The Demon King, Sawamura Eijun, had just given up two runs in one inning.
This was a significant blow to the New Seidou team.
If both runs were just ordinary losses, it would be one thing.
Although Sawamura is an experienced player who can quickly adjust his mental state in any crisis, this situation is different. Without this ability, he wouldn't have thrived in the Major Leagues before his regression.
While he didn't reach the absolute pinnacle, he still achieved quite a bit. For the New Seidou team, this experience had valuable educational significance. The third-year seniors showed them through their actions that even Sawamura wasn't invincible.
High school baseball is full of formidable and hidden monster players. There might be times when Sawamura will give up runs. The Team needed to have confidence that they could face the game positively even after such a crisis. Without such determination, participating in the autumn competitions would be a considerable challenge for Seidou High School.
So far, the third-year seniors have achieved all their strategic goals in the match. However, the impact was somewhat diminished. Despite the two runs given up, no one doubted the strength of the Demon King. Not just the New team, but even the third-year Senpais found it hard to imagine Sawamura continuing to give up runs.
'The needed lesson are all delivered.'
Chris, satisfied, returned to the dugout and began changing his catcher's gear. Thinking about the pitch Sawamura had just thrown, a smirk involuntarily appeared on his face.
'What a tough guy!'
With such impressive Kohai, Chris knew he couldn't fall behind as a senpai. Once he entered the Minor Leagues, he would continue to hone his skills. When Sawamura reached the Major League, he vowed to put on a Major League jersey to greet him.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the freshman Seidou High School team began their offensive.
Before the players took the field, Coach Sawamura outlined their offensive strategy.
This time, it was the turn of the first batter of the freshman Seidou High School baseball team.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sawamura almost hesitated as he instructed.
"Let's stick to our style! I gave up two runs, I'm really sorry. But Tanpa-senpai should be nearing his limit. At some point, his sweet Straight balls might come out. Just focus on those straight balls and be ready to hit!"
Previously, Tanpa's balls would weaken once he reached 70 pitches. After experiencing the growth from Koshien and recent training, he had improved a lot!
Now that his pitch count had reached 90, his performance was still solid. However, despite his growth, his flaws remained.
It was already impressive that he had pushed his limit from 70 to 90 pitches. Sawamura didn't believe his stamina could suddenly extend to over 100 pitches.
Although he spoke critically of his senior, Sawamura was confident about the freshman Seidou High School team's upcoming attack.
Ping!
Kuramochi, the first batter, hit the ball and sprinted to first base. As Sawamura had said, while Tanpa-senpai's pitch path was good, the speed and power of his pitches were nowhere near what they were at the start.
Kuramochi easily hit the ball past the pitcher. It was a defensive gap. Confident with this, Kuramochi aimed for second base, but suddenly someone appeared.
This guy, though not tall, was extremely quick. He smoothly caught the ball in his mitt, then in the same motion, turned and threw the ball to first base.
SNAP!
"OUT!"
Despite Kuramochi's lightning-like speed, he couldn't make it to base. He glared at the figure at second base with frustration.
'It was him again! Ryo-san!!!!'
"Don't be naive, no team at Koshien finals will allow such ball to be a hit." Ryosuke said calmly with his usual smile.
'Damn it! The standard is too high!' Kuramochi could only smile in frustration.
When they were teammates, Kuramochi felt no one was more reliable than Ryo-san. Now, as an opponent, he was seething with anger.
One Out, no one on base.
Even though Tanpa's stamina was declining, the New team players were becoming more comfortable with his pitching. But that didn't mean they could easily score against the third-year Senpai. Besides pitching, the third-year Senpai also boasted a defense as solid as a wall.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Haruichi."
If there was a player with the worst luck in this game, it was Haruichi. His skillful swinging was well-suited to a pitcher like Koichiro. This game should have been a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills.
Unfortunately, his luck had been terrible. In his previous at-bats, he had no significant results. Despite his good hitting, the third-year Senpai' superb defense had kept him at bay. His older brother, Kominato Ryosuke, was the most notable of them.
But fortune finally seemed to smile on him in this last duel.
Ping!
"Ooh! A long hit!"
"Nice batting Kominato!"
Haruichi made a beautiful hit, sending the ball deep into the outfield for a super-long hit. He raced to second base in one smooth motion.
One Out, runner on second base!
Chris, the catcher, looked at Haruichi in surprise.
'Impressive!'
'If he hadn't been preoccupied with the duel earlier, Haruichi would have secured a hit much sooner. No matter how he pitched, the younger Kominato seemed able to make solid contact with the ball—truly remarkable!'
"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura."
Now it was Eijun's turn to bat.
