As Kondou Daiki returned to home plate, the score became 6-4. Ugumori had closed the gap to just two points.
The Ugumori players were ecstatic as if they were celebrating a festival. They had a way of shining brightly when given a bit of encouragement.
More and more fans in the stands were drawn to Ugumori High School.
For Ugumori to compete this fiercely with Seidou was no small feat!
Especially during their offensive plays, Ugumori seemed like a group of maniacs, giving off a highly energetic vibe.
Of course, from Seidou's perspective, it was a different experience altogether.
Watching maniacs play and actually facing them are two very different things. While the audience could enjoy the spectacle, Seidou's players, who were up against these 'maniacs' were far from pleased.
They were all troubled.
This tension reached its peak when Kondou reached third base.
Things only improved when Kondou reached home. Although they lost a point, the third base runner was Out, and the situation was back on track. The tension among Seidou's players also eased significantly.
In the stands, Fujio looked at Seidou's dugout with admiration.
He couldn't help but mentally applaud Coach Kataoka's calmness.
'It was impressive!'
On the surface, Seidou had intentionally given up a point to secure an out.
It might seem like a weak move, but it was actually quite bold.
Through this strategy, Coach Kataoka sent a clear message to both teams:
'Seidou was not afraid of any challenge.'
No matter if the gap was two points or three points, Seidou High School would remain resolute and continue on to path to victory.
Beyond demonstrating their firm belief, Coach Kataoka's decision also alleviated the players' previous unease. While Ugumori's performance appeared chaotic, it was actually very methodical.
Had Seidou not taken action, the game might have spiraled out of control.
By sacrificing this point, Coach Kataoka's decision resembled a decisive move, which significantly relieved the players' concerns.
With two Outs and no one on base (after Kondou walked home, Ugumori's second batter was Out), it was now time for Ugumori High School's third batter.
He was also a highly skilled hitter, which is why he was placed in the core lineup by Ugumori High School.
At this moment, he was definitely uneasy.
The current situation was completely different from Ugumori High School's initial game plan. Although they managed to score a point, it didn't achieve the desired effect.
'All of our previous efforts seemed to be in vain!'
Now, with the game reaching the seventh inning, they were on a very precarious edge. If he couldn't continue the offense, Ugumori's attack might end here.
'No! I absolutely won't accept this outcome.'
Why had they trained so hard before? Why had they followed Nao-chan's guidance? Why had they worked so diligently with their teammates?
'It was all to face a formidable opponent like Seidou on this day.'
'We can't lose! I had to hit the ball!'
With this belief, Ugumori's third batter raised his bat high and swung at the first pitch of Furuya.
Ping!
The white ball was struck cleanly and flew out.
In the catcher's position, Miyuki felt a jolt of anxiety.
'Sure enough, Ugumori had changed their hitting strategy.'
He had sensed this change when watching Kondou's at-bat!
Now it seemed his intuition was accurate. Ugumori had adjusted their strategy to target Furuya's low pitches.
Ugumori High School, which had previously seemed reckless, was actually very meticulous in its approach, with precise steps and effective use of various small tactics and tricks.
'Not an easy opponent,' Miyuki thought.
'No wonder Sawamura was so wary of Ugumori.'
If Seidou hadn't been well-prepared, they could have suffered a major setback.
Just like this hit, which landed perfectly between the second baseman and shortstop. Though it wasn't a long hit, it was solid enough to secure a single.
"Nice hit!"
The third batter of Ugumori was thrilled. Getting a hit at this moment was crucial since the next batter was Umemiya.
Ugumori now had a strong chance to score additional points.
"Yeah!"
The batter shouted excitedly as he saw the baseball land!
With a sense of relief, he sprinted toward first base.
His task now was simple: get on base!
If possible, advance to second base!
'Seidou's catcher was exceptionally strong, so stealing bases might not be effective.'
Reaching second base had significant meaning. It meant entering a scoring position.
'If Ume-chan could hit the ball and secure a long hit, Ugumori would close the gap by two points in this inning.'
With only a one-point difference, the game was within reach.
At this moment, Ugumori High School's third batter was completely caught up in the excitement.
His eyes were red with determination as he ran forward with all his might.
Even if he reached first base, he wouldn't stop.
The problem is he was too high on his hit and expectation that he forgot one thing.
Seidou is the National Champion.
All of their players –especially fielders- are all super elites.
So, while the ball did land, it didn't fly to the outfield.
After the ball bounced, Kominato Haruichi –who suddenly appeared- caught it!
At the moment the ball was hit, Kominato ran to the spot where the baseball landed.
Such ability wasn't just from hard work; players needed inherent talent to achieve this.
There was no doubt that the younger Kominato had that talent.
He keenly sensed where the baseball would land.
After picking up the ball, Haruichi didn't even turn around; he threw the ball like a dart.
Snap!
Maezono at first base had his mitt open and smoothly caught the ball.
"OUT!
Three Outs, and the offense and defense exchange!
The huge crisis was resolved.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Seidou High School was on the offensive.
By this point, Seidou's lineup had cycled through three times.
