Coach Kataoka stepped forward. "Coach Matsumoto, thank you so much for making the trip today. With the summer tournament approaching, let's play a solid game."
Coach Matsumoto chuckled lightly. "A solid game, huh?"
"But your starting pitcher is a first-year. Well, I suppose you're trying to make some adjustments before the summer tournament. I don't blame you for wanting to experiment a bit."
"Still, putting a rookie on the mound against us… I imagine he must be an incredible talent."
"Or perhaps… you're hiding your real ace so he doesn't get exposed before the regional qualifiers?"
Receiving no response, Matsumoto didn't press further. "Either way, we intend to fully enjoy the thrill of summer baseball."
Standing outside the opposing dugout, Rinichi glanced over. "Osaka Kiryu?"
Miyuki nodded with a smile. "That's right. Last year's Koshien summer tournament runner-up."
And they're said to have the most powerful batting lineup in the country.
He figured it was better not to say that part out loud.
"What do you think? Not a disappointing opponent, right?" Miyuki asked.
Rinichi nodded vigorously.
"Let's have a good game!" the players shouted in unison.
No matter what, they couldn't afford to lose in spirit at the start.
Standing on the mound, Rinichi ground his foot into the dirt, then dusted his left hand with rosin.
Last year's Koshien runner-up…
"Well then," he thought, "if we want to win Koshien, we've got to get through teams !"
He lifted his right leg high, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
As he stepped forward, his waist twisted with precision, sending the ball flying.
The batter's pupils shrank as he swung with all his might.
What was that pitch?!
It came in straight, but just as it reached the plate, it suddenly floated up!
It had serious velocity, and the spin was intense.
Shaken, the batter reset his stance.
Miyuki was pleased with the pitch.
Plenty of force behind it.
What surprised him, though, was that even after such intense training, Rinichi was still throwing .
He had assumed that someone so lazy would see a drop in quality after being exhausted—but instead, Rinichi looked even sharper than before.
Watching him stand tall on the mound…
"Is it the sense of responsibility?" Miyuki thought.
"This guy really is a born ace."
And since he was clearly in top form, it was time to push the tempo and end the top of the inning quickly.
Miyuki flashed a signal.
The second pitch flew in.
The batter didn't swing.
The crowd began to buzz.
"Here it comes—Rinichi's signature three-pitch strikeout!"
Third pitch—delivered.
"Strike! Batter out!"
Sure enough—struck out in three pitches.
The leadoff hitter adjusted his cap, grinding his teeth.
"What's with that first-year?!"
The second batter stepped up.
"Strike! Batter out!"
Then came the third batter—also struck out in three pitches!
Top of the first—over.
Not a single batter reached base!
Coach Matsumoto's expression shifted, a hint of seriousness surfacing in his eyes.
Whoa, seriously? This isn't a joke?
That pitcher's just a first-year…
He started racking his memory for the name of that first-year.
If he remembered correctly, it was Kamishiro Rinichi… right?
Coach Matsumoto asked, "How was that first-year's pitching?"
The leadoff batter, still frustrated, exploded, "It was all fastballs—some slow, some fast. But his delivery and release point were identical, so you couldn't tell which ones were which. The slow ones had low spin and dropped, while the fast ones had high spin and rose. But next time, I'll hit it for sure!"
Coach Matsumoto glanced at Miyuki.
Well, maybe it was also thanks to that catcher—he really made the most of those fastballs…
Still, you can't go far throwing only fastballs. He wasn't sure whether that Kamishiro kid only had a fastball or not.
The name sounded oddly familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it.
"My guess is that first-year pitcher has more than just a fastball. What we saw in that inning was probably just the appetizer," Coach Matsumoto said, giving a surprisingly high evaluation.
This caught some of his players off guard.
"Gotta say, Seidou really hit the jackpot with this one," Matsumoto sighed. "But we're not going to lose that easily."
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Play like it's everything you've got."
Back in the Seidou dugout, Kuramochi was the first to greet Rinichi with a grin. "You're a beast, man!"
"You were pitching so seriously—now we've gotta score some runs to match you."
"You're amazing, Rin-chan," Ryousuke added.
The other upperclassmen gave him warm, approving smiles.
"You did well out there, Kamishiro," even Coach Kataoka praised.
"Yes, sir!" Rinichi replied happily, clearly proud of himself.
Miyuki took off his catcher's mask, a smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.
Go ahead, praise him.
The more praise he gets, the better he performs.
No matter what, for the first five innings that Rinichi's on the mound, the opponent won't score a run.
They won't even get on base.
No matter how strong their offense is, Rinichi is still a complete unknown to them—and none of his pitches are easy to hit. Without data or experience, hitting him is wishful thinking.
Even with preparation, it might still not be enough to score.
Thinking that, Miyuki chuckled mischievously.
Rinichi instinctively backed away, staring at him like he was some kind of weirdo.
Noticing the reaction, Miyuki was speechless. "…"
Bottom of the first inning.
Kuramochi led off, swinging at the first pitch.
It was a grounder right at third base.
Not a great hit, but he sprinted anyway.
Despite his speed, he was thrown out—barely.
Second up, Kominato Ryousuke, after fouling off around ten pitches, drew a walk.
The third batter, Isashiki Jun, shouted confidently, "Watch this!"
Everyone expected a solid hit, but it turned out to be a weak infield grounder, not much better than a bunt.
Still, it allowed Kominato to advance to second.
"A sacrifice, I guess," Rinichi thought.
Cleanup hitter Yuki Tetsuya swung at the first pitch.
A home run to deep left field!
Fifth batter, Masuko Tooru, hit a towering infield fly that was easily caught.
"Too bad, only two runs that inning."
"Still, that was one scary swing—I've never seen an infield pop-up go that high!"
Takamura Rei sighed. "He's still bad with breaking balls."
Chris, who was keeping score, nodded. "No doubt."
"He's coming—Kamishiro, the first-year ace!" The crowd erupted as Rinichi returned to the mound.
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