Diamond No Ace: The Strongest Hitter

Chapter 186: The Second At-Bat

"Sendo! How about trying out as a pitcher and giving me back the center field position?" Jun-san joked after stroking his mustache.

"Absolutely not! Over my dead body!" Sendo responded without hesitation.

"Why are you so adamantly against it? It's the same with pitching and catching," Miyuki chimed in.

"Why don't you worry about getting a hit first? You're still hitless today," Sendo shot back, giving Miyuki a sideways glance.

"Eh?" Miyuki was taken aback by Sendo's unexpected jab.

Sendo raised his eyebrows at him in a teasing manner, clearly conveying, You started this.

Miyuki knew he had asked Sendo the same question before and had gotten a patient answer. His remark now was clearly just to mess with him.

"Well, whatever! Anyway, you've got good velocity, but who knows about your control? And you've got breaking balls, too," Miyuki said, brushing it off.

Since the outfielders couldn't measure pitch speed with their eyes, they weren't seriously considering a position change for Sendo.

The upperclassmen also understood there must be a reason why Sendo was so resistant to being a pitcher or catcher, even if he didn't explicitly say it.

Meanwhile, Miyuki began preparing for his at-bat.

As the leadoff hitter this inning, he couldn't afford to keep up his hitless streak, or he'd become the team's laughingstock.

Interestingly, both teams' lineups coincidentally restarted with their sixth batters this inning.

The previous inning had ended with Seidou's fifth batter, and Yokohama's fifth batter had just finished their turn in the top of the fourth.

"Bottom of the fourth inning, Seidou High School's offense."

"Batting sixth, catcher, Miyuki-kun!"

"Batting sixth, catcher, Miyuki-kun!"

"Ping!"

"Pop!"

"Ah! A line drive caught by the pitcher!" Miyuki exclaimed in disbelief.

He lasted just one pitch.

"Pfft!" Sendo, who was drinking his sports drink in the on-deck circle, spat it out at the sight.

Only Sendo would dare bring a drink to the on-deck circle.

"Wow, that was pathetic!" Sendo teased.

"What was that performance? Are you debuting as a comedian or what? Why not make a highlight reel of your bloopers?"

"You brat!" Miyuki groaned, already expecting to be mocked but still feeling the sting.

"Hmm, maybe Fumino has a recording of this," Sendo casually remarked, as if planning his next move.

"…! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Miyuki immediately surrendered.

Miyuki's reaction made sense.

Sendo's camera roll likely contained a treasure trove of embarrassing moments, which Miyuki often borrowed to watch.

"Batting seventh, center fielder, Sendo-kun!"

"Batting seventh, center fielder, Sendo-kun!"

"Finally, it's your turn! Get up there already!" Miyuki said, relieved that the broadcast saved him from further embarrassment.

For a moment, Miyuki sympathized with those he often teased but quickly dismissed the thought.

Changing his ways would make life boring.

"Alright, here I go!" Sendo replied, satisfied as he stepped up to the plate.

"Oh, by the way, that pitcher's control seems off. He'll probably use a fastball to settle it," Miyuki added, placing a hand on Sendo's shoulder as he turned.

"Oh? Then why'd you swing at that curveball earlier?" Sendo countered without even turning around, delivering another jab.

"…!" Miyuki was stunned at being hit with another well-aimed remark.

"Shut up! Just get out there and don't get taken out so easily!"

"Don't worry. I'll be careful," Sendo replied seriously as he stepped into the batter's box.

"This guy…" Miyuki muttered, shaking his head.

Once again, Miyuki confirmed that Sendo was just like him—lighthearted and carefree on the surface but dependable in crucial moments.

The key difference was that Sendo could seamlessly switch between seriousness and playfulness, which often left Miyuki at a loss for words.

"Now batting, center fielder Sendo-kun, who has been stellar on both offense and defense today. In his last at-bat, he hit a triple, and his defensive laser throw was unforgettable!" the announcer said, chatting with a guest about Sendo's performance.

"Indeed! There's no data on this batter, and in his last at-bat, he swung at the first pitch. His habits are a complete mystery. What's clear is that he's powerful—if he connects, the ball will fly far. We absolutely can't let him on base," Yokohama's catcher said, visibly wary of Sendo.

"First pitch! Inside slider! Just a bit off, ball one!"

The batter didn't react at all.

Yokohama's battery didn't let up, quickly delivering the second pitch.

"Ball!"

"Ah, I see. Trying to disrupt my rhythm with breaking balls? But if they don't hit the strike zone, it's meaningless. Let's see how you handle a good pitch," Sendo thought, watching carefully.

Two breaking balls in a row, and the pressure shifted against the pitcher and catcher.

"In his last at-bat, he swung at an obvious ball for the first pitch, but not this time. Did he guess the pitch last time? Next pitch, here!"

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike!" Another outside breaking ball.

"That guy looked like he was about to swing. Why did he hold back?" Yokohama's catcher wondered, growing increasingly suspicious.

"Three consecutive breaking balls? How annoying," Sendo thought, his mood sinking.

"This isn't good. If Sendo completely ignores breaking balls, it'll be obvious soon," Ota, the club manager, commented.

Ota, ever the observant one, knew Sendo's tendencies well.

"That confirms it—they'll probably settle this with a fastball. Most likely," Miyuki interjected.

