Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 173: Rest and Recovery

Sendo's out caused a lack of pressure on the bases, and the bottom lineup was quickly retired.

...

"What an incredible offensive battle!

Similar to last year's lineup centered around the monstrous Azuma, this year's team also boasts a top-tier explosive force nationally!"

"And that first-year, Akira Sendo, has just joined the team and hasn't yet adapted to high school-level baseball.Who knows how much he'll grow by summer! That guy might be even more impressive than Azuma! Even without fully adjusting to the pace of the game, he's performing at this level!"

"Let's see what Sendo can do today!

He's already 2-for-3 at the plate!"

"If they can find a pitcher who works well under Miyuki's guidance, dominating the country might not just be a dream anymore!"

"Coach Kataoka must be anxious! After all, he was a pitcher during his playing days!"

The reporters in the stands couldn't help but feel regretful for Seidou.

Ichidaisan High was being pummeled, mainly because they had just returned from the Spring Koshien and hadn't yet recovered from the fatigue of back-to-back games.

This left them vulnerable against a vengeful Seidou team.

However, Seidou's pitching was still problematic.

While Tanba is technically a national-level ace suited for a prestigious school like Seidou, he struggles to consistently perform at his best.

His tendency to implode in the later innings or after giving up a hit makes him unreliable as a true ace.

"As expected, the team's biggest challenge this year remains the same—a lack of an absolute ace!"

Fujio Mine echoed familiar sentiments to Ota.

Mine, who has closely followed Seidou as a primary school for interviews, even wrote the recruiting article that helped attract dual pitchers like Tanba and Kawakami.

In the fifth inning, Seidou's batting lineup restarted with the leadoff hitter. While the bottom lineup struggled to score, the top lineup's firepower was undeniable.

As Manaka's condition improved, he managed to suppress Seidou somewhat, though not completely.

Seidou still managed to score another run thanks to a clutch hit from Masuko. Unfortunately, Miyuki once again failed to deliver, leaving runners stranded.

...

Bottom Half of the Inning

With one out and a runner on third, the third batter, Miyagawa, connected with Kawakami's slider.

Before the ball could travel far, Sendo rushed forward in center field.

"It's going to drop!"

But just as the ball hit the ground, the runner on third sprinted toward home.

"Pop!"

The ball, which had slipped past the outfield, ended up in Sendo's glove!

"Whoosh"

"Pop!"

"Out!"

Sendo, with his powerful arm, threw a laser to home plate, where Miyuki successfully tagged the runner!

"Why was that guy even there?!"

"Did he anticipate it and move up early?"

"That throw was insane! Faster than Miyuki's! What an incredible arm!"

The crowd buzzed in awe, amazed by Sendo's aggressive positioning and throw.

Even Coach Kataoka, who had been watching closely, appeared somewhat dissatisfied.

While the play was successful, everyone agreed that Sendo's positioning was overly risky, especially against a batter with extra-base hit potential.

However, the result spoke for itself, leaving no room for direct criticism.

Ichidaisan's cleanup hitters retaliated with back-to-back hits, closing the gap with another run.

...

Back in the dugout, Coach Kataoka sternly addressed Sendo: "While that play succeeded, I don't want to see the team's interests sacrificed for risky decisions!"

"That play? The ball was hit downward and wouldn't travel far," Sendo explained.

"You could see that? Is that why you moved up early?" Kataoka's tone softened slightly.

"From the outfield, it's not perfectly clear, but the ball's trajectory and direction were evident," Sendo replied.

"Alright. As long as your decisions are based on judgment and not reckless impulses, it's fine. Just keep the team's victory in mind."

"I understand!" Sendo quickly assured, still shaken by the confrontation.

Though his play was justifiable, the tense encounter left him with a pounding heart.

...

The game's momentum shifted decisively in Seidou's favor after that inning.

Though the scoring pace slowed, both teams continued to exchange runs.

Miyuki finally delivered in his fifth at-bat, driving in a run with a single.

Sendo followed with a rare double that cleared the bases.

For Sendo, hitting a double was unusual.

His speed often allowed him to turn infield hits into singles, but advancing to second was a challenge.

Conversely, his long hits that broke through the outfield often ended with him at third unless the outfielder was nearby.

In the final inning, the game ended with a score of 15-9.

Despite the wide margin, the game felt hard-fought. Seidou, with their rested lineup and fresh pitching staff, was expected to dominate.

Still, conceding nearly ten runs raised concerns about their readiness for summer.

For Sendo, this game was a statement.

The monstrous first-year had announced his arrival to the entire country.

In the final inning, Manaka reached his limit, and Coach Tahara, perhaps resigned to the outcome, left his ace on the mound.

Sendo capitalized on a mistake pitch, blasting it into the outfield and easily reaching third base.

With this hit, Sendo achieved a rare feat: hitting for the cycle in his debut!

To top it off, Sendo recorded the final out with a daring catch, leveraging his speed to secure the victory.

This performance left scouts from rival schools, including Inashiro Industrial, drawing comparisons to Carlos.

Some even deemed Sendo more dangerous, given his versatility and instincts.

While his positioning and awareness still relied on guidance from teammates like Isashiki, Sendo's potential was undeniable.

However, it felt like Sendo's defensive range was even larger!

Since the two players hadn't played together in the same game, it couldn't be confirmed, but one thing was clear: Sendo's throwing speed was noticeably faster than Carlos's.

