Chapter 275: The Godlike Little Angel!
"Safe!"
Damiel dashed like a whirlwind and made it safely to first base.
Even though Kuramochi had managed to intercept the ball right after it bounced and immediately fired it back, the throw was just a step too slow.
Damel reached base safely. The situation on the field: no outs, runner on first.
Back in Seidou's dugout, the players felt like their heads had just exploded.
In the top of the first inning, their own leadoff batter had also gotten on base with a similar play—and went on to score.
At the time, Seidou's players had been fired up, celebrating with uncontainable joy…
Now, with their opponents doing the same thing, that joy had twisted into unease.
It was fine when it was their own teammate tearing through the field like a storm—it was exhilarating to watch.
But now that the opponent was doing it?
It felt like chewing on dry grass—bitter, awkward, and hard to swallow.
"Man, Saintdorf's lineup really does have every kind of player, huh?"
"Did they seriously hit that on purpose, even though it was a bad pitch? How did he even connect with that?"
From Seidou's perspective, they were sure the batter had predicted the pitch.
How else could he have gotten wood on a ball so far out of the zone?
"I don't think that was the case."
Chris, pen in hand, shook his head with certainty.
He had been watching far more closely—and precisely because of that, he could say with confidence that the batter hadn't predicted it.
From the looks of things, Miyuki and Sawamura had the situation locked up.
They'd thrown out the bait, and the batter had taken it.
All they had to do was reel him in.
But instead of catching the fish… the bait was gone—and so was the hook.
"That guy's reflexes are insane. His natural physical ability is off the charts."
As much as the others didn't want to admit it, coming from Chris, it was hard to argue.
"Is he really that good?"
"That's the reality. In terms of agility, he might even surpass Carlos."
Now Carlos—Seidou's players knew that name all too well.
If this guy Damel really was on the same level—or worse, even more dangerous—than Carlos when it came to base-running…
The atmosphere in Seidou's dugout immediately tensed. Cold sweat ran down their backs.
"This is gonna be tough for little Sawamura…"
Originally, they'd expected today's opponent to be a pushover.
That's why they had decided to rest Furuya and let Sawamura gain some experience as a starter.
Sawamura Eijun's performance in the first game had been a huge surprise for his teammates.
Not only the coaches and manager, but even his fellow players had high hopes that he'd continue to shine as the tournament progressed.
But now, the situation was clearly different.
The opponent's strength was far beyond what they had anticipated.
That alone was already a serious concern—and coupled with the fact that Sawamura lacked experience as a starting pitcher, especially against such formidable teams, the pressure on him was immense.
After all, he was still just a first-year rookie.
It was only natural for Seidou's players to be worried.
Could Sawamura really hold the line?
"I just hope he doesn't give up too many runs in the first inning…"
One teammate, a bit more pessimistic, was already bracing for the worst.
The game continued, and Saintdorf's second batter stepped up to the plate.
He looked like an average player—not tall, not short, not big, not small.
In a lineup filled with standout characters, this guy almost blended into the background.
And players like this often didn't have any flashy strengths—but also no obvious weaknesses.
When such "ordinary" players became part of the core lineup, it usually meant they were extremely solid in all aspects of the game.
Just like Seidou's own Haruichi.
Among the current mainstays of the Seidou lineup, Haruichi had the lowest presence by far.
Forget the fans—even some of their own teammates probably struggled to remember his full name.
That just showed how low-key the guy was.
But being low-key didn't mean weak. On the contrary—he was outstanding across the board.
Saintdorf's second batter seemed to be that kind of player.
Their manager, Mitsuki, wore a satisfied smirk in the dugout.
They hadn't scored yet, but judging by Mitsuki's face, it felt like he believed it was only a matter of time.
That alone made the players in Seidou's dugout uneasy.
Once Saintdorf's second batter stepped into the box, he took his position dead center—his stance rock-solid, bat raised, eyes locked onto Sawamura.
"It's like he's ready to hit the ball no matter where it comes," Miyuki thought, narrowing his eyes behind the catcher's mask.
As a baseball expert, he could tell just from that batter's stance—this guy was no pushover.
Taking him down wasn't going to be easy.
"The real challenge begins now!"
But on the mound, Sawamura didn't flinch.
