Sawamura had immense confidence in Inajitsu High School.
From his perspective, within Tokyo, only a few teams had the strength to challenge Seidou High School.
Firstly, the other three giants of Tokyo:
Teito High School in East Tokyo.
Inajitsu High School in West Tokyo.
Sankou High School in West Tokyo.
Aside from these three major opponents, if there was another team to mention, it would be the strongest dark horse: Yakushi High School.
In terms of strength, even if these four schools made it to Koshien, they would still be exceptionally powerful.
Among the top national teams, two had already been eliminated: Teito High School and Seidou High School.
The remaining teams with a shot at the championship were: Sankou High School, Yakushi High School, and Inajitsu High School.
Sankou High School and Yakushi High School were in the same group. This meant they had to face off in a do-or-die match before confronting Inajitsu.
The semi-finals and finals were scheduled back-to-back: one on Saturday and the other on Sunday the same week.
Unless something unexpected happened, Yakushi and Sankou High School would clash in the semi-finals in a critical battle, while Inajitsu would wait for the winner in the finals.
One side would be a fierce clash between two equally matched teams, while the other side would be waiting.
The finals would take place immediately on the second day of the semi-finals.
Just considering the grouping, it was already quite challenging. After overcoming the tough group, Inajitsu High School indeed faced a smoother path.
From this perspective, their chances of winning were far better than those of other teams.
Furthermore, Sawamura believed that Inajitsu High School's overall strength was the highest among all the teams, even surpassing Seidou High School.
Similarly, their strength exceeded that of Sankou High School and Yakushi High School!
With the advantage of both grouping and overall strength, how could Inajitsu High School not win?
The developments aligned closely with Sawamura's predictions.
A week after Tokyo's top teams were divided, the quarterfinals began.
The first match was between Inajitsu High School and Ouya High School.
In this game, Inajitsu's Ace pitcher, Narumiya Mei, did not play for some unknown reason. Instead, their team used three backup pitchers in a rotation strategy to defeat Ouya High School in nine innings.
Ouya High School performed quite well, especially their Ace player, Wakabayashi Gao, who impressively held Inajitsu's lineup to just five runs throughout the game.
However, they struggled against Inajitsu's rotation pitching strategy, which left them somewhat perplexed.
In the end, a home run by Seiko and a hit from the lineup secured just two runs for Ouya.
The final score was 5:2, and Inajitsu High School became the first team to advance to the semi-finals.
During the game, the former Tokyo Prince, now the Tokyo King, sat motionless in the dugout, like a statue.
"Inajitsu High School, which recently defeated the powerful Seidou High School, continues to demonstrate its formidable momentum. Despite the small score gap, the strength difference between the two teams is not just reflected in the score. With their Ace still in reserve, Inajitsu's strength is already impressive. It's hard to imagine how terrifying they will be when their Ace finally takes the field…"
After the first quarterfinal, the second quarter-final began.
Yakushi High School faced off against Yoh Shunshin!
It was a classic batter versus pitcher showdown.
Yoh Shunshin, in what might be his final chance, displayed unparalleled pitching.
He subdued Yakushi's explosive offense, leaving them unable to score.
By the fifth inning, neither side had managed to score.
Yakushi High School, known for its county-leading offensive power, had previously broken through the defenses of various giants.
But despite their powerful lineup, Yang Shunshin did not allow any Yakushi batter to reach base in the first four innings.
Including Raichi.
Yoh Shunshin thoroughly proved his prowess in the first round.
The turning point of the match occurred in the fifth inning.
"Fourth Batter, Third Baseman, Todoroki-kun!"
"Keha-ha-ha, Keha-ha-ha-ha!!!"
Accompanied by ear-splitting laughter, the batter swung with a force that seemed to tear the atmosphere apart.
PANG!!
The ball was hit far out of the field.
"Ho-Home Run!"
This home run completely altered the game's dynamics.
The score was now 1:0.
In the eighth inning, Raichi faced Yoh Shunshin again.
Yoh Shunshin did not shy away from the confrontation.
In the eighth inning, Yoh Shunshin's team was still unable to score. Yoh Shunshin realized that if they couldn't handle Raichi head-on, their chance of turning the game around was slim.
In this situation, he had no choice but to confront Raichi directly.
Only by defeating Raichi could he hope for a slim chance of survival.
PAAANG!!!
The ball was smashed a second time with the force of a meteor.
2:0!
This was the final score of the game.
After the match, Yoh Shunshin's teammates were in tears.
Yoh Shunshin, who was from Taiwan, was no longer eligible to participate in the summer competition. This Fall Tournament was his last chance.