Having given up two runs due to a major mistake earlier, Sawamura Eijun had since recovered. His resilience allowed him to quickly adjust and maintain a high level of determination. Now, he was set on recovering the Runs he had given up with his own bat!
The score on the field is now 6-4. Due to a major blunder by Sawamura earlier, the New team is trailing the third-year seniors by two runs.
At this moment, Sawamura stands in the batter's box, ready to reclaim those lost runs. Just two runs—a single home run could settle it all!
He raises his bat high, his stance wide, clearly preparing to swing with all his might.
It's not about age or experience; it's purely a matter of personality. Fierce, competitive, and unwilling to lose—traits that might seem excessive in an ordinary person but are invaluable in an athlete.
'A natural Ace!'
Coach Kataoka, acting as the guest referee, stands behind Sawamura, replaying the 'level five' breaking ball he saw earlier and observing Sawamura's relentless spirit. Talent, personality, effort, and diligence—when all these aspects come together, success is inevitable!
Sawamura's talent is undeniable, but it's his personality and hard work that have brought him this far. Even Coach Kataoka is eagerly anticipating his performance in the Fall Tournament.
The duel on the field continues. Chris, clearly intent on countering Sawamura, throws a series of inside straight balls and sharp high-drop curves, forcing Sawamura to adjust his stance.
Despite these challenging pitches, Sawamura remains unfazed, patiently waiting for his pitch count to reach three balls.
"BALL!"
"BALL!"
"STRIKE!"
"BALL!"
The count is 1-3. Chris frowns, surprised by Sawamura's calm demeanor.
'With so much preparation and eagerness to hit, Sawamura remains composed and doesn't swing at the tricky pitches.'
With one last pitch coming, Sawamura is certain his opponent will try to finish him off with the winning shot—the Forkball, the signature pitch of Tanpa-senpai.
Whoosh!
He guesses right! When the pitch comes, it's not a high-drop Curve but a straight ball.
Sawamura is thrilled. He adjusts his stance and swings with all his might.
'Sink!'
'Sink!!!'
Sawamura keeps his eyes fixed on the ball, waiting for it to drop.
But it doesn't.
It's a straight ball! At the crucial moment, Chris outsmarts Sawamura.
'I guessed wrong!'
Ping!
The ball soars high and keeps flying. Realizing it hasn't dropped, Sawamura adjusts his swing, making sure he connects with the ball.
'He got me!'
The white ball flies over to the outfield before being caught by the outfielder.
"OUT!"
Sawamura is cleanly Out. Two outs, with a runner on third base.
Why is there a runner on third?
The ball was hit too far, and it was too late to throw it back. Seizing the opportunity, Haruichi steals third base.
"SAFE!"
The situation is now two outs, with a runner on third base.
"Fourth Batter, catcher, Miyuki!"
Now it's Miyuki's turn. He raises his bat high, eyes fixed on the pitcher's mound.
With two Outs, focusing on the batter is crucial, and the runner on third has less impact.
'So if you want to solve me, what will you throw as the first ball?'
'Throwing a High-drop Curve is the best way to disrupt the batter's line of sight.'
Miyuki smiled.
Sure enough, Chris, like Miyuki thought, also gave Tanpa the sign for the High-drop Curve.
In the face of a goal he had already expected, Miyuki, the fourth batter of the New team, did not hold back at all and directly swung the bat with all his strength.
Just as it had been rehearsed, the bat slammed hard on the baseball and flew the ball out of the field.
Home run!
A two-run home run!!!
Exactly as Sawamura had envisioned, though the hero this time is Miyuki. With these two Runs, the score is tied 6-6 again.
Coach Kataoka's final assessment is, 'Tanpa's stamina remains a significant issue; even if he goes to university, he must not slack off on that front.'
"Sixth Batter, first baseman, Maezono!"
Ping!
Maezono steps up and hits a powerful home run, immediately changing the score to 7-6. The freshmen Seidou High School team not only caught up but surged ahead.
Maezono's home run boosts his already high popularity among the second and third strings. His momentum is now even more impressive.
"Maezono!"
"Maezono!!!"
Even the third-year senpais are pleasantly surprised by Maezono's performance.
"You can do it you, if you try to do it!"
"Keep it going, don't let the Kohais take the core lineup."
The "Kohais" refer to Sawamura and Miyuki. Miyuki's personality is not only hard for Kohais to accept but also disliked by all Senpais.
While everyone enjoys gathering in his dorm to annoy him and their relationship is strong, that doesn't mean everyone has to like him.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the freshman Seidou High School team finally takes the lead. Their offense is still not over.
...
T/N: This Game AND this Volume will end tomorrow.
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