Diamond No Ace: Life As Sawamura Eijun

Chapter 323: Reality Is Harsh

Nine pitches, a bold trio of strikeouts.

In the top half of the first inning, Furuya showcased the demeanor expected of a kingly high school ace. His performance hinted at the makings of a future elite pitcher.

"What a brilliant pitching style. A pitcher like that should undoubtedly be the ace of the team. Unfortunately, in Seidou, that's a position he likely won't attain," commented Coach Ochiai from the bench, observing the calm yet slightly excited expression on Furuya's face as he walked off the field.

Ochiai nodded to himself, then shook his head again.

Since the summer tournament, Ochiai had felt it was a pity that a pitcher with such potential as Furuya wasn't being groomed as the ace. In most powerhouse teams, a player of his caliber would be cultivated as the top pitcher without question.

But Seidou High was different.

It just so happened that the team had another pitcher—Sawamura Eijun—who was even more gifted, more monstrous, and more formidable.

"Must be tough picking the wrong school," Ochiai sighed inwardly as he watched the radiant figure jogging back from left field.

"Wow, that was pretty aggressive, Furuya," someone remarked.

"Well, he's a power pitcher by nature. Even though the opponent was weak, it's impressive for a first-year."

"Don't jump to conclusions just yet—it's only the first inning of the first game."

"Haha, true enough."

"Do you think Sawamura's strong performances pushed Furuya to step up his game? If that's the case, man, once Furuya matures, scoring against Seidou might become nearly impossible."

"You might be right."

"Really looking forward to the future of this new team."

"Yeah, this fall season is going to be big for Seidou."

Furuya's remarkable performance in the top of the first inning left spectators in awe. Compared to the summer, his aggressive pitching style had noticeably improved in terms of control.

His ability to keep fastballs low made them incredibly threatening.

If Furuya could fully master his control, just his fastball alone could take out over 95% of batters. Such a future was truly promising.

Now the question was whether Seidou's batting lineup could deliver the expected results in this opening match.

As the nine batters prepared on the field, all eyes were on them.

"The bottom half of the first inning, Seidou High's attack. First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi."

The opposing team's second-year ace was known for his curveball.

"Focus on the first pitch. Go for it from the start," Kuramochi thought to himself as he stepped into the batter's box, a sharp glint in his eyes.

For everyone at Seidou, winning this game was a given. However, what they truly wanted was to end the game decisively and early.

If they couldn't even finish off a team like this quickly, what right did they have to fight for the championship again?

But while the dream was grand, reality was harsh.

This sentiment applied not only to Toyosaki High but also to Seidou.

Eager to break the game open from the start, Seidou's offense hit a snag right in the first inning.

"!"

"Whoosh!"

"Swish!"

Ping!

As the leadoff batter, Kuramochi tried to use his speed to get on base and set the tone for the offense.

Unfortunately, while aggressive play can be a good strategy, mistiming it is still a mistake.

Eager to make an impact in the first inning, Kuramochi swung at a bad pitch right off the bat, hitting a high fly ball toward left field.

With a grim expression on his face, Kuramochi watched as the Toyosaki High left fielder steadily caught the ball.

"Out!"

Perhaps due to the pressure from the departure of their third-year seniors and the surrounding chatter, even the core players of Seidou's new team—though outwardly calm—carried an underlying sense of impatience.

They were desperate to prove that Seidou remained a dominant force capable of ruling the nation, even without their senior leaders.

However, this mindset created a subtle yet dangerous flaw in their approach during this critical first game.

While they avoided the arrogance and complacency Coach Kataoka feared, they fell into another equally fatal trap—restlessness.

After Kuramochi's out, Haruichi stepped up as the second batter. Handling his turn with composure, he connected with an outside fastball on the third pitch and safely reached first base.

Unfortunately, what followed was a disaster.

Maezono's reckless swing played right into Toyosaki High's hands. The ball bounced directly back toward the pitcher, who caught it after a brief deflection.

This forced Kominato to advance.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Out!"

The pitcher threw to second base, then the ball was relayed to first—double play!

"Double play!"

"Three outs! Switch sides!"

To everyone's surprise—and Toyosaki High's delight—Seidou's attack in the bottom of the first inning ended without even reaching the cleanup hitter, Miyuki.

The highly anticipated first inning did not just fall short of expectations; it shattered them entirely.

This was a public school, after all—an underperforming one at that. Yet Seidou, a powerhouse, only sent three batters to the plate in the first inning without scoring a single run.

It was a stark and sobering reality.

"What were they thinking, putting that guy in the heart of the lineup?" Coach Ochiai muttered as he stroked his mustache, glancing at Coach Kataoka's cold expression.

"In my opinion, Maezono Kenta wouldn't even make the starting lineup unless he learned to fully control his power. Even then, I'd place him lower in the order. His batting technique is far too crude. He's not even raw material worth polishing—not even a rough stone."

Recalling his conversation with Kataoka yesterday morning about the starting lineup for the preliminaries, Ochiai shook his head, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.