"Sanada's Cutter is very sharp, but its change isn't very fast."
"Ushijima's Cutter drifts and drops toward the right side of the batter's box as it approaches the plate."
"To put it bluntly, Ushijima's Cutter is not only sharp, but the tailing movement is also much faster."
"And then there's Ushijima's Sinker."
"Actually, Ushijima's Sinker has a drifting, sinking motion that moves to the left."
"Both Ushijima's Cutter and Sinker have a drifting, downward movement, and both are very fast."
"But the difference lies in the direction of the break."
"The Cutter drifts downward and sharply cuts toward the inside of a left-handed batter standing in the right batter's box."
"The Sinker drifts downward and powerfully cuts toward the inside of a right-handed batter standing in the left batter's box."
"Because of that, Ushijima's Cutter and Sinker both have sharp and rapid tailing movement."
"Everyone here already knows that."
Everyone in Seidou nodded in agreement with Kominato's explanation.
Of course they knew.
They had all seen it, experienced it, and even been beaten by it before.
"But Sanada's Cutter doesn't sink inward like Ushijima's."
"Sanada's Cutter moves quickly toward the right side of the plate against a left-handed batter, and its trajectory is somewhat similar to a Slider."
"However, the inward break at the end is sharper than a Slider's."
"That's why when I was batting earlier, it felt uncomfortable. The timing and control felt completely different."
"I'm used to facing a Cutter that's fast and sinks like Ushijima's."
"I'm not used to suddenly facing a Cutter that doesn't sink."
After Kuramochi explained his thoughts, everyone finally understood.
At that moment, Isashiki, who was currently at bat, had also begun to sense the difference.
Because right now, he was being pressured by a two-pronged attack.
Standing in the left batter's box, Isashiki watched Sanada prepare to pitch.
For the third pitch, Sanada threw his Cutter.
Seeing the ball drift toward the outside, Isashiki swung his bat without hesitation.
"Cutter? I've hit hundreds of those!!!"
Isashiki swung with all his strength.
Bang!
The bat connected with the breaking baseball and sent it flying.
"What?!"
Sanada, standing on the pitcher's mound, was startled.
"They actually hit it?"
Sanada hadn't expected his Cutter to be hit so quickly.
Thwack!
Although the ball was struck well, the defense managed to field it.
After being tagged out on base, Isashiki glared angrily at Sanada.
On his way back to the dugout, he passed by Yuki.
"Be careful. It's completely different from Ushijima's."
Yuki nodded slightly. He already had a basic understanding.
Stepping into the batter's box, Yuki Tetsuya focused on the pitcher, ready to swing.
Sanada glanced toward the dugout, where Coach Todoroki made a signal.
After receiving the sign, Sanada nodded in understanding.
Without hesitation, Sanada threw the first pitch.
An inside fastball with excellent speed and a very sharp trajectory.
The moment Yuki saw the ball, he swung fiercely.
Bang!
The bat struck the ball, but unfortunately it flew foul down the third-base line.
"Ah…"
Sanada, on the mound, looked at the foul ball in surprise.
Just a little more and it would have stayed fair.
If that had been in play, it would have been a long hit to left field.
For the second pitch, Sanada didn't back down. He went inside again.
Whoosh! Snap!
The baseball dove straight into the catcher's glove.
This time, Yuki didn't swing.
"Wow… that's aggressive. The first pitch was inside and nearly got blasted to the outfield. And he still dared to throw inside again on the second pitch?" Reporter Owada Akiko said in surprise.
"Yes. He's a very assertive pitcher."
"Facing Seidou's dependable fourth batter, he still dares to attack the inside corner repeatedly."
Fujio was equally surprised.
It seemed Yakushi High School's ace pitcher was truly impressive. His mental strength and determination were remarkable.
Yuki Tetsuya kept his eyes fixed on Sanada.
Waiting.
The moment Sanada released the next pitch, Yuki swung with perfect timing.
"Shootball!"
The instant he recognized the pitch, Yuki reacted and swung.
Bang!!!
The bat struck the Shootball perfectly and sent it flying.
Sanada, standing on the mound, was shocked to see his Shootball completely crushed.
But—
Smack!
By sheer coincidence, the Yakushi High School second baseman reached out and caught the blazing line drive.
Yuki Tetsuya froze in disbelief.
This was unbelievably unlucky.
Both of his at-bats had ended like this.
In his first at-bat, he hit the ball straight to third base, where Raichi Todoroki caught it.
In his second at-bat, his powerful hit went straight into the second baseman's glove.
That was just terrible luck.
"Tch… Tetsuya's luck is really something else."
Isashiki spat to the side and muttered helplessly.
Both of those hits could have been long shots into the outfield.
But fate had other plans.
When Yuki returned to the dugout, a fierce aura surrounded him.
Two perfect hits… wasted because of bad luck.
"Sigh, you guys really have terrible luck."
"Seidou would fall apart without me," Ushijima Wakatoshi said smugly.
Everyone felt annoyed, but no one could refute it.
After all, his performance today had been outstanding.
Both innings had ended with three-up, three-down defenses.
And in the first inning, he had even driven in three runs.
What could they say?
Still… they silently vowed to get revenge.
Just wait.
Don't give us a chance to complain about you, you bastard.
"Play good defense. If Yakushi doesn't get on base this inning, Raichi Todoroki won't bat until the next inning."
Miyuki Kazuya clapped his hands to get Ushijima's attention.
Hearing that, Ushijima nodded calmly.
Then he stepped onto the pitcher's mound to start the next defensive inning.
Facing Yakushi High School's seventh batter, Ushijima showed no mercy.
Since Sanada had already revealed his Shootball…
There was no reason for him to hold back anymore.
Ushijima raised his arm and threw his first Shootball of the game.
"Strike!"
The baseball shot forward, heading toward the seventh batter standing in the left batter's box.
Seeing the pitch suddenly break toward his chest, the batter's eyes widened in shock.
Instinctively, he stepped back and raised his arms to protect himself.
Bang!!!
The baseball slammed into Miyuki's catcher's mitt with a loud explosion.
A cloud of dust rose from the impact.
Miyuki Kazuya, crouched behind the plate, grinned as he looked toward the pitcher's mound.
Ushijima Wakatoshi remained in his finishing pose on the mound, a confident smile on his face.