This was now the fourth time Kuramochi Ypoichi faced Umemiya Seiichi.
For a batter like Kuramochi, who had faced Umemiya this many times, he should be fully confident. After all, he had studied his opponent thoroughly.
However, at this moment, Kuramochi showed no trace of that confidence. It wasn't that he was unusually mature or calm, but because he genuinely wasn't sure.
Although it wasn't Kuramochi's first time facing Umemiya, this was the first time he was up against Umemiya since he used his new breaking ball.
According to Miyuki's analysis, Umemiya's new breaking ball was supposed to be a Slider.
But knowing the type of pitch isn't enough. Breaking balls can behave differently depending on the pitcher. What exactly is Umemiya's breaking ball like? Without seeing it firsthand, Kuramochi couldn't guess.
In this situation, he could only see and experience it himself.
'Bring it on!'
Kuramochi decided to let the first pitch go. He wanted to see what this so-called Slider really looked like.
Whoosh!
The ball came flying in, but it was moving incredibly slowly.
'It was a slow Curveball!'
After Umemiya showcased his new breaking ball, several batters from Seidou focused on this slow curve.
Compared to the fast straight and slider pitches, this slow curve was much easier to identify and hit.
Many Seidou players were focusing on this type of pitch. Although a slow curve is less likely to result in a long hit, it is still possible to make solid contact and get on base.
However, since unveiling his new breaking ball, Umemiya seemed to have abruptly changed his approach, no longer throwing this Curveball. This left Seidou's players swinging in vain.
Gradually, they had given up on this type of pitch, so its sudden reappearance was unexpected.
Despite the urgency, Kuramochi didn't intend to let the slow pitch go by.
The pitch was slow enough that he could wait until it was near before swinging.
'Here it comes!'
Watching the baseball come toward him, Kuramochi swung his bat without hesitation.
He knew that, due to his lack of preparation, hitting the ball perfectly would be difficult.
'But it didn't matter…'
As long as he made contact, Kuramochi's speed made reaching base a matter of moments.
Ping!
After the ball was hit, it flew forward, but as Kuramochi had expected, it wasn't hit cleanly and bounced directly to the ground.
'But so what?'
Kuramochi never relied solely on hitting to reach base.
After making contact, Kuramochi threw down his bat and sprinted to first base like a ghost.
His movements were extremely agile, and his starting speed was astonishingly fast. By the time anyone reacted, he was almost at first base.
Kuramochi was quick, but the baseball wasn't slow either.
As Kuramochi hit the ball and ran, Ugumori's third baseman made a swift dive to stop it. After stopping the ball, he immediately stood up and threw it to first base.
SNAP!
Just before Kuramochi's foot hit first base, the ball reached the first baseman's mitt.
"OUT!"
"Damn it!"
The result frustrated Kuramochi greatly.
A solid attempt to reach base had ended in failure!
'Fast!'
'Incredibly fast!'
'Is he even a human?'
He didn't realize his speed had shocked the Ugumori players.
The ball had flown directly to the third baseman, who stopped it on the first bounce.
This was different from a grounder where the third baseman would need to run forward, pick up the ball, and throw to first base. Even with such a ball, the batter is often Out.
Kuramochi's attempt to reach base was already impressive. But everyone had only been impressed by Kuramochi's speed, thinking it was theoretically possible to achieve such results.
But just now, the ball's first bounce was stopped by someone.
Even in such a short time, Kuramochi sprinted to first base, almost making it.
That speed was definitely enough to give anyone a scare.
"Are these Seidou players even human?"
At Ugumori's outfield, the fastest player, Kondou Daiki, was no match for Kuramochi in this brief 30-meter sprint.
'In this area, Kuramochi was likely the fastest in high school.'
An Ugumori player wondered.
It was now Kominato Haruichi's turn to bat.
This was the second time Kominato faced Umemiya's new breaking ball, and he was well-prepared.
As one of Seidou's top hitters, he excelled against pitchers like Umemiya. Having seen Umemiya's breaking ball before, he was even more confident.
Whoosh!
Seeing the ball coming, Haruichi recognized the pitch directly.
'The new Slider!'
Without any hesitation, he swung at the first pitch.
Paak!
The baseball landed beautifully in the gap, and Kominato reached first base.
"SAFE!"
This hit was crucial. Umemiya, who was so hard to hit, was now showing signs of vulnerability.
And the offense wasn't over yet.
Shiratsu, batting third, aimed for the gap between the pitcher and shortstop.
He had originally been targeting straight pitches, as it was not his style to deal with breaking balls he wasn't sure of.
Unexpectedly, he locked onto a Straight ball.
Besides breaking balls, Umemiya also threw a lot of Straight balls. Shiratsu's strategy was sound.
However, he was unlucky and faced breaking balls for the first two pitches.
Ping!
Just before the bat hit the baseball, the ball suddenly curved.
The ball was hit and landed in front of the pitcher.
Umemiya received the ball, turned, and threw it to second base, who then threw it to first base.
SNAP!
"OUT!"
SNAP!
"OUT!"
Such a clean double play changed the course of the game.
…
T/N: The game will be completed tomorrow!
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