Diamond Ace's Passionate Swing

These past few days, Tsukuba High School's practice with the ball-serving machine targeting Lin Xiao seems completely useless now.

Lin Xiao's ball seemed to have a life of its own.

Upon reaching home plate, it accelerated again, burrowing into the glove at an extremely high speed.

This isn't something you can achieve by just practicing with a ball machine and then hitting Lin Xiao's ball in a match.

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"Strikeout!!!"

Lin Xiao was in superb form, striking out three batters in a row, resulting in a three-up, three-down victory for Tsukuba High School.

"You little rascal, you cooperated well!" Kuramochi ran over excitedly.

I'm pleased with the excellent teamwork between Lin Xiao and Kominato Ryosuke in resolving the stolen base attack.

Ryosuke Kominato also smiled and praised, "Lin Xiao, well done!"

"Hehe, it's just average! It depends on the seniors." Lin Xiao scratched his head sheepishly.

After the match.

Back to the Seido rest area.

Coach Kataoka quietly observed the three pitchers: Hayashi, Tanba, and Furuya.

He pondered to himself, "Is this the real difference between aces?"

"Tanba is indeed no match for Lin Xiao, and Furuya is currently no match for Lin Xiao either."

"Perhaps given time, Furuya can catch up with Lin Xiao, but definitely not now."

Compared to Lin Xiao, Danbo has more experience in competitions, but his mentality is easily unstable during the tense stages of the competition.

Just like today when he faced Takeo Uyama, who was familiar with his pitching style, he failed to adjust his state well, which allowed the opponent to seize the opportunity to score.

Lin Xiao, no matter what kind of predicament he faces, can remain calm and resolve the crisis with his strong abilities.

Lin Xiao's ball speed is not only fast, but his ball control is also excellent. He can always accurately throw the ball to the position he wants, making it difficult for the hitter to predict.

The gap between Furuya and Lin Xiao is equally obvious.

Although Furuya's ball speed is also very fast, there is still a lot of room for improvement in ball control and energy management.

Today, he suffered from exhaustion, which caused problems with ball control. He also suffered an injury and had to leave the field due to neglect of his hand care.

Lin Xiao, on the other hand, seemed to have more stamina reserves, allowing him to better control his rhythm during the pitching process and maintain a stable performance.

Lin Xiao's strengths are not only reflected in his pitching ability, but also in his outstanding leadership skills.

On the pitcher's mound, he seemed to possess a powerful aura that instilled confidence in his teammates.

Every shot he makes sends a steady signal to his teammates, allowing them to focus more on defense.

He is good at communicating with his teammates and can adjust his pitching strategy in a timely manner according to the situation on the court. At the same time, he has great trust in the defense behind him, something Furuya has not yet done.

His strong presence on the pitcher's mound made him the undisputed core player of the team.

This also showed everyone his potential and responsibility as an ace pitcher.

Three crisp sounds of elimination.

This marked the end of the first half of the game.

The attacking and defending sides quickly switched sides.

The game reached the bottom of the sixth inning, and it was Seido High School's turn to attack.

"Fourth batter, first baseman, Tetsuya Yuki."

The audience's attention immediately focused on Yuki in the batting zone.

Tsukuba's ace pitcher stood on the mound, his eyes resolute, ready to face Yuki head-on.

Facing Seido's formidable fourth batter, they lacked real skill.

There is absolutely no way to defeat him by relying on a few tricks.

The pitcher exerted his power, and the ball shot out like a meteor.

Yuki stared intently at the incoming ball, and the instant it approached, he swung his bat sharply.

"Ping!!!"

The ball was launched far away like a cannonball, whistling towards the outfield.

The outfielders ran desperately, but could only watch helplessly as the ball hit the ground.

Triple hit!!!

With this brilliant hit, Yuki successfully reached third base.

With no one eliminated, it was Lin Xiao's turn to strike.

Lin Xiao was tasked with maintaining the offensive firepower. As soon as the pitcher threw the ball, Lin Xiao reacted quickly and swung the bat accurately to hit the ball.

The ball rolled rapidly towards first base, resulting in a single.

"Thank you!"

Yuki seized the opportunity and, taking advantage of Lin Xiao's single, shot back to home base like an arrow.

They successfully added another point for the team.

The score was now 9-3, with no outs and a runner on first. Seido High School's offensive momentum was becoming increasingly fierce.

"Sixth batter, third baseman, Masuko."

Tsukuba pitcher Mano looked at Masuko with some apprehension, after all, Masuko was a renowned heavy hitter.

Masuko stood still, her eyes fixed on the ball in Mao's hand.

Masao threw the first pitch, but Masuko misjudged the situation and didn't swing, so the pitch was ruled a strike.

But Masuko was not discouraged. He quickly adjusted his mindset and waited for the next opportunity.

Mao pitched again, this time an inside pitch. Masuko instantly caught the ball's trajectory, shouted, and swung the bat powerfully.

"Ping!"

The ball flew like an arrow, straight over the outfield wall.

Two-run home run!!!

The audience erupted in cheers and shouts.

The score is now 10-3, and Seido High School's advantage has widened further.

Miyuki, who came on next, couldn't find the right rhythm against Mao's pitching.

With no bases on, Mao seized the opportunity and struck out three times in a row.

In the top of the seventh inning, Tsukuba High School attacked.

Standing on the pitcher's mound was Lin Xiao, partnered with catcher Miyuki. This duo worked together seamlessly, forming a solid defensive line that made it difficult for Tsukuba's batters to break through.

Lin Xiao's pitches were powerful and fast, and Miyuki precisely directed each pitch from behind.

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"nice shot!"

"Strikeout!"

"Strikeout!"

"Strikeout!"

The referee's voice rang out one after another. Lin Xiao, with his outstanding performance, struck out three batters in a row, bringing Tsukuba High School to the final three.

The audience cheered and applauded Lin Xiao's wonderful performance once again. After three eliminations, the roles of attacker and defender were reversed again.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Seido High School's offensive firepower erupted once again.

Starting with the first batter, Kuramochi, he used his excellent speed and agile batting skills to hit a single and successfully reach base.

Immediately afterwards, Ryosuke Kominato came on and skillfully dealt with Mao's pitch, hitting an infield single and putting runners on first and second.

Then, Izashiki entered the fray, and the power hitter seized his opportunity.

With a powerful strike, the ball soared high over the outfield wall.

A three-run homer!

The atmosphere at the scene reached a climax.

The audience cheered and jumped for joy, and the rest area of ​​Seido High School was filled with jubilation.

At this moment, Yuki returned to the stage and seized the opportunity against Mahio, who was already somewhat unsettled.

He hit another home run.

Another point for the team.

"Kanto Tournament Semifinals: Seido High School vs. Tsukuba High School".

"Seven innings played, final score 14-3"

"If the point difference exceeds 10 points, the game will end prematurely."

"Congratulations to Seido High School for advancing to the finals."