Chapter 410: The Opening Clash of the Ouya Battle
"In the first round, aim squarely for the pitcher's low pitches. If you can hit them, great. If not, it's fine. But you must swing boldly. Half-hearted swings will only boost the opponent's morale. Even if you strike out, make sure to pressure them with your presence. Understood!?"
At Seido High's dugout on the first-base side, the starting nine players gathered in a circle. Coach Kataoka stood in front of Eijun, Miyuki, and the others, his arms crossed, speaking in a solemn tone.
"Yes!"
"After two strikes, try targeting the pitcher's forkball. Oh, except for Sawamura, Miyuki, and Maezono," added Coach Ochiai, standing beside Kataoka, his tone still carrying a hint of laziness.
To be fair, while the previous game against Ugumori High had left a deep impression on Seido, it was ultimately a rare occurrence.
Eijun's runs conceded were due to Ugumori's explosive inning, while Furuya's struggles were more about his own issues and a bit of Miyuki's misjudgment.
Of course, they would still approach the game tactically with caution, but strategically, Ochiai found it hard to take a public school like Ouya too seriously.
After all, public schools have a high floor but a limited ceiling. No matter how you look at it, as long as Seido performs normally, victory is almost a given.
Though Ochiai thought this way, he still fulfilled his duties admirably. His advice, while puzzling to most, made Eijun and Miyuki exchange thoughtful glances.
When it came to fine details, this old fox of a coach was truly unmatched. Eijun glanced at Ochiai out of the corner of his eye, silently acknowledging his sharpness.
In simple terms, it was a matter of strategy and counter-strategy, and in this regard, Ochiai had truly mastered the art.
"Top of the first inning, Seido High's offense. First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun."
Aim squarely for the low pitches, huh?
Kuramochi exhaled a puff of warm breath, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. On the mound, Wakabayashi Gou noticed Kuramochi's gaze and smirked, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
Just a runner with mediocre batting skills? And this guy is the leadoff hitter for a powerhouse like Seido? What a joke. Watch me crush you.
"Play ball!"
At the umpire's call, the catcher, Sumi, locked eyes with Wakabayashi. With a subtle finger movement, the ball was hurled forward.
"Whoosh!"
A white streak shot toward the batter's box, heading straight for Kuramochi.
An outside pitch.
Kuramochi's eyes flickered as the ball came into view. His feet shifted, and his bat swung with a cold, decisive motion.
"Swish!"
The ball, however, narrowly avoided the bat and landed snugly in the catcher's mitt with a crisp sound.
"Strike!"
*That felt a bit far... And was that the outside fastball Watanabe mentioned? But the defense didn't shift...*
Kuramochi's first swing had missed.
Kuramochi wasn't too bothered by the miss. He narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully observing the defense, but he didn't notice any significant shifts in their positioning.
Up in the stands, Watanabe, as well as Miyuki and others in the dugout, were also intently watching Ouya's defensive patterns.
However, Kuramochi had fallen into a slight mental trap here. What Watanabe had mentioned earlier was that the defense's shift to the right and the fielders' encouraging chatter might indicate that their ace, Wakabayashi, would throw an outside fastball.
But this didn't necessarily mean that every time Wakabayashi threw an outside fastball, the defense would shift. The two were related, but not strictly dependent on each other. This was something Kuramochi would need to observe more closely to fully understand.
"Good, my control feels great today," Wakabayashi muttered to himself, lightly shaking his shoulders with a satisfied expression. This meant he could confidently pitch to the corners, which was excellent news for Ouya.
"Luck is also part of skill," Wakabayashi thought, a fiery determination burning in his eyes. *Just wait, you arrogant powerhouse. I'll show you what real baseball is all about. Baseball is about intelligence, not brute force.*
Second pitch!
"Whoosh!"
A sharp, gleaming ball shot toward the plate, targeting the edges of the strike zone with precision. Kuramochi frowned slightly as he adjusted his stance.
"Swish!"
His bat swung through the air, but once again, the ball narrowly avoided his swing, landing perfectly in the catcher's mitt with a crisp sound.
"Strike!!!"
The umpire's call made Kuramochi's expression darken. *That damn pitch was just outside the zone—a clear ball. But he got the call...* Kuramochi gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with anger. Being toyed with like this was infuriating, especially when he caught Wakabayashi's smug, mocking grin from the mound. Kuramochi's temple twitched, and he almost felt like hurling his bat at the pitcher.
This guy's personality is as bad as Mukai Taiyou's... No, maybe even worse than Miyuki's.
With two strikes now, the next pitch was likely to be...
Kuramochi took a deep breath, calming himself. He tightened his grip on the bat and adjusted his stance slightly.
"Whoosh!"
The next moment, a bright white streak shot toward the plate.
Here it comes—the forkball!
Kuramochi's eyes sharpened, a glint of excitement flashing in his pupils. I've been waiting for this, you bastard.
"Swish!"
His bat swung with force, aiming for the expected trajectory based on the video analysis. However, the ball's sharp drop was more drastic than Kuramochi had anticipated.
"Thud!"
The ball dipped sharply, evading Kuramochi's swing and landing solidly in the catcher's mitt. Kuramochi stumbled slightly, nearly losing his balance, creating a stark contrast to the smooth, confident pitch.
"Strike three! Batter out!"
The umpire's call made Kuramochi's expression darken even further. In the dugout, Miyuki, Eijun, Maezono, and Coach Kataoka all wore serious expressions. The game had just begun, but Ouya's ace was already making a strong statement.
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