"Huh?" Ota looked puzzled, playing the role of a bewildered mascot.

Miyuki didn't actually feel down, but since he'd already spoken, he decided to stick to his pride this time.

Even though there wasn't much time between pitches, it was enough for Sendo to think.

"The next pitch will be an inside fastball, right? Probably!" Sendo thought to himself.

For Sendo, taking a gamble wasn't a bad option. As he finalized his decision, the fourth pitch was already on its way.

Just as he prepared to swing, Sendo suddenly realized the pitch was coming straight at him!

Ping!

Lacking much batting experience, Sendo panicked momentarily, and his instincts took over. He swung at the pitch, managing to make contact.

"Foul ball!"

The force of the swing caused Sendo to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

"Hey! Are you okay?" Jun-san was the first to call out, with others quickly following.

Yokohama's ace, Inou, took off his cap and apologized, clearly acknowledging the misfire.

Due to his lack of experience, Sendo's reaction was entirely instinctive.

Much like a first-year's natural reaction to avoid a breaking ball, Sendo's instinct was to attack instead.

This unconscious reflex turned what should have been a ball or a hit-by-pitch into a second strike against him.

"You okay? Does anything hurt?" Shirasu, the next batter, ran up from the on-deck circle to check on Sendo, concerned he might have twisted something.

"I'm fine. It didn't hit me—just gave me a scare!" Sendo reassured them, still surprised by how far off-target the pitch had been.

Given his long reach, Sendo positioned himself in the middle of the batter's box to avoid being weak against inside pitches.

He wasn't as close to the plate as most batters, making the errant pitch even more shocking.

"Stand up and move around a bit to make sure nothing's off—like a sprain or something," Shirasu insisted.

Seidou's history with injuries made everyone extra cautious.

From Chris to Tanba , injuries had been a recurring issue. Sendo's recent fall looked concerning, so everyone remained tense.

While some second-years weren't familiar with Chris's injury history, the current first-string players were.

Many had trained alongside him and knew his story.

With even bench players gathering to check on him, Sendo stood up and moved around to ease their concerns.

"I'm fine. Everything feels normal—no issues at all. I'm not so fragile as to get injured over something like this. And since it didn't hit me, there's no need to worry," Sendo assured them after a quick self-assessment.

"Alright, but let us know if you feel off at any point, you idiot!" Jun-san said, nodding to Coach Kataoka, who also signaled his understanding.

"Don't worry, Jun-san! I'm not the type to hide injuries!" Sendo's remark, made at just the right time, saved him from earning everyone's wrath.

With that, the game resumed.

The unexpected incident disrupted both the catcher's planned pitch sequence and Sendo's approach to the at-bat.

Neither side could predict the other's next move now.

The catcher wasn't sure how much Sendo remembered from the previous pitches, and Sendo wasn't sure if the catcher would change their strategy.

Opting to abandon guessing entirely, Sendo decided to rely purely on instinct, shifting from Miyuki's calculated approach to something more akin to Raichi's beast-like style.

The Yokohama battery decided to stick to their original plan.

Although the wild pitch was unintended, it created an illusion of a larger strike zone for Sendo, making it a psychological advantage for the pitcher.

The tension grew as the count reached two balls and two strikes, leaving the batter with no room to retreat.

"An inside curveball dropping from the strike zone to outside!"

The Yokohama catcher aimed to exploit Sendo's aggressive instincts.

"An inside pitch? No, this one…" Sendo saw the pitch but resisted the urge to swing.

Pop!

"Ball!"

With the count now full, neither side had any leeway left.

The situation favored Sendo slightly, as Yokohama wouldn't risk walking him to first base. His throwing arm alone was enough to terrify the opponent.

Even Sendo thought it unlikely the Yokohama battery would throw a ball to bait him.

"I found an interesting stat! While Sendo-kun hasn't played many high school games, today's match marks his fourth start. Across these four games, his batting average is over 90%," the commentator revealed.

"Over 90%?" Yokohama's ace Inou widened his eyes in disbelief.

The revelation stunned not only him but also Yokohama's fielders.

A short-term high average wasn't unusual, but maintaining such a rate across all starts was exceptional.

It meant Sendo had almost always made contact unless walked or hit by a pitch.

This solidified Sendo as a power hitter, albeit one with exceptional luck.

Despite the shock, Yokohama's catcher quickly returned to focus and signaled for the final pitch.

Inou nodded, took a deep breath, and began his delivery.

"Keep it low!" Inou reminded himself, recalling Sendo's last at-bat.

Whoosh!

"???" Sendo's face filled with confusion as he watched the ball.

Thwack!

The pitch hit the ground before bouncing into the catcher's glove.

"Ball four!"

Sendo dropped his bat and advanced to first base. Inou's overemphasis on keeping the pitch low resulted in a control error, awarding Sendo a walk.

"Haha! That guy got walked again!" Jun-san laughed.

"That guy being on first is no different from being on third. He'll put so much pressure on the battery, and with Shirasu up, it'll lighten his load in scoring position," Miyuki added, laughing as well.

"You're the last person who should be saying that!" Several third-years from the bench chimed in, poking fun at Miyuki.

"Haha! If you were batting behind him, you'd only focus when runners were in scoring position!" Kuramochi added, taking a jab at his best friend.

Even Coach Kataoka glanced at Miyuki, who responded with an embarrassed, resigned expression.

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