<89> A Perfect Start, Nine Consecutive Strikeouts!

Chapter 89: A Perfect Start, Nine Consecutive Strikeouts!

"Strikeout!!"

"Three outs, side retired!!!"

When Furuya successfully took down Inashiro's ninth batter, the entire stadium fell into complete silence.

Then, all at once, an overwhelming roar erupted.

"Oh my God!"

"That's nine consecutive strikeouts! And this is against Inashiro!"

"And this time it's different from the game against Yokohama. Inashiro came prepared for this match."

The fans were abuzz with conversation.

They were all deeply impressed by this player named Furuya Satoru.

In the Inashiro dugout, someone angrily kicked a bench in frustration.

"That guy... that guy!!"

As an Inashiro player, he had never been so furious.

"Furuya Satoru, from Hokkaido!!"

Narumiya Mei muttered under his breath.

The shock brought on by this first-year rookie was beyond words.

For the first time, Narumiya had a sinking feeling that the upcoming game would not be as smooth as they had anticipated.

With this perfect start, Seidou's players were bound to carry the momentum and ignite a storm in the upcoming innings.

"I won't allow them to get away with that," Narumiya declared firmly.

Hearing their ace speak with such conviction, the players of Inashiro suddenly found their confidence again, as if they had found their pillar of strength.

They no longer looked as panicked as they had before.

Their eyes regained their fierce determination.

On the other side, in the Seidou dugout:

The players returned from the field, ready to begin their offensive in the third inning.

Before that, a group of them surrounded Furuya.

"I didn't expect you, you brat, to perform this well!"

Isashiki Jun, with his signature mustache, threw an arm around Furuya's neck.

He had always known that this first-year rookie from their team had immense potential on the field.

But no matter how much he believed in Furuya, Isashiki never thought the kid could perform at this level.

After all, their opponent wasn't just any team.

It was their fierce rival, Inashiro Industrial, the reigning powerhouse of West Tokyo and all of Tokyo in recent years.

In the past, Seidou had played well against Inashiro, but no matter how well they performed, their lack of pitching depth always made it feel like they were being led around by Inashiro.

But today's game was different.

Thanks to Furuya's dominant performance on the mound, even though they hadn't scored yet, Seidou was controlling the game.

For the Seidou players, this was a rare and exhilarating feeling.

It felt like every pore in their bodies was celebrating in delight.

"Keep it up!"

"You've got this, kid. You're going to be a star one day."

In the past, the third-year seniors had been reserved in their praise for Furuya, largely out of respect for their ace, Tanba Koichiro.

But this game was so thrilling that they couldn't hold back any longer.

They lavished Furuya with praise without hesitation.

Even Coach Kataoka, who was typically strict and reserved, gave Furuya a rare nod of approval.

It was as if he was saying, "Well done, kid. You've lived up to my expectations."

The game continued.

But by now, the crowd seemed almost too engrossed in Furuya's brilliance to pay much attention to what would come next.

They were all still lost in the memory of Furuya's earlier pitching performance, completely captivated by the display of his incredible velocity.

"Hold on, who's up to bat next for Seidou in the bottom of the third inning?"

Sensing the atmosphere in Seidou's dugout getting a bit out of control, the umpire couldn't stay silent any longer and finally spoke up to remind them.

Inashiro's players had already taken the field and were ready to defend.

In Seidou's dugout, the players exchanged bewildered glances. The excitement from Furuya's dominant pitching had caused them to forget their turn at bat.

Everyone looked at each other, and the situation grew awkward.

"What are you staring at, you idiot? You're batting seventh today, aren't you?"

Isashiki Jun, who had just been showering Furuya with praise moments ago, quickly shifted his tone.

This sudden change left Furuya feeling momentarily dazed, unsure how to react.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team, always ready to enjoy the spectacle, laughed heartily at the situation.

With that, Furuya made his way to the batter's box.

In the bottom of the third inning, Seidou was up to bat again.

Furuya, towering over the plate, carried an intimidating presence, especially considering his impressive batting performance in the previous games.

As he stepped into the batter's box, the pressure on Inashiro's defense became palpable.

Harada, crouched in the catcher's position, furrowed his brow slightly.

For Inashiro, today's game had been anything but smooth.

While they hadn't given up any runs yet, the momentum was clearly in Seidou's favor.

Especially now, as Seidou was back on the offensive.

"This kid, Furuya Satoru, isn't just a monster on the mound. His batting is equally impressive. Underestimating him just because he's a first-year would be a mistake…"

Harada relayed his thoughts directly to his pitcher, urging caution.

However, his pitcher seemed unconcerned.

"Tch!"

Though Furuya's earlier pitching had been remarkable, Narumiya Mei, the so-called "Prince of Tokyo," never believed he would lose to anyone.

"No matter how powerful his performance is, at the end of the day, he's just a first-year kid. There's no way he'll be the one to turn the game upside down."

Despite his dismissive attitude, when facing Furuya head-on, Narumiya didn't allow himself to be careless.

His sharp gaze stayed locked on Furuya, as if he was trying to detect any weakness in his opponent.

After about six or seven seconds, Narumiya finally lifted his leg high into the air.

Seeing Narumiya's movement, Furuya, standing in the batter's box, felt an instinctual response.

It was coming!

He knew that the pitcher he was facing was none other than the renowned Prince of Tokyo— one of the strongest pitcher in all of Japan.

Standing in the batter's box, ready to face the nation's top player, Furuya couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He had been waiting for this showdown for a long time.

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