<31> Seidou's Upperclassmen!

Chapter 31: Seidou's Upperclassmen!

"Was it really 154 kilometers per hour?"

"You can't be serious, right?"

Although everyone present felt that Furuya's recent pitches were incredibly fast, when the actual number was displayed before them, it was hard for them to accept.

A first-year high school rookie who had just advanced from junior high less than two months ago—could he actually pitch at 154 kilometers per hour?

"It might be the angle; let me try again," said the fan with the radar gun, not quite believing the number he had just seen.

"No need! That gentleman over there got the same reading, 154 kilometers per hour!"

There was more than one person with a radar gun in the stands. When several people showed identical results, any previous doubts naturally couldn't hold.

Furuya's pitch speed was indeed 154 kilometers per hour.

"Oh my goodness!"

The fans, upon confirming this, felt their worldview was challenged like never before.

The news reached the Yokohama Kohouku dugout.

Both their coach and players were dumbfounded.

"Even when our players train with pitching machines, they've never faced such speed."

The assistant coach of Yokohama Kohouku slumped on the bench. Although they were still leading Seidou High School's baseball team by one run, he could clearly sense victory slipping away.

Even Yokohama's head coach, usually so tenacious, felt his resolve wavering.

"Where did Coach Kataoka find such a monster?"

"Didn't we have any scouting report or information on this player?"

"No, I'm certain," the assistant coach replied firmly.

He had even helped with recruitment at Yokohama Kohouku. While no prestigious team can claim to scout every talented player in the country, Furuya was just too special!

A player able to pitch over 150 kilometers per hour would surely have been noticed during junior high. Such talent wouldn't go unnoticed when seen in action. That's why the assistant coach could confidently declare that Furuya wasn't on any junior high scouting lists.

If Furuya's speed had been known, recruiters from prestigious schools would have surely knocked down his door.

He just appeared out of nowhere!

"Now it's too late; he's already our opponent."

The Yokohama Kohouku coach painfully closed his eyes. Though deeply proud, he wouldn't easily give up the game. However, he needed a moment to manage his anxiety, lest he let his emotions affect his team's players negatively.

At this moment, Furuya had just secured three consecutive strikeouts. The batters from Yokohama Kohouku tried their best, but they still couldn't touch Furuya's pitches.

Facing such an extraordinary pitch speed for the first time, even the best from a prestigious team needed time to adjust.

As the game moved to the top of the eighth inning, Seidou High School's baseball team was at bat.

Back in the dugout, Furuya was treated like a returning hero.

"You did it, kid, you wowed everyone."

"Did you see? Even Yokohama Kohouku's players couldn't handle that pitch speed."

Not only the upperclassmen but even Coach Kataoka praised Furuya's performance.

"Great job, keep it up!"

"Yes!"

Furuya agreed readily. Initially, he felt a bit constrained physically, but as the game went on, his pitching became smoother.

Especially upon hearing the audience's discussions, Furuya was surprised to learn that his fastest pitch had reached 154 kilometers per hour. This was a speed he had never achieved before, with his previous record being 151.5 kilometers per hour. This increase of 2.5 kilometers suggested that his pitching potential still had significant room for improvement.

At that moment, Coach Kataoka shifted the focus of the conversation.

"The remaining time is limited. The possibility of the opponent adapting to Furuya's pitch speed is almost nonexistent. However..."

He gestured towards the large electronic scoreboard.

"We are still trailing by one run. To win this game, we need to score at least two more runs."

Up until now, Seidou High School's baseball team had only scored two runs. With two innings left to play, they needed to score two runs against a pitcher who could throw six different types of breaking balls. The difficulty of this task was evident.

Despite this challenging situation, the main players of Seidou showed no sign of being daunted.

"Coach, leave it to us! Although this guy is incredibly crafty, we've pretty much gotten used to him by now," said Jun Isashiki, who sported a little mustache, stepping up to speak first.

The other starting players also chimed in with support. They seemed especially reliable at this moment.

This was a stark contrast to Furuya's previous team, where his teammates would falter under pressure. When playing against the wind, their performance often suffered, and even their morale would be suppressed by the opponent, making comebacks nearly impossible.

In contrast, the upperclassmen of Seidou High School's baseball team demonstrated a completely different attitude.

Even with just two innings remaining and without having stepped up to the plate yet, they exuded confidence. Furuya had no doubt that their confidence was genuine. It stemmed from their belief in their abilities, a confidence radiating from inside out.

"Leading off, number 6, shortstop, Youichi Kuramochi."

Seidou High School's lineup had gone through three rotations, and now it was Kuramochi's fourth time at bat.

"Hey-ha!"

Kuramochi raised his bat high as he settled in the batter's box.

On the pitcher's mound, a tall, lanky man licked his parched lips.

"Speed is an S, but batting power is only a B. As long as we keep this guy off base, his threat is minimal."

Muttering this to himself, the pitcher decisively threw the ball.

"Here it comes!"

Seeing the fast-approaching pitch, Kuramochi switched to a bunt. Having failed at bat three times before, he realized that hitting normally would make it difficult to send the ball out. In such a situation, he decided to go for a bunt play.

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