get at least one hit this inning. Gou's already giving it everything on the mound. As his teammates—we need to support him with offense, with hits, with runs.

The grip on the bat tightened—Kamii's aura exuded a fierce intensity.

At the plate, Miyuki's brows furrowed slightly.

He's standing that close to the plate? Is this guy trying to show he's ready to take a hit just to get on base?

But I'm not letting you have that chance.

Miyuki's brow lifted slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Beneath his glove, his fingers moved subtly.

"First pitch—slider."

"Mm."

As the sign was confirmed—

Kawakami straightened from his crouch, and in the next instant, launched into his windup.

Whoosh!

His arm swung with force—

A glint of light flashed—

And the ball flew from the side with sharp velocity, slicing through the air.

At the plate, Kamii's eyes widened as the ball entered his sightline. Whoosh!—he stepped forward, swinging hard, pouring all his aggressive energy into that single strike.

Swish!

The sharp slider—

Just as the bat moved to meet it—

Cut through the air with a shimmer.

The ball traced a perfect arc, sliding sharply toward the outside corner.

"Pop!"

A crisp sound echoed across the field.

In contrast, Kamii stumbled slightly from his full-force swing.

"Strike!"

Damn it! A slider for the first pitch!?

Kamii gritted his teeth, irritation flashing across his face.

But without realizing it—

His stance shifted slightly away from the plate.

That movement—

Brought a subtle, knowing smirk to Miyuki's lips.

Next pitch—low and outside fastball.

Miyuki's expression remained calm as he signaled for the next pitch.

Kawakami gave a small nod in response.

As his arm whipped forward—

"Whoosh!"

A flash of white light cut through the air.

The ball suddenly appeared from the left side of Kamii's vision, shooting across on a sharp diagonal trajectory—

A straight, piercing fastball aimed at the outside corner.

Got him!

A hint of excitement flickered across Kamii's face. Instinctively, he stepped forward with his left leg and swung hard, convinced he had read the pitch perfectly.

We're not a powerhouse team—we can't wait until the ball's on top of us to swing. We have to take full advantage of reach and bat speed to generate power from the edge of the strike zone. That's our hitting style!

Araki's voice echoed in his mind.

His eyes locked onto the fastball breaking toward the outside—

"Swish!"

The ball blurred as it entered his hitting zone.

"Ping!"

A faint sound rang out as the ball made slight contact with the bat's edge.

The loud thud of impact followed immediately after.

Kamii's face darkened.

"Fwoop!"

The ball ricocheted off the bat—

"Thud!"

And slammed hard into the dirt.

Damn it…

Kamii watched where the ball rolled.

Then—he tossed his bat and dashed toward first base. This was a grounder, but a hit doesn't always have to be pretty—it could still be an infield single if he made it in time.

Clenching his teeth, Kamii sprinted with everything he had.

The entire stadium seemed to hold its breath.

"Second base!"

Miyuki shouted immediately, directing traffic.

At that moment—

Haruichi was already moving in on the ball.

His glove shot out as he dove.

"Pop!"

In a fluid motion, the ball was scooped cleanly into his glove.

Without hesitation, Haruichi reversed direction and fired a perfect throw to first base.

"Pop!"

Just as Kamii was halfway down the baseline—

Maezono received the throw with ease.

"Out!"

"Whoa, that second baseman is fast!"

"Haruichi Kominato—he's just a first-year too. Whether it's batting or defense, you can see why he earned a starting spot so early."

"Yeah… something about his movements feels familiar."

"Don't you remember? He's Ryousuke's little brother. Got called up to the first string back in summer, though he didn't get much playing time."

"Ohhh! Right, right—I remember now!"

"Looks like Seidou's ironclad middle infield is still as solid as ever."

"If the next two outs come just as easily, Ouya's really going to be in trouble."

Haruichi's sharp footwork, quick reflexes, and crisp, clean glove work—

Sparked plenty of chatter among the spectators.

And that only deepened Ouya High's unease.

With infield defense like this, even something as basic as an infield single was beginning to look like a pipe dream.

"Batting third, catcher—Sumi-kun!"

Not giving them an inch, huh…

With a steely expression, Sumi stepped into the batter's box. He gently tapped the plate with his bat, then twirled it lightly—his eyes calm but focused as he inhaled deeply and settled into his stance.

Standing close to the plate again?

These guys… really have impressive resolve.

Miyuki's eyes flashed with a touch of admiration.

But respect or not, once the game starts, Miyuki doesn't pull punches. And right now, Kawakami was in absolutely top form.

First pitch—sinker!

This inning, Miyuki had fully committed to a pitching plan centered around breaking balls, using fastballs only as a change of pace.

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