<37> I've Seen His Weakness!

Chapter 37: I've Seen His Weakness!

"I have a way!"

When the Yokohama Kohouku coach uttered these words, skepticism was evident on the faces of the assistant coach and the players. If they had known beforehand that Seidou High School had such a monstrous pitcher, they could have prepared with targeted practice. Maybe then they would have stood a chance. But in the current situation, it seemed as though no one could turn the tide.

It's not that they were being pessimistic, but rather they faced a reality they had to acknowledge.

"Haven't you noticed? Although that monster's pitch speed is fast and seems accurate, aside from the two balls, all his pitches have been right down the middle of the strike zone," the Yokohama Kohouku coach pointed out matter-of-factly, ignoring the doubtful looks from his players.

The players hadn't noticed this until the coach's revelation. Upon reflection, those who had faced Furuya's pitches recalled, "That's true!"

"The control of that monster first-year must be underdeveloped. He seems to only pitch accurately straight down the middle."

"With that terrifying velocity, if he pitched elsewhere in the strike zone, we probably wouldn't stand a chance. But if it's straight down the middle, maybe..."

The Yokohama Kohouku players' hope rekindled as they listened to their coach's insight. They relayed this information among themselves, encouraging those who were about to bat.

Next up were the second, third, and fourth batters for Yokohama Kohouku. It was fair to say these players were among the strongest batters on their team.

If anyone could hit a fastball, prominently one thrown at over 150 kilometers per hour, it would be these players—especially if it was right down the middle.

The batter about to step up, the number two hitter, forced a smile. He wasn't sure where his teammates got the confidence that suggested he could hit Furuya's formidable pitches.

Even if it were right down the middle, the speeds Furuya achieved weren't something that could be easily tackled.

But he couldn't dampen the spirits of his teammates or explain his doubts. All he could do was put on a brave front and reassure the team.

"I'll do my best."

This statement was unlikely to satisfy the Yokohama Kohouku coach, but the second batter was no fool either.

If he were to confidently assure everyone that he could hit the ball out of the park, things could get tricky. If he managed to hit the ball, that would be great. But what if he missed? The whole team's morale could take a hit.

He couldn't shoulder such a significant responsibility with his slender build.

Even though he didn't make any grand promises, when the Yokohama Kohouku number two batter stepped up to the plate, he adopted a determined and committed stance. His eyes, sharp like a hawk's, were fixed intently on Furuya.

From the catcher's position, Miyuki quickly took note of the batter and then glanced toward the Yokohama Kohouku dugout. There, the coach and players watched with eyes full of high expectations. They seemed confident that this batter would make an impact on the game.

"Have they figured out a strategy?"

Miyuki, ever astute, quickly surmised their intentions from the demeanor of the batter and the dugout.

As for where Yokohama Kohouku got their confidence? Miyuki understood the current flaws in Furuya's pitching better than those from Yokohama.

"Let's start with a test pitch; this shouldn't be too hard for you," Miyuki signaled to Furuya.

Furuya nodded. He set up and hurled the baseball.

"BOOMM!"

The ball shot out like a cannonball, its force exhilarating for the Seidou supporters in the stands.

"Here we go again!"

"Watching Furuya pitch is pure pleasure."

The fans were indeed enjoying the spectacle. However, for Yokohama Kohouku's number two batter standing in the box, it was a mix of emotions. Although he had watched Furuya pitch from the dugout, facing him firsthand was an entirely different experience.

He clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to swing.

"This isn't down the middle of the strike zone! Hold back!"

Even as this thought crossed his mind, the white ball zipped past him.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

As he suspected, the pitch veered outside the strike zone.

Sitting in the catcher's position, Miyuki frowned slightly.

The situation seemed a bit precarious. Even Lady Luck didn't appear to be on their side now. Furuya's fastball wasn't incapable of hitting the corners of the strike zone, but when he aimed for those corners, the chances of the ball missing the strike zone increased significantly.

Of course, different areas posed different probabilities of deviation. If you divide the strike zone into four quadrants—up, down, inside, and outside—the chances of deviation when Furuya pitched to the upper, lower, or inside corners were notably high.

But the outside corner was different. Because it was far enough from the batter, Furuya felt no psychological burden pitching there. His probability of hitting the strike zone on the outside corner was better than fifty percent.

If Furuya had thrown a neat, clean pitch to the outside corner just now, Yokohama Kohouku's strategy might have fallen apart immediately.

But now, with that initial ball to fall back on, it was possible Yokohama Port North's players would continue to gamble until the game's end. From their perspective, they had no alternative options.

"Having such a talented partner is a mixed blessing. Since they are so intent on hitting a pitch right down the middle, let them try," Miyuki resolved.

If Yokohama Kohouku's batters were determined to challenge Furuya head-on, he decided not to focus on the remainder of the game for now. He was determined to ensure Yokohama Kohouku would lose decisively.

"Time to unleash your full power and show them your best pitching," he thought.

Furuya wasn't just armed with a fastball down the middle; he had two other arsenals at his disposal. Even though one of those was sealed by Coach Kataoka, the remaining one was more than sufficient to handle the Yokohama Kohouku batters.

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