Under Yoh Shunshin's lead, they had reached this point. Seeing their leader's high school baseball career end this way was heart-wrenching.
Of course, they were deeply saddened.
When Sawamura Eijun saw this, he shook his head.
Yoh Shunshin's future was promising. His teammates had no reason to cry for him. They would not believe the level of fame Shunshin will have in the future.
In the first match, Inajitsu defeated Ouya 5:3.
In the second match, Yakushi High School overcame the skilled pitcher Yoh Shunshin with two home runs by Raichi.
On the first day of the competition, two semi-final spots were secured.
The following day, the remaining two spots were decided.
The next day, the action continued at Jingu Stadium, where the Tokyo quarterfinals are being held. Today marked the third game of the Tokyo quarterfinals.
In this match, Sankou faced off against the Saikai Kanda Academy.
Amahisa Kousei, who had just replaced Manaka as the team's Ace pitcher, showcased exceptional skills, dominating the game and leading Sankou to victory. Sankou became the third team to advance to the semi-finals.
In the final semi-final battle, the teams were Sensen and Seiko First High.
Seiko First High emerged as a significant dark horse in this tournament. Previously eliminated in the first round of the summer competition, their advancement to this point in the Tokyo tournament was nothing short of miraculous.
The audience was amazed by their progress, believing it was incredible that they had come this far, and doubted their ability to advance further.
In contrast, Sensen College, while not dominant, had been performing well in recent years, frequently reaching the semi-finals of West Tokyo and showing a strong presence.
However, the outcome was surprising. Despite Sensen taking the lead initially, Seiko's powerful lineup exploded, hitting three consecutive home runs and decisively defeating Maki. This led to Sensen High School's elimination.
Seiko First High School advanced to the semi-finals as the last strong contender. With the top four teams confirmed, they would face off again in just six days to compete for a spot in the finals.
According to the new season regulations, Tokyo has one and a half spots available. The Tokyo champion will advance directly to Spring Koshien, while the runner-ups will compete for the 5th place team in the Kanto Tournament for the final promotion spot.
This new rule allowed Yakushi High School to participate in Koshien via a wild card. The organizing committee recognized Yakushi's exceptional performance and granted them this special opportunity.
With the last game in the semi-finals, the top four teams are now on the verge of stepping into Koshien.
Seiko faced Inashiro in their match. The result was quite unexpected. Even though Narumiya only pitched for a few innings, Inashiro established a strong advantage early on, scoring five runs in the first inning and two more in the second.
Seiko's new pitcher struggled initially, allowing three more runs. Although they managed to stabilize the situation later, especially with an outstanding performance from the backup pitcher, it was too late to change the outcome.
The game ended early with a score of 10-0 after five innings, highlighting a significant gap in the semi-finals. Inashiro High School emerged as the team most likely to reach the end.
On the other side, Yakushi faced Sankou. The game began with Raichi hitting a home run. Amahisa Kousei, who had been nearly unbeatable, finally experienced the power of one of the top batters in the country.
The intensity was palpable. Raichi's performance was fearsome and left a deep impression on everyone.
Raichi's monstrous hitting ability and enthusiastic play attracted countless fans. In Tokyo, his popularity was undeniably among the top five, possibly even the top three. His fame rivaled that of Sawamura, Narumiya, Miyuki, and Mukai, who were all established stars by their middle school days.
Raichi had only debuted six months ago but had already risen to their level. His sheer power and dramatic performances made him a standout.
The crowd loved the dramatic storyline, especially the matchup between Raichi and Manaka, who had pitched at Koshien. If Sawamura Eijun had hit the home run, it might have been expected, but Raichi's near single-handed victory over Manaka was shocking given his lack of prior experience.
Raichi's impact was profound, and his reputation soared quickly, especially after Yakushi's successful streak of games against top teams. Raichi's exceptional performance established him as Tokyo's top batter and even the best in high school.
As the game progressed, despite Sankou and Amahisa Kousei's efforts, they eventually fell behind. Raichi's stellar play was unmatched, and the game showcased his remarkable strength.
With the score tied, Yakushi High School managed to turn the tide in the eighth inning. They scored two runs and reversed the situation. Amahisa Kousei displayed remarkable pitching skills, Striking Out Raichi for the first time.
With two Outs and a runner on second base, Sankou seemed poised to win.
But then, Yakushi's Ace pitcher, Sanada Shunpei, hit a two-run homer, changing the score to 3-2 and securing Yakushi High School's place in the finals.
The final match will be played tomorrow.
…
T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!
See you Tomorrow!
Until then, take care!
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