"Wow, how is Narumiya still so strong while clearly looking exhausted?" Kuