Seido Spirit Dorm
I lack so much.
I can't become the best like this.
If I'm the best pitcher in Japan, I can make our team the best in Japan.
Satoru Furuya
Seido
Ichidai
He's a batter you don't want on base, Amahisa boy.
Sure, he's fast...
But he's not that good a batter!
Batting second, center fielder Tojo-kun.
If we want to score, we have to make every chance count.
And that depends on advancing the runner to third.
Yeah! Nice bunt!
That was a great bunt!
Second batter Tojo's sacrifice bunt advances the runner to third!
Seido High School has a chance to take the lead!
And here come the cleanup!
The third batter is Haruichi Kominato!
This guy can do it! I'm sure he will!
We're into the semifinals of the Tokyo spring tournament.
In the top of the first, Seido used first batter Kuramochi's hit
and second batter Tojo's sacrifice bunt to get a runner on third with one out.
Now they'll try to clean up with third batter Kominato.
Seido has a chance to take the lead!
Strike!
Ball!
Another wide pitch and the count is 2–1.
Damn, it's getting away from me.
I can't control the ball.
He completely ignored that pitch.
What's he waiting for?
Ball!
A very close inside pitch makes three balls!
Is he trying to trip us up?
He ignored the first fastball,
making the battery think that he's going to try something.
Huh?
They're trying to rattle him early in the game,
while he's still unsettled.
That will make things hard for Amahisa-kun.
Ball four!
Aw, a walk.
Looking good, Harudanji!
Good eye!
A team with players who can do that will be strong.
So he's cute and sneaky.
Amahisa still hasn't settled into a rhythm.
Will they be able to topple him so quickly?
Batting fourth, catcher Miyuki-kun.
The early innings could prove to be decisive.
There are runners on first and third with one out!
Up to bat is Seido's reliable cleanup, Miyuki!
The outfielders are playing deep.
The infielders are arranged to try for a double play.
The runners will have to move.
Here's the first pitch!
An outside strike!
He ignored the first pitch, too.
Seido isn't swinging at all.
That would be tough to hit.
Would the cleanup do a squeeze play?
Damn. I can't keep it in the strike zone.
He's not swinging, so keep pitching.
Settle down, Takami.
We'll focus on the batter.
If we can stop their momentum, they're the ones who'll suffer!
Ball!
The third pitch is wide! The count is two balls and one strike!
That was close.
He went with a curveball.
He used that curveball to throw of Niogakusha's timing.
If he gets that pitch into the strike zone,
it'll make his fastball and slider even more intimidating.
Three balls.
He seems to be throwing a lot of those.
He needs to stand strong.
Scoring first...
This is the time to hit!
Before we can't score anymore!
It goes between the first and second basemen!
Kuramochi returns home from third base!
Cleanup Miyuki gets a timely hit to take the lead!
It didn't get any air.
Nice batting, Captain!
He swung through an inside pitch!
That's what a cleanup can do!
He's standing tall in this game!
Fifth batter Shirasu swings at the first pitch!
Second-base runner Kominato rounds third!
Get in there, Haruo!
Seido scores their second run!
Yes, yes, yes!
He's ended the inning, but his team is two runs down in the first inning.
It's a rocky start for Ichidai's ace Kosei Amahisa.
Two runs from three hits.
They played that inning perfectly.
Yeah, those two runs are big.
The team will be happy about that.
Now it's time for Furuya-kun's start.
How will he respond after seeing his team score?
How you play now matters most, Furuya!
Meiji Jingu Secondary Stadium
Inside, well outside the strike zone.
That brings the count to three balls, one strike.
Hey, hey, another one.
Seido's ace Furuya isn't controlling the ball.
He struck out the lead-off batter, but walked the next.
Third batter Miyagawa hit to near left field,
and cleanup Hoshida popped up to left field.
The second-base runner touched up,
and there are runners on first and third with two outs.
His pitches are fast.
And he's so erratic I can't aim for the ball.
What's Furuya doing?
All of his breaking balls are off-target,
and I can see from here how much he's straining.
We've got two outs, Furuya!
That was definitely a ball!
Now the bases are loaded!
His start may be even worse than Amahisa's.
This is an emergency!
You've got two runs! Calm down and just pitch!
Now the runners will have to move,
so we can get the closest one out.
We don't want them getting a read on your breaking balls,
so let's take them down with fastballs.
Actually, I think that's the only way you'll throw a strike.
Two outs and the bases are loaded!
Up to bat is the sixth batter, the captain Adachi.
Ichidai Third High is down two runs, and could take the lead!
The runners have to advance, and his breaking balls are off-target.
Miyuki boy must be scared of letting the ball get behind him.
Swing only at straight pitches.
Go, go, Captain Adachi!
If that ball's at all high, knock it flying!
Furuya, swing your arm through.
It can come right down the center.
Down the middle is fine. Just overpower them.
That's your ability.
No matter how many runners are on base,
we can still hold them off!
He hits the first pitch!
Oh, no!
It's going deep into center field!
Center fielder Tojo stops.
He's right by the fence!
He didn't have any more room to run!
Seido High School somehow manages to hold Ichidai Third High scoreless!
That's why Third High is known for their batters!
He was ready for Furuya's high fastball!
That was scary. He was waiting for that.
Yeah.
We have to be on guard! I'll be warming up!
