The faster a pitcher throws, the harder it is to accurately control the ball's placement.
This may not be a universally known fact, but it is indeed backed by some scientific principles.
It's the same logic as hitting. If the ball is thrown slowly enough, even someone who has never played baseball in their life can hit it with a bat.
The faster the pitch, the greater the variety of movement it can have.
As a result, the difficulty of hitting the ball increases.
The same principle applies.
If a pitcher doesn't prioritize velocity or movement, anyone could train their control.
The skill of controlling the ball, like the nine-square grid, wouldn't be limited to just a few people.
It's precisely because of the velocity and movement that controlling the ball is so difficult to master.
Pitchers with extraordinary talent and those with extremely fast pitches have an even harder time mastering this.
Hongo Masamune, the Ace pitcher of the Komadai Fujimaki High School baseball team, is exceptional because…
Not only does he have one of the fastest pitches in the country, but he also possesses control abilities ranked in the top ten nationwide.
Second in the nation for speed, and top ten for control.
This presents a significant threat to the King Seidou High School baseball team.
However, as the reigning champions, no matter how great the threat, Seidou must completely crush it.
The problem, however, is that when these two abilities combine, the threat to Seidou High School is no longer just about being second and top ten—it goes beyond that.
In the second inning, the fourth batter for Seidou High School, Miyuki Kazuya, steps up to the Batter's Box.
As the fourth batter for the team, Miyuki Kazuya must carry the team's weight.
He has to hit the ball!
Even if he can't get a hit, he must show the necessary momentum.
With his actions, he must show everyone, including the audience, that Seidou High School hasn't lost yet.
Their battle with the opponent is just beginning…
At this moment, Miyuki Kazuya understands very clearly.
If, during the confrontation, he shows weakness and gets taken out by Hongo Masamune,
his teammates will naturally think that their opponent's strength is just that overwhelming!
Once that idea takes root in their minds, it's like a poisonous seed that takes root and sprouts in their hearts.
The resulting fruit could be deadly.
With this fear in mind, how can his teammates hit the ball?
At that point, forget about hitting the ball—draining the opponent's stamina might even be a challenge.
This negative influence will grow like a snowball, becoming larger and larger.
The unfavorable situation in the game will also keep growing.
This is not an exaggeration. In competitive games, such things are quite common.
To avoid this, as the fourth batter for Seidou High School, someone everyone trusts, Miyuki Kazuya must perform!
He must make a decisive move and deliver results.
He tightly grips the bat in his hands.
By nature, Miyuki doesn't like to get himself into trouble.
If there were an easy way to solve the opponent, he wouldn't hesitate to take it.
But the problem now is, solving the opponent in front of him is no easy feat.
Hongo Masamune's skills are formidable.
If they weren't, he wouldn't be so cocky right now.
Even with Miyuki's abilities, facing him head-on doesn't come with a guarantee of success.
Will he even hit it?
Miyuki adopts a serious stance.
The players from Komadai Fujimaki High School can clearly feel his momentum.
Especially Hongo, as the Ace, feels the pressure from Miyuki's force directly.
The pressure is immense, and it's quite nerve-wracking.
Hongo Masamune feels that the player standing in the Batter's Box now, while facing him, is just as difficult as Sawamura Eijun.
This feeling is strange.
The players from Komadai Fujimaki High School were almost scared to death.
It's terrifying!
Just one powerful Last Boss-like player, Sawamura Eijun, was already enough to make them nervous.
If another such figure like Sawamura suddenly appeared on the field, they might feel that today's game is completely pointless.
If there were two such monsters in one team, how pathetic would it be for the opposing team?
Truth be told, based on their experience, the players from Komadai Fujimaki High School made a judgment:
Survival isn't an issue!
But asking for more than that would be difficult.
Let's get back to the game. The face-off between Miyuki and Hongo Masamune is heating up.
For Hongo, Miyuki is undoubtedly an opponent he needs to defeat.
For Miyuki, Hongo is the mountain he must overcome.
To prevent his teammates from feeling intimidated,
Miyuki is very careful when facing the opponent.
He believes that one day, the caution he's taking will pay off.
In addition to being careful, they've learned from previous lessons.
They proceed very cautiously.
"STRIKE!"
Paak!
"FOUL!!"
PAAK!
After several pitches, Miyuki finally gets the chance and hits the ball forward.
Snap!
The ball bounced, and the second baseman, Nishi Hideo, caught it with ease.
As the Captain of the Komadai Fujimaki High School team, his performance was enough to capture everyone's attention.
He was impressive!
His performance added a lot to his credibility.
And with his outstanding display, the fans in the stands were fully ignited.
"Though Seidou remains strong, it seems Komadai won't give up easily!"
The ball was returned, and although Miyuki's hit looked good, he didn't even make it to base.
He was Out, regrettably.
Despite not reaching base, overall, Seidou High School didn't lose.
During their confrontation, Seidou High School exemplified their fighting spirit.
Especially Miyuki, who showed everyone that even Hongo Masamune was not invincible.
This was a huge boost to their morale.
Ping!
"OUT!!"
Ping!
"OUT!!!"
When the fifth and sixth batters came up, although they couldn't score against Hongo, they still made contact!
They hit pitches at 153 km/h consistently.
Even the spectators couldn't help but worry for Hongo.
It was thrilling!
It felt like the ball could fly away at any moment, and nothing could stop it.
The game continues!
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.
At the bottom of the second inning, Seidou's defense is up.
Sawamura stands on the mound, watching the fourth batter from Komadai Fujimaki High School.
Because he understands the opponent's strength so well, Sawamura has the confidence and determination to defeat any adversary.
He takes a deep breath, adjusts his focus to the peak, and throws the ball with all his might.
…