Even with a dangerous runner already on first base…
Even with a batter who looked hard to deal with at the plate…
The rookie showed no sign of panic.
His eyes narrowed in turn, firmly locking onto his target—as if he could throw the ball at any second.
Miyuki couldn't help but grin at the sight.
"Yeah… cocky as ever—but that fearless, never-give-up spirit really suits a pitcher. Alright, show us what you've got."
Just as Miyuki gave the sign and Sawamura prepared to go full force…
The runner on first suddenly took off.
"Throw to first!!"
Miyuki spotted it instantly and urgently flashed the sign.
During this moment, Sawamura hadn't yet begun his pitching motion—which meant he still had time to throw to first base.
As soon as he received the signal, he wasted no time.
Whoosh!
Thanks to his recent training, his pickoff throw had improved significantly.
The white baseball whistled through the air.
Pop!
Yuuki caught it cleanly at first base.
"Safe!!"
Sliding into the bag, Damiel grinned up at Yuuki with a wide, cheeky smile.
The Seidou captain's expression turned colder.
That blatant provocation was impossible to ignore.
But the real concern wasn't Yuuki's reaction—it was making sure Sawamura didn't get rattled.
Saintdorf's second batter was already a tough opponent.
Now, with a disruptive baserunner on first, the pressure on Sawamura had more than doubled.
Seidou's dugout sensed it too.
Saintdorf was the definition of a dark horse team.
Yet in terms of tactics and coordination, they were no less skilled than Japan's most prestigious baseball programs.
In some ways, they were even more polished than traditional powerhouses.
"These guys are clearly professionally trained," one teammate muttered.
Seidou's training program was modeled after pro-level regimens, with years of refinement behind it.
So to recognize that same precision in a foreign team spoke volumes.
"I heard their coach sent players to study in North America. I thought it was just a rumor—but it's probably true," said Chris.
Though much of the intel he'd gathered hadn't been verified, what he'd seen on the field told him everything he needed to know.
"This game's gonna be a war," came the unspoken consensus among the team.
It wasn't that they feared strong opponents—after all, this was Koshien. Strong teams from all over the country were gathered here.
They had mentally prepared for that long ago.
What really worried them now was the young pitcher on their mound—Sawamura Eijun.
His amazing debut in the first game had raised everyone's expectations.
They wanted to see him continue to shine.
But before he even had the chance to impress, he was already in serious trouble.
And while his teammates worried in the dugout, Sawamura himself didn't feel a thing.
His eyes remained locked on the batter before him.
The stronger the opponent, the more fired up he became.
The cocky runner on first base? Yes, he was troublesome.
But Sawamura had learned how to control the running game—starting with intimidation.
He shot Damiel a fierce glare.
The would-be base stealer flinched, quickly stepping back to safety.
He wanted to mess with the pitcher—not get himself thrown out in the process.
So his antics were suddenly subdued.
Seeing that, the players in the dugout were visibly impressed.
Seidou had two first-year pitchers—both exceptionally gifted.
Yet their presence on the mound couldn't have been more different.
While their ace Furuya had once been a bit raw...
Not only did Sawamura catch the ball—
But in almost the same motion, he pivoted and threw toward first base!
Whoosh!
The white baseball shot like a bullet toward Yuuki, who was already anticipating the move.
Pop!
"Out!"
A perfect double play.
The stadium fell into a stunned silence for a moment—then erupted.
"Double play!!"
"Unbelievable!!"
The crowd exploded in cheers and gasps, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
From a potential disaster to a flawless defensive play, the entire sequence took less than five seconds—but its impact was enormous.
Back in the Seidou dugout, the players leapt to their feet.
"He actually pulled it off?!"
"Two outs in one go!"
"That's our Sawamura!"
Even the usually calm Chris showed a rare smile.
In contrast, the Saintdorf dugout was dead silent.
Their supervisor, Mitsuki, stared at the field in disbelief, the smirk wiped clean off his face.
"He read us...?"
No one had expected a first-year pitcher to remain so composed under pressure—let alone execute such a perfect counter to a hit-and-run.
And yet, Sawamura had done just that.
He'd not only anticipated their plan, but responded like a seasoned pro.
In that moment, he wasn't just Seidou's second string pitcher.
He was their ace-in-the-making.