You don't need to.
Oh, yes, I do! I can sub in for you at any time!
It's easy to be disappointed when you don't score with the bases loaded.
You just want it so bad.
Shinji, before Amahisa-san has a chance to recover...
Yeah.
You're erratic.
We need to score more runs.
Both pitchers had rough starts.
Runners continued to get on base for the next several innings.
Seido
Ichidai
Yeah!
Yeah! It's Haruichi time!
Nice, Haruichi!
Seido
Ichidai
However, both teams supported their pitcher on defense
and neither scored any runs.
Thank you, Kominato.
We need to start working on some breaking balls or we'll be in trouble.
I'm glad I stopped it.
I need to pitch to shut down the batters,
so the fielders don't have to work so hard!
Hey, put that aura away.
Yeah, put it away.
Your breaking balls are finally hitting the strike zone.
If we go with those next inning,
it'll throw the Third High batters off.
Okay. I'll shut them down!
We just need them to look away.
It can go right down the middle.
Calm down.
He's so worked up, he can't control the ball.
It must be incredibly difficult to work with him like that,
but they take time outs when they need to,
call out to him,
and let him know precisely what's needed.
They're trying to keep Furuya-san's emotions under control.
Of course, it's to help the team win,
but it shows how devoted they are.
It's about time for him to get into a rhythm.
Man, Kominato-san is a heck of a fielder!
He really covers the second base gap well.
Furuya-san hasn't been on his game yet, but we're about to see it!
We're in the lead, but we're not really pushing them.
Strike!
They're starting to swing at the slider they could see through in the first.
Yes, sir.
Scary.
So much pressure and such an aggressive face.
Face pressure...
The face says as much as the mouth.
Is this guy...
dragging down Seido's facial score all be himself?
Strike! Batter out!
Amahisa strikes out the fifth and sixth batters!
That slider is pretty sick.
Kosei Amahisa is getting into a rhythm.
Batting seventh, left fielder Yuki-kun.
Here's an imposing first-year.
His facial score isn't bad, I guess.
What's he got inside?
He pops up the first pitch, a curveball!
No finesse whatsoever.
He took the bait like he was Ikeyama.
I went after a pitch that was a little high. Careless.
Shortstop Adachi makes the catch for the third out.
Since the first inning, it's been three up and three down!
Ugh...
Next inning! You'll get him next inning!
Third High ace Kosei Amahisa is starting to show his abilities!
Now it's his team's turn at bat!
Nice pitch!
Yeah!
He's finally getting into it.
Wow, it takes guts to pitch like that.
Yeah.
Amahisa-kun seems to look down on the batters.
Even with the other team leading, he doesn't seem at all concerned.
He's a pitcher, after all.
It's the batters' job to score runs.
That seems to be how he thinks of it.
He carries himself like a professional player.
Kosei Amahisa.
I don't like self-absorbed players like him.
Next up is their cleanup Hoshida.
Watch out for his swings, not that you need reminding.
One out at a time.
Stay calm, Furuya!
We'll get another run! I can just feel it!
I'm ready over here!
Send me in any time!
Let's go.
I hope your breaking balls can hit the target.
A fastball hit to right field!
Satoru Furuya has shut down cleanup Hoshida every time this game!
Oh, yeah, here we go!
Furuya, we're counting on you!
Show us that pitching from Koshien Stadium!
Give us one of those strikeout shows!
That was his eightieth pitch.
That's a lot, right?
Yes.
He's thrown too many unnecessary balls.
He's throwing a lot of breaking balls this inning.
But he isn't getting any strikes.
I'm amazed the other team hasn't scored.
Seido
Ichidai
When I saw him pitch at the invitational,
it sent a chill down my spine.
I didn't want to face that pitcher in the summer.
But he seems tense, completely unlike Amahisa-san's relaxed pitching.
Almost like he's trying to overpower every single batter.
Ball four!
Aw, but they have the lead!
Giving up a walk now is such a downer!
He can't get into a rhythm.
His unevenness will make things harder for the fielders.
Let's get a double play by making them swing at a low pitch!
If he's got that many pitches, shouldn't he be able to finish them off?
It seems like such a waste.
If he had one breaking ball he could use as a base...
Or better yet, he could just throw every pitch down the middle.
He doesn't seem like that great a pitcher.
It's gotta be hard for Kazuya to keep him focused.
Yes, with his breaking balls missing so much, they'll go after them.
Was I like that in the fall tournament?
Keep this last one low.
A changeup!
Don't sweat it, Itsuki.
I can take him down with a fastball.
Let me do this!
Mei-san!
The ace must lead his team to victory.
Now that Masa-san is gone,
I need to lead them!
Or else the team can't win!
Self-important...
Unable to relax...
M-Mei-san...
I can see it so clearly from here.
Steal!
Between the left and center fielders!
The runner who started stealing makes it home!
One swing from team captain Adachi gets his team on the board!
"Presence"
"Presence."
All I can do... is trust.
You're looking somewhere higher, at a place where you want to be.
Then, you need to get over this wall!
What the heck is he doing?
The self-awareness of the ace,
the impulse to explore, the expectations of those around you...
I can tell you're experiencing all of that right now.
On the next episode of Ace of the Diamond Act II: "My Role."
Next Time
"My Role"
Let's win the national title!
Color illustration / Yuji Terajima