<81> Starting Pitcher, Satoru Furuya!

Chapter 81: Starting Pitcher, Satoru Furuya!

The match between Seido High School and Inashiro Industrial High School officially began.

Before the game kicked off, the fans in the stands were filled with anxiety.

"Is Seido really going to let that third-year player, Tanba, pitch again?" one fan wondered aloud. "I wanted to see that monster first-year pitcher throw his incredible fastballs!"

This was the second Seido game he had attended, and he had yet to witness the legendary 155 km/h pitch.

"It's hard to say," another fan replied. "Inashiro is Seido's bitter rival. If Seido is thinking ahead for the summer tournament, they might want to preserve Furuya as their trump card."

While the fans worried, the Seido players had already changed into their game gear and stepped onto the field.

To the fans' delight, Furuya, the pitcher they had been eager to see, took his place on the mound instead of heading to the outfield.

"Wow! The Seido coach really knows how to please the fans!" one spectator exclaimed.

"He really gets what we want to see…"

The crowd erupted with excitement.

On the other hand, the Inashiro Industrial players were less than thrilled. The moment the game began, Seido had unleashed their secret weapon.

From any angle, this clearly did not indicate that Seido intended to throw in the towel.

"It seems like Seido has made up its mind to go all out," one Inashiro player remarked.

Both teams were powerhouses from Western Tokyo. They would meet again during the summer tournament, and that match might prove to be even more crucial than this one.

In this situation, Seido had two possible strategies for the Kanto Tournament final:

First, they could conserve their hidden cards to surprise everyone during the summer tournament.

Second, they could go all out to secure the Kanto Tournament championship first.

For Seido High School, both options were viable. It all came down to what their coach and players valued more: the Kanto Tournament title or the ticket to Koshien.

Without a doubt, Seido High School chose the latter.

This meant that it was unrealistic for Inashiro Industrial to expect an easy win in this match. If they wanted to keep their hopes alive for the Kanto Tournament championship, they would have to fight tooth and nail against Seido.

The players from Inashiro Industrial had clearly made their choice, evident from the serious expressions on their faces.

"Carlos, it's all up to you!"

In the top half of the first inning, Inashiro Industrial took their turn to bat.

The first player to step up to the plate was a dark-skinned athlete named Carlos, who played as their leadoff hitter and outfielder.

It was clear that he had a lot of popularity among his teammates, who gathered around him before he took the field to offer advice.

After all, he was about to face Seido's first-year pitching sensation, Satoru Furuya.

Yet, despite the challenge, the Inashiro players seemed confident that their leadoff hitter had a chance to reach base.

Once Carlos stood in the batter's box, he carefully sized up Furuya on the mound, feeling the intimidating aura radiating from him.

The dark-skinned player, Carlos, couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Everyone really has too much faith in me; this little guy is not easy to deal with," he remarked, though he was already squatting down and lowering his center of gravity, readying himself for the challenge.

Sitting behind the plate, catcher Miyuki raised an eyebrow slightly.

From Carlos's series of movements, Miyuki could tell that he was clearly prepared to face a fastball.

It was undeniable that the Inashiro Industrial players were no slouches.

Although Furuya's rise had been rapid and Inashiro had faced other opponents before, they had still come well-prepared.

Carlos's demeanor showed that he had come ready for this encounter.

"Good, then let's showcase your pitching power!"

Miyuki didn't signal with any special signs but simply exchanged a knowing glance with Furuya.

He trusted that his partner would understand his intent.

Sure enough, Furuya on the mound nodded ever so slightly.

With the chemistry they had developed, there was no need for elaborate signals. They just needed to execute the pitch flawlessly.

Then the spectators watched as Furuya took his stance on the mound and unleashed the baseball with perfect form.

"BOOMM!!"

Throughout the entire pitching motion, neither the fans in the stands nor the players in the dugouts noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Furuya's pitching looked as unassuming as ever.

If one had to describe it, the word would be "efficient."

Thanks to his lack of extraneous movements, the baseball shot out of his hand in a straight line.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of the baseball cutting through the air sent chills through the audience.

The home plate umpire was the first to notice.

His face went pale.

"Wow, that's fast!"

By the time he realized the ball was coming, it had already zipped through the strike zone and slammed into Miyuki's waiting glove.

"Thwack!"

"Strike!"

In just one pitch, both the stands and the dugouts fell silent.

It took a solid three to four seconds for the fans to erupt in excitement, raising their hands in jubilation.

"151 kilometers per hour!"

The massive electronic scoreboard displayed Furuya's pitch speed in vivid detail.

The loyal supporters of Seido High School were ecstatic.

They knew that Furuya could throw even faster!

But for him to start the match with such velocity was an exhilarating feeling.

Their adrenaline surged.

At that moment, the fervent supporters of Seido High School could think of only one thing:

Today, Furuya was sure to deliver a jaw-dropping performance.

As die-hard fans of Seido, they were practically on the edge of their seats.

"One strike!"

In the batter's box, Carlos's expression seemed to darken even further.

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