Chapter 153: Yeah, Who Would Have Thought of This Title

For the first pitch, Hinata Hayato threw an inside Forkball; Yuki Tetsuya stood firm, his entire aura completely unaffected.

Then, on the second pitch, Yuki Tetsuya swung his bat just as the baseball flew from the fingertips.

Bang!

The baseball flew up.

"Jianjie!"

"Strike!"

Two outs, two strikes; only one more strike was needed to strike out Yuki Tetsuya and end this half-inning, and the fans of Honghai University Sagami were roaring to cheer on their team.

Of course, the Seido fans were not to be outdone, shouting one after another for a hit.

For the third pitch, Hinata Hayato took a deep breath and threw the ball with force, the baseball carving an arc as it flew toward the outside corner of the strike zone.

Yuki Tetsuya's eyes narrowed and he swung his bat; with a bang, the tip of the bat clipped the baseball—it wasn't a clean hit!

The baseball flew along the sideline toward First Base; before it landed, it was hard to tell if it was out of bounds.

Jiecheng dropped his bat and sprinted toward First Base; soon, the ball landed—fair! It was an Extra-base Hit to Right Fielder!

"Safe!"

Jiecheng reached First Base safely.

Whew~

Hinata Hayato exhaled; now there was a runner on First Base, and the Batter was the Fourth Batter, Dong Qingguo. Should he grant a Base on Balls?

But for today's Seido, that Huangqian Yangyi was the starter and was batting 5th; if he granted a Base on Balls, there would be runners on First and Second, and he would still have to face that monster Huangqian Yangyi, whose batting was not a bit inferior to Dong Qingguo's.

He had to face him head-on!

Besides, he wasn't necessarily afraid of Dong Qingguo with his own pitching!

He had struck out national-level batters like this before; in practice games, whether against Seibo or Osaka Kiryu, it wasn't that easy for them to score off him.

Having made up his mind, Hinata Hayato nodded at the Catcher, who immediately gave the signal.

Holding the bat, Dong Qingguo stared at Hinata Hayato's glove with the ferocity of a wild beast, and after the opponent threw the baseball, he roared "Ha!" and swung the bat.

Thwack!

The bat swung through, and the baseball entered the Catcher's glove!

Swung too early!

Dong Qingguo frowned; this pitch wasn't a Changeup, but a Fastball with reduced speed!

He glanced at the radar gun: 141!

It was 8 kilometers slower than his top speed.

Interesting, Dong Qingguo thought, the corners of his mouth curling up and his eyes widening; clearly, the opponent's pitching had piqued his competitive spirit.

For the second pitch, the Catcher gave the signal while nodding slightly to indicate that Hinata Hayato should ramp up the speed.

Hinata Hayato quickly threw the baseball, and a Fastball aimed at Dong Qingguo's chest came flying in.

Ha!

Dong Qingguo's movement was wide and sweeping, his bat swinging as if carrying the force of a thousand jun.

Bang!

The bat hit the bottom of the baseball, and the little white ball flew toward the back.

"Jianjie!"

"Strike!"

Two outs, runner on First, two strikes; it could be said that Honghai University Sagami now held the advantage.

Dong Qingguo took two practice swings, preparing to meet the third pitch.

"Dong!"

"Home Run!"

"Go for it!"

The Seido fans shouted with all their might, holding very high expectations for Dong Qingguo.

Just then, Hinata Hayato threw the third pitch.

The little white ball flew in, and Dong Qingguo swung his bat, but when the baseball was halfway there, the look in Dong Qingguo's eyes changed—it was a Changeup!

Damn it!

"Thwack!"

"Strike!"

"Strikeout!"

The Seido fans in the stands fell into a sudden silence.

Dong Qingguo glared at Hinata Hayato with a dark face; he hadn't expected the opponent to bring out the Changeup in just the first inning.

Returning to the Dugout with Yuki Tetsuya, Dong Qingguo walked straight up to Huangqian Yangyi.

"Kid, you know what to do!"

Huangqian Yangyi smiled and said, "Don't be so impatient, Senior Dong, I'll help you vent your frustration right away."

Putting on his glove, Huangqian Yangyi and Miyuki Kazuya walked out of the Dugout, bumping fists amidst the cheers of the fans.

"Let's go, we're up!" Huangqian Yangyi shouted, and his teammates behind him immediately followed onto the field.

Huangqian Yangyi jogged to the Pitcher's Mound, stomped on the dirt, and then turned to look at home plate.

In the Batter's Box, the leadoff Batter for Honghai University Sagami listened to the tsunami-like sound of the crowd chanting Huangqian Yangyi's name and shook his head helplessly; one could tell the personality of a First Year ace just from such a high-profile entrance—this was definitely the type who loved to face batters head-on.

Soon, the whole stadium went quiet, and after Miyuki smiled, he gave the pitch selection.

Huangqian Yangyi didn't question it at all, immediately lifting his left leg, then stepping out, his toes pointing toward home plate; his long arm whipped out an afterimage, and the little white ball shot out like a laser.

The Batter swings!

The bat sweeps through the air with a whistling sound; it is clear that the Batter's swing speed is definitely not slow.

Pop!

The baseball enters Miyuki's glove before the bat arrives; the Batter's swing was still a beat too slow.

153!

Everyone looks at the radar gun; the very first pitch is already over 150 kilometers per hour.

Although it cannot compare to the 157 from the last game, it is definitely full power.

The Batter's eyes flicker, and his gaze toward Huangqian Yangyi becomes even more cautious; this Pitcher's pitches are not only fast and high-spin, but they also seem to have a life of their own when seen.

The second pitch arrives quickly; Miyuki intentionally speeds up the pitching rhythm, knowing this is the rhythm Sawamura Eijun likes best and the one that best brings out his abilities. With the second and third pitches, two more Fastballs exceeding 150 kilometers per hour successfully retire the leadoff Batter of Komadai Fujimaki.

The Batter who was retired by Strikeout does not feel dejected; having seen three consecutive Fastballs, he has had enough to get used to Huangqian Yangyi's speed and rhythm, and he is confident that when his turn in the lineup comes around again, he will definitely be able to track the ball!

Next, the second Batter of Komadai Fujimaki steps into the Batter's Box.

This time, Miyuki does not call for consecutive Fastballs as before, but instead demonstrates his strategy and technique.

Huangqian Yangyi first throws an outside Slider; this pitch is fast with a tricky trajectory, making it impossible for the opposing Batter to catch the path of the ball, leaving him to watch it fly past him and swing at air.

Immediately following, Huangqian Yangyi quickly adjusts his posture and throws a Fastball without hesitation; this pitch flies straight toward the Batter's chest like lightning. The Batter clearly did not expect Miyuki to change his pitch-calling strategy so suddenly, as that strange Slider was still replaying in his mind, and he is caught off guard by this Fastball, forced to react in a rush, but ultimately fails to hit the ball; Huangqian Yangyi successfully secures the second Strike.

On the third pitch, just as Huangqian Yangyi releases the baseball, the opposing Batter suddenly extends his bat.

A bunt!

Pop!

"Strike!"

The baseball drops rapidly after passing the Home Plate, just barely avoiding the bat the Batter extended.

"Strikeout!"

Whew~

Huangqian Yangyi wipes the sweat from his forehead; although the opponent's bunt attempt was unsuccessful, it was truly quite sudden.

Walking off the Batter's Box, the Batter looks annoyed; this guy's pitch speed is too fast, making it hard to time even a bunt.

"I'm counting on you."

After complaining to himself, the Batter says this to his third-hitter teammate who is taking the field.

The third hitter, the Captain of Komadai Fujimaki, Maya Yamato.