During their third and last holiday of the first year, Sawamura Eijun and his teammates didn't have time to enjoy it as they faced the intense Spring Koshien qualifiers.
This year, the Spring Koshien features three teams from Tokyo:
Inajitsu High School, Yakushi High School, and the resurgent Seidou High School, which returned through the playoffs.
Tokyo baseball was in an uproar.
The media was flooded with articles featuring the 'Deadliest Battle Zone.'
Originally, there had been criticism about Tokyo having three teams in Koshien. However, seeing the newspapers and reflecting on it, it became clear that at least two of these teams would likely be eliminated before the Summer Koshien.
This realization balanced their concerns.
The true 'Battle Zone' was undeniably West Tokyo.
As compensation, adding a spot for them in the Spring Koshien didn't seem so unacceptable.
In March, the spring weather was harsh.
The Seidou High School players departed by a normal bus this time.
At this time, Sawamura and his teammates were already second-year players.
The baseball dormitory had added extra beds.
Originally, each dormitory housed three players: one third-year, one second-year, and one first-year.
Players from all three years lived together.
The purpose was to let the seniors set a good example for the juniors, a tradition at Seidou High School.
However, this year saw a significant change.
Now, there were only 59 second-year and first-year players combined.
Meanwhile, the new freshmen, numbered over 60.
This meant the total number of freshmen exceeded the combined number of all third-year and second-year players.
Given this situation, accommodating a freshman in each dorm was impossible.
Thus, each dormitory will have an additional bed, meaning there were two Kohais per dorm.
Leaving that for later the Seidou High School baseball team had already boarded the bus to Koshien.
After a grand opening ceremony and a fierce draw, Seidou High School's first opponent was confirmed: Homei High School, a national powerhouse.
Spring Koshien differs significantly from the summer tournament.
Firstly, major schools don't place much emphasis on the autumn competition, at least not initially.
New teams are just forming and their strength is unknown.
In this context, most top schools use the Fall competitions as a tool for team development.
Only after reaching the quarter-finals or semi-finals in the Fall competitions do they start to take the Spring Koshien seriously.
Therefore, teams participating in the Spring Koshien are not necessarily the best in the country.
Many teams might even seem unfamiliar.
For example, Yakushi High School!
Due to Todoroki Raizou's remarkable actions, Yakushi High School gained some recognition in the high school baseball community.
However, on a national scale, they remain relatively unknown.
It's not an exaggeration to call them a nobody.
There are many such teams.
Of course, top giants like Seidou, Inajitsu, and Homei advance by crushing all their opponents with their powerful strength.
The clashes between giants and dark horses, dark horses and dark horses, and giants versus giants are highlights of Spring Koshien.
Seidou High School's match against Homei High School is a classic example of a clash between giants.
On game day, the stands were packed with spectators.
Sawamura's two fan clubs were present.
They gathered in a corner of the stands, holding up large banners.
Sawamura's parents, grandfather, and friends—all came to watch him play.
In addition to them, the freshmen, already determined to join Seidou High School, were glued to their TVs, watching the team's first game.
For this crucial opening match, Seidou High School fielded their strongest lineup.
Sawamura, as the Ace pitcher, was crucial.
After all, if not now, when?
The game was fiercely competitive, starting with a heated pitching duel. In the first two innings, Seidou High School had hits but failed to score. This situation continued until the third inning.
Under the powerful pitching of Sawamura, Seidou successfully defended the third inning with ease.
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.
Homei High School had clearly prepared well against Seidou. Even without runners on base, they often used bunts. At first glance, it seemed they were intentionally giving away Outs.
However, their true aim was to disrupt Sawamura's pitching rhythm.
Based on their intel, if Sawamura started with a series of Strikeouts, he would become unstoppable later on. Although they didn't understand why, they were determined to disrupt his rhythm.
Homei's offensive strategy was thus understandable, but they seemed unprepared mentally and were led astray by Sawamura.
In the bottom of the third inning, Seidou High School began their offense. The ninth batter, Asou, was making his Koshien debut and was visibly nervous. Despite his efforts to appear calm, his trembling body betrayed his anxiety.
Under such pressure, his performance was naturally affected.
Ping!
His rigorous training made his reflexes faster than his brain. He finally reacted to the pitched ball. The ball was hit high and landed directly over the second baseman.
Snap!
"Out!!"
"Tsk!"
The outcome was clear: one Out, no runners on base.
Next up was Seidou's lead-off hitter, Kuramochi.
He glanced at the stands, where Watanabe's figure was somewhat blurred due to the distance and sunlight, making it hard for Kuramochi to focus. However, he had memorized the important information.
'Homei's third baseman is one of the cleanups, a second year with excellent hitting power but rough defensive skills. For a bunt or infield hit, hitting towards third base offers the highest success rate.'
'Now's the time to witness a miracle!'
Facing the pitched ball, Kuramochi switched to a bunt.
Ping!
The ball rolled quickly toward third base.
'Let's go!'
Seeing the ball roll into the open space, Kuramochi was thrilled. Although the ball's speed was slightly fast, the position allowed Kuramochi to reach base if Homei's defense was even a bit sluggish.
Kuramochi sprinted to first base like a lightning bolt!
'So fast!'
He reached first base without hesitation. Homei's third baseman, normally quick, had no chance to make the play in time.
"SAFE!"
One out, a runner on first base!
Next up was Haruichi. After adjusting his hair, he was full of energy.
Coach Ochiai was pleased with his recent performance, though he wished Haruichi would switch to a metal bat for better results.
Haruichi's hitting skills were exceptional. Without overthinking, he seemed to instinctively know how to hit.
This time, he did not disappoint, hitting the ball beautifully.
Paak!
The ball soared high and landed behind the first baseman, creating a large gap in the field.
Although not a long hit, it was still impressive.
Haruichi reached first base, and Kuramochi advanced to third.
One out, runners on first and third.
Seidou High School now had a great scoring opportunity. For Homei, this was a looming disaster.
'What to do now?' Homei's pitcher thought.
'Should we confront Sawamura head-on, or focus on Miyuki?' the catcher too was puzzled.
This was a major dilemma for Homei.
…