"BOOM!!!"
The baseball roared toward home plate once again—right down the middle.
Carlos's eyes lit up.
Judging by the speed, it's definitely over 150 km/h. A straight fastball!
I might not be confident hitting one on the corners—but right down the middle? That's my zone!
With his decision made, Carlos swung decisively.
But—
Just like the previous pitch—
Right before crossing the plate, the ball suddenly shifted sideways and dropped sharply.
This time, the movement was even more pronounced.
"Thump!!!"
"Strikeout!"
The crowd exploded.
"Ninth strikeout!"
"Look at the radar gun!"
"151 kilometers per hour!"
"Are you kidding me?! Even his two-seamer is over 150?!"
Carlos shot Kitamura Kou a furious glare.
He had stepped up intending to pressure the pitcher—but instead, he had been toyed with three straight times.
Grinding his teeth, he could only mutter inwardly:
Just wait… next time, I'll smash your pitch out of the park!
"Second batter, shortstop, Shirakawa!"
Standing in the batter's box, Shirakawa Katsuyuki fixed Kou with a cold stare.
Kou smirked slightly.
How should I deal with him?
Shirakawa clearly caught that mocking expression. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing—simply adjusting his grip on the bat.
Kou paid him no mind and delivered the pitch at his own rhythm.
"Whoosh!"
The speed stayed under 150 km/h—again aimed straight down the middle.
Shirakawa's pupils shrank.
Again?!
Fastball or two-seamer? Do I commit or hold back?
The same dilemma Carlos had faced now fell on him.
After a brief hesitation—
He made his decision.
Swing first—adjust later!
Locking onto the incoming pitch, Shirakawa swung just as it neared the plate.
But at the last instant—
The ball broke inward.
His reaction was quick. He adjusted mid-swing and still managed to connect.
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball—
—but his expression changed immediately.
It's heavy!
He had intended to deaden it along the first-base line, but the sheer weight behind the pitch ruined his plan.
The ball rolled toward first base—but much faster than expected.
Mishima Yuta reacted instantly, scooping it up and tossing it to Kitamura Kou, who was already covering the base.
"Whoosh!"
"Smack!"
"Out!"
Shirakawa could only return to the dugout in silence.
Kitamura Kou's performance grew even sharper.
Just four pitches—and the first two batters were gone.
Inashiro's plan to wear him down had been temporarily shut down.
"Third batter, third baseman, Yoshizawa!"
Kou observed Hideaki Yoshizawa carefully.
Now we're into the heart of their lineup…
They probably won't keep using short bats. Either they go for solid contact—or revert to their first-inning approach.
If that's the case… this next pitch should work nicely.
With that thought, Kou subtly signaled Akaishi Osamu.
Akaishi blinked in surprise.
Already?
But he trusted Kou completely and set the target.
Yoshizawa tightened his grip on the bat.
Three two-seamers this inning… only one true fastball so far.
It's about time he throws another one.
Fastball.
Before he could think further—
"BOOM!!!"
The pitch was already on him.
148 km/h—right down the middle.
Yoshizawa reacted instantly, swinging with control rather than power, aiming simply to put the ball in play.
He was ready to adjust mid-swing if needed—
And just as the bat was about to connect—
The ball changed.
But not downward this time.
It cut sharply toward the outside corner.
"Ping!"
The bat barely clipped the underside of the ball, sending it high into the air—straight back toward the mound.
Just like Narumiya Mei earlier—
Kou stepped forward calmly and caught it with ease.
"Smack!"
"Out! Three outs—side retired!"
"Cutter…" Yoshizawa muttered in disbelief.
His face turned grim.
This is bad…
A fastball that's already hard to hit—plus two opposite-moving breaking balls, one inside and one outside… and even a forkball that drops.
How are you supposed to deal with that?
With the same center-line release point producing completely different movements—
Kou's pitches had become nearly impossible to read.
"MVP! MVP!"
Aside from Inashiro's die-hard supporters, the entire stadium rose to its feet, cheering wildly.
The commentator's voice rang out:
"We're seeing a clear shift in Kitamura's strategy this inning! Instead of focusing purely on strikeouts, he's mixing in breaking balls and forcing contact—letting his defense handle the rest!"
"And the results speak for themselves! He retires three batters in just five pitches!"
"How many more weapons does this pitcher have?!"
Elsewhere, members of Ichidaisan High watched the game together on television.
The room, once filled with excited chatter, had fallen silent.
Kitamura Kou's performance cast a heavy shadow over their thoughts.
With him around… the next two years won't be easy.
Making it to Koshien just became a lot harder.
After four innings—
The score remained 0–0.
And now—
It was Kitamura Kou's turn to bat.