A quick throw from Sendo, exceeding 140 km/h, showcased a significant speed advantage. And this wasn't even a fully prepared throw.

Seeing Sendo's throws, Coach Kataoka had to convince himself not to try persuading him to switch to a pitcher role. Some things couldn't be forced.

Before leaving, Rei Takashima also suggested reevaluating the pitching rotation.

Due to Coach Kataoka's reserved nature, he didn't respond directly.

Besides, it was still early—Seidou had only reached the semifinals, with two more games to go!

...

In the semifinals, perhaps to further assess Sendo's defensive abilities, he was once again in the starting lineup as the center fielder.

While Sendo took the center field position, the outfield core remained under Isashiki's command, with Shirasu handling his side seamlessly.

Sendo was essentially Isashiki's direct understudy.

Since the game against Ichidaisan, Tanba hadn't appeared.

After winning the semifinals, Seidou secured a spot in the Kanto Tournament.

They later won the championship game as well, claiming the Spring Tournament title.

Ichidaisan High turned out to be Seidou's last strong opponent.

Powerhouses like Inashiro Industrial and Teito High had been unexpectedly lackluster, either due to failed adjustments or an overemphasis on training younger players.

As a result, Sendo didn't even get to see these teams compete.

Across the semifinals and finals, Sendo hit three home runs.

After the Ichidaisan game, he decided to focus on easy-to-hit pitches, primarily targeting fastballs.

He ignored breaking balls entirely, leading to an unexpected increase in walks.

While Seidou's bottom lineup struggled against strong opponents, they thrived against weaker teams.

This allowed Sendo to pad his stats and achieve an unusually high batting average.

Miyuki, however, was not impressed.

"How can a guy who can't differentiate between strikes and balls draw so many walks?" he grumbled.

"They can't use breaking balls for every pitch against a No. 7 hitter like me, and they don't dare throw me easy fastballs," Sendo replied earnestly, leaving Miyuki at a loss for words.

...

After the Spring Tournament concluded, Seidou resumed training.

The break between the Spring Tournament and the Kanto Tournament was longer than the spring break. Even as a seeded team, Seidou had entered the Spring Tournament in the third round, which started in March.

The Kanto Tournament, however, offered about a month of downtime before its opening.

Despite practice games and intra-squad matches, Tanba remained absent.

Coach Kataoka also began allowing first-year players to start bullpen sessions.

Previously, first-years mostly focused on running, occasionally hitting off pitching machines.

Over the course of a month, their training intensity gradually increased.

Rumors spread within the team that Tanba might lose his ace status.

This encouraged several unnamed pitchers to step up and compete for the role.

...

Three weeks later, during a bullpen session with the captain, vice-captain, and Coach Kataoka present, Sendo, who was supposed to be running, sneakily loitered near the bullpen, pretending to watch.

His actual intention was to see what Furuya looked like.

Moreover, Sendo figured the safest place to slack off was right under the coach's nose.

If Kataoka left the bullpen, Sendo planned to pretend he was diligently running laps.

"Boom!!!"

"Was that Furuya?!" Sendo quietly peeked into the bullpen upon hearing the loud impact.

Rei, Ota, and even Coach Kataoka looked visibly shocked, especially Ota, whose mouth hung wide open.

"What just happened?"

"The catcher's glove was blown off?"

"Is that guy really a first-year?"

The second-years standing nearby were equally dumbfounded.

"Furuya Satoru from Hokkaido's Tomakomai Middle School," Rei explained. "He specifically took Seidou's entrance exam to join us. He's also the only first-year capable of throwing 120 meters in a long toss."

For context, Sendo hadn't participated in such tests.

"120 meters?"

"Amazing! And he still had to take the entrance exam? This is why high school baseball is so exciting!" Ota exclaimed, first in surprise, then in delight.

Kataoka decided on the spot:

"Form a team of first-years. I want to see how many of them are game-ready!"

...

In the distance, Sawamura, lurking outside the door, began to panic as memories of his first encounter with Furuya—a pitch that knocked his glove away—flooded back.

"I can't just sit around! If I want to be the ace, I have to train harder!"

"Manager! Bring me the tires!" he shouted. Haruno promptly brought out the tires, and Sawamura strapped them to himself and began dragging them across the field.

"Looks like he's becoming the Tire Ace," Haruno whispered, trying to hold back laughter.

Hearing this, Sendo burst out laughing. He hadn't expected Haruno to have such a sense of humor!

Unbeknownst to Sendo, Fumino was glaring at him from nearby, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

...

"Hey, Sendo! Where did you pop out from? I didn't see you earlier!" Sawamura called out, dragging three tires as he spotted Sendo walking beside him.

"Oh, I was running outside and just came back," Sendo lied shamelessly.

"Oh, I see," Sawamura believed him without question.

"By the way, why are you dragging three tires? Training isn't just about adding weight."

"What else can I do? The first-years are already in the bullpen, and I'm still just a trainee!"

"Don't worry. Your chance will come," Sendo reassured him, carefully omitting any mention of the first-years' practice games.

...

"Are you not done resting yet?! Run faster!!!" Kataoka's thunderous voice echoed across the field, drawing everyone's attention.

Naturally, all eyes landed on Sendo, the one person infamous for slacking off.

"Tch!" Sendo clicked his tongue and picked up his pace.

...

"You tricked me again!!!" Sawamura finally realized he'd been duped after a few seconds. "What outside running? You were just slacking off!"

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