Diamond Ace's Passionate Swing

The commentator's passionate voice echoed throughout the stadium.

"National High School Baseball Championship, West Tokyo Regional Preliminary Round Finals!"

"Under the azure sky that complements the Summer Tournament, the players from both teams stepped out of their seats!"

"Aiming at last year's champions, Daocheng Industry, who are aiming for a two-time Summer Tournament victory!"

"Seido High School, seeking revenge for last year's humiliation, is once again aiming for Nashion after six years!"

Both are nationally renowned baseball schools!

"Which team will win this big battle today?"

Tetsuya Yuki and Masatoshi Harada looked at each other again and shouted at the same time.

"Let's go!"

The commentator continued to build up the atmosphere.

The audience erupted in applause!

"Welcome to both teams!"

"This is a tribute to the two teams that have fought so far! And an expression of anticipation for the matches to come!"

The referee announced it loudly.

"salute!"

Both teams responded in unison.

"Nice to meet you!"

The commentator's voice was filled with anticipation.

"What kind of final will it be?"

"In the first half of the game, Daocheng Industry is on the defensive!"

"Of course, it's him standing on the mound! The second-year ace, Narumiya Mei, who has maintained a scoreless record so far in this tournament!"

"The catcher will be captain and fourth batter, third-year player Masatoshi Harada!"

"Four out of the nine starting players are second-year students—that's a unique feature of Inashiro this year!"

In the rest area of ​​Seido, Coach Kataoka gives instructions.

"Unless you're forced into a corner, don't shoot except for shots that are easy to hit!"

"Don't be afraid of striking out, only hit the pitches you're aiming for!"

"It's very hot today. If we let him pitch more, even Narimiya will make more mistakes!"

"Let's go!"

The team members roared in unison.

"good!"

In the press box, reporters Taiwada and Fujio were also discussing the matter.

"How should Seido strategize against Narimiya, who has maintained a perfect record so far?"

"It seems this is the key to this competition."

"That's right. Compared to Inami, who has an absolute ace, Seido won all the way by relying on the valiant pitching of their first-year ace, Lin Xiao."

"The pitching ability of both teams was the key to the outcome of this game."

The announcement came on again.

"In the top of the first inning, Seido High School is on the attack!"

"First batter, pitcher, Lin Xiao!"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Xiao stepped into the batter's box, facing the equally spirited Narumiya Ming.

Both sides went all out, neither giving an inch.

Narumiya Mei threw the first ball, his arm swinging swiftly.

"It's a speed ball."

The baseball flew toward home plate with a deceptive speed.

Lin Xiao's eyes sharpened as he swung the bat with great force.

"Clang!"

The ball was hit hard, but landed out of bounds.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the audience.

"That ball was traveling at nearly 150 kilometers per hour! How could he even touch it!"

"Incredible."

Masatoshi Harada caught the pass back steadily and gave a signal to Mei Narumiya.

The second goal was a tricky inside corner kick.

The baseball barely grazed Lin Xiao's body as it flew past.

Lin Xiao swung the bat again.

"Clang!"

Another ball out of bounds.

Masatoshi Harada looked toward the pitcher's mound with a serious expression.

"A tough fighter, Ming."

Narumi raised his head proudly, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"The stronger you are, the more I'll suppress you at home plate!"

On the third pitch, Narumiya Mei swung his arm, and the baseball drifted in with a completely different trajectory than before.

"Change-speed ball".

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes.

"I've been waiting for you."

He leaned forward, his arm muscles tensed, and swung the ball forcefully at the incoming baseball.

"Clang!"

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the stadium.

The baseball was hit high into the air.

Lin Xiao threw down his bat and rushed towards first base without looking back.

Harada Masako's pupils shrank suddenly.

"What?!"

On the pitcher's mound, Narumiya Mei's arrogant expression froze instantly.

"!!! I got hit!"

Masatoshi Harada suddenly stood up and shouted at Uchino.

"Third baseman!"

Third baseman Yoshizawa Tsuyoshi instinctively stepped back.

"Back up! Back up!"

But the baseball, with incredible speed, slammed into the grass behind him, bouncing and rolling toward the outfield.

Yoshizawa quickly turned around to pick up the ball, but only saw Lin Xiao's figure already firmly planted on the first base.

His face was filled with shock.

"So fast!"

Lin Xiao successfully reached base thanks to his amazing base-running speed.

The rest area of ​​Seido erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Lin Xiao, well done!"

"Successfully reached base!"

"Wuhu! Wuhu!"

Lin Xiao stood on the first base.

He gave a "V" sign to his own rest area, a slightly provocative smile playing on his lips.

"Wuhu!"

This action undoubtedly added insult to injury for Narumiya Mei.

Narumi clenched his teeth, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"Damn it! He actually got to base!"

Katsuyuki Shirakawa, who was standing nearby, noticed the ace's emotional fluctuations and quickly spoke up to comfort him.

"Ming, calm down, it's just reaching base."

An emotionally unstable ace could self-destruct at any moment.

Narumiya Mei took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger, but his eyes grew even colder.

The broadcast came on at just the right time.

"Second batter, shortstop, Kuramochi."

Yoichi Kuramochi stepped into the left batting area.

Narumi frowned slightly.

"Huh, is he standing on the left?"

"Isn't this guy ambidextrous?"

Masatoshi Harada, sitting in the catcher's seat, was deep in thought.

"He didn't choose the right batting box, where he could clearly see the trajectory of the left-handed pitcher's shot."

"Instead, they deliberately chose the left strike zone..."

The referee announced.

"Start the match!"

Narumi Mei understood instantly.

"They want to get as close to first base as possible."

"It's obvious you're aiming for short-range attacks."

He raised his hand to prepare to throw the ball.

"call out!"

Just as he swung his arm down, Lin Xiao on first base sprang into action like an arrow released from a bow, lunging towards second base.

The first baseman shouted instinctively.

"Stealing a base!"

Narumi's eyes flashed with a sharp look.

"That's too arrogant."

But the ball, once thrown, could not be retrieved and flew straight towards home plate.

The referee decides.

"Bad ball!"

Masatoshi Harada quickly stood up, his arm muscles bulging, and threw the ball to second base with lightning speed.

The commentator's voice was filled with surprise.

"I can't believe he chose to steal a base on the very first pitch!"

Harada Masako shouted angrily in his heart.

"Stop looking down on me!"

Yang Shunchen, standing in the stands, adjusted his glasses and spoke calmly.

"This is suicidal; a terrible opportunity wasted."

However, Lin Xiao glided along the ground like a cheetah, making a swift lunge at the base.

Amidst the rising dust, the referee's arm was outstretched.

"Safely on base!"

Narumiya Naru let out a reluctant click of his tongue.

"oops!"

The commentator's voice rose in pitch.

"Stolen base successfully! How swift!"

"They still managed to steal a base despite both the pitcher and the catcher being on guard!"

Shirakawa Katsuyuki looked at Lin Xiao with a solemn expression.

"His top speed actually surpassed that of Carlos."

In the press box, Taiwada reporter exclaimed in amazement.

"How audacious!"