Ace of Diamond: Return of the Pitcher

Just when the players of Seidou the game was sealed, the game on the field also took a turn.

After several intense innings, the score was fixed at 5:3.

Inajitsu High School scored five points, a strong and overwhelming performance.

Hakuryu High School, not to be outdone, scored three points.

Their offensive power, when it connects, is terrifying. If it weren't for the efforts of Tadano and Narumiya, the score on the field could have been even higher.

This is the home field of Gunma County again. Despite being behind in the score, Hakuryu High School still demonstrated a very strong attitude.

They refuse to give up.

And as for Inajitsu High School, it goes without saying!

When the spring Koshien had just ended, Inajitsu High School was a fatigued team and couldn't perfectly showcase their strength.

But now, after more than a month of adjustment, the players had already returned to peak form. At this moment, they were holding back their energy, eager to perform well.

Their goal: was to defeat Hakuryu High School and in the final, bring down their big nemesis, Seidou High School.

For Inajitsu, there is no script more perfect than this one.

Then, in the summer, they would again defeat Seidou High School and make it to Koshien.

Inajitsu High School could step over the body of the King, Seidou High School, and ascend to the throne of the new king.

This was Coach Kunitomo's ambition, and it was also the ambition of every player at Inajitsu High School.

The only surprise for them in this game was Hakuryu High School's violent offensive.

In the spring Koshien, and Inajitsu had played against Hakuryu. At that time, while Hakuryu High School was strong, they were far from the terrifying level they are now.

The current Hakuryu is not only strong but downright ferocious.

Whether the opportunity is there or not, they attack with all their might, like a group of desperate outlaws.

Even though Inajitsu High School's defensive system is quite mature now, it cannot withstand such destruction.

As a result, in the seventh inning, they gave up three points!

To be honest, Hakuryu High School didn't get that many hits.

But their offensive rhythm was unmatched. As long as someone got on base, Hakuryu High School instantly became a completely different team.

Like a pack of wolves.

They rush in without fear, fearless of death.

Fortunately, the strength of Inajitsu High School eventually overwhelmed their opponent, stabilizing the situation.

The game was thrilling. Both teams were competing back and forth, never giving an inch.

Hakuryu High School's performance also caught the attention of the players from Seidou High School's baseball club.

They were very familiar with this team. In their memory, Hakuryu High School didn't have this kind of strength.

For them to perform like this was truly remarkable.

However, it was also clear that Inajitsu High School still had a stronger foundation.

They had gradually gained control of the game. By the seventh inning, if nothing unexpected happened in the middle, Inajitsu High School should be able to win the first game against Hakuryu High School.

The players from Seidou High School's baseball club, watching the game, were all primed and ready for a confrontation with their old rivals.

No one expected that, in the eighth inning, the situation on the field would suddenly change.

First, Hakuryu High School strung together consecutive hits, and their number-two batter seized the opportunity to hit Narumiya's pitch.

"Consecutive pitching has tired the Tokyo Prince!" the commentator said.

Regardless of whether this was the reason or not, Narumiya Mei's pitching did indeed have some issues in the later stages.

The problem wasn't serious. Out of over 100 pitches, this one couldn't even be considered the worst.

But unfortunately, it was this particular pitch that allowed the Hakuryu batter to get a hit.

Next up was Mima Soichiro.

In their previous encounters, Mima and Narumiya had faced off three times.

The first time, he didn't do well and was struck out.

The second time, he got a hit, helping his team score a point. After that, he used his speed on the bases to help his team score another.

Of the three points that Hakuryu High School had scored earlier, two were related to Mima Soichiro.

In the third encounter, Narumiya Mei completely dominated.

With his signature screw-like Change-up, Mima Soichiro was struck Out.

From that point on, Inajitsu High School had gained control of the game and didn't give Hakuryu High School many chances.

Everyone in the audience thought that Inajitsu High School would win the game, not Hakuryu.

But unexpectedly, in the eighth inning, Mima found another opportunity.

Narumiya had originally planned to use two balls to tempt Mima into swinging.

Even if he couldn't get an Out with one pitch, he would still be able to get ahead on the strike count.

Unfortunately, the cunning Mima Soichiro noticed this.

Taking advantage of Narumiya's pitch, he swung and connected.

This was something no one had anticipated. The baseball was unexpectedly sent flying.

Ping!

The faces of all the Inajitsu players turned grim.

They had thought that, despite the ups and downs of the game, they had it in the bag.

They never expected such a twist at the end.

Indeed, in baseball, as long as the game isn't completely over, anything can happen.

Even though they were ahead by two points, they couldn't rest easy.

Mima's well-timed hit sent his teammates home, and he himself advanced to second base.

The scene felt so familiar.

Just like when Mima faced Narumiya for the second time, it seemed that Hakuryu High School had another chance to score.

Especially with the subsequent stolen base, the atmosphere reached a climax.

While Narumiya was pitching, Mima ran from second base to third.

Such a daring steal of third base shocked Tadano, the catcher.

He hadn't expected Mima to attempt such a bold move.

By the time he received the ball at third base, Mima was already standing on the base.

The situation was now set at third base.

The score was 5:4, and the gap between the two teams was only one point.

If Mima made it to home plate smoothly, both teams would be on the same starting line.

Inajitsu High School's players, of course, were unwilling to accept this.

But they couldn't stop it!

Hakuryu High School had adopted a forced scoring strategy at this critical moment.

With their players' skill, coordination, and speed, there was no reason they couldn't score.

But Inajitsu's players could also guess this strategy.

So, Narumiya set up a trap from the start.

He was a daring, skillful player, and he used a pitch-out.

Hakuryu's fourth batter, Kitaooji, never expected Narumiya to be so bold.

So, of course, he fell for it.

He hit the baseball, which rolled straight to the mound.

Narumiya, who had been prepared, quickly ran to grab the ball and threw it to Tadano, the catcher.

From Tadano's perspective, Narumiya was glowing with brilliance.

That dazzling light was guiding Tadano.

Snap!

After receiving the ball, Tadano made a 180-degree turn and, just as Mima rushed toward home plate, tagged him out.

Mima Soichiro's speed was agile, and he even made a change of direction when nearing home plate.

But he couldn't escape Tadano's block.

Tadano's whole body stretched in a straight line as he tagged Mima, who was running toward home.

In a crucial moment, Mima was tagged out, ending Hakuryu High School's offense.

Inajitsu High School paid a huge price for this.

Tadano quickly turned, and once again faced Mima Soichiro.

Unfortunately, Tadano was injured.

After blocking Mima, he fell to the ground and couldn't get up.

The scene was chaotic as people rushed over.

Fortunately, large events like this have doctors prepared in advance.

The doctor quickly came over and made a diagnosis.

Luckily, it was only a muscle strain. After a week or two of rest, he should recover. Even if he wanted to fully heal, it wouldn't take more than three weeks.

But unfortunately, Tadano couldn't continue playing in this game.

"I can do it!"

By now, the game was in such a critical state, and Tadano knew just how important he was.

Once he left the field, Inajitsu High School would still be ahead by one point.

But that one point might not be stable.

The game could change dramatically at any moment.

"Get some rest first!" Coach Kunitomo decisively said.

There was a bit of pain in his eyes.

From the moment Tadano was injured, the Kanto Tournament had lost its meaning for Inajitsu High School.

Even if they held on to this point and finally defeated Hakuryu High School, what would that matter?

Without their main catcher, how could they compete against Seidou High School's baseball team?

Thus, after Tadano was injured, the Kanto Tournament lost all meaning for the Inajitsu players.

But since the game had already reached this point, they naturally wouldn't give up easily.

A new catcher was substituted, and the game continued.

The new catcher, though a third-year player, wasn't as skilled as Tadano, a second-year.

If the catcher's skills are lacking, it will also affect the pitcher's performance.

Just like how Inajitsu's new catcher made a fatal mistake in the final inning.

With runners on second and third, Narumiya tried to use a sharp breaking ball to get the batter out.

But he never expected that his catcher would miss the ball.

The result was disastrous!

Both runners on second and third ran home, scoring two points and flipping the game.

The final score: was 6:5. The host, Hakuryu High School, had the upper hand.

This was the final score of the game.

The game remained tight until the very end.

In the stands, the Seidou High School baseball team was stunned.

They never expected such a twist.

Especially for Sawamura and Miyuki, their expressions were incredibly complicated.

Their Worst Fear Had Become A Reality!

…

T/N: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." —Edward Aloysius Murphy Jr. (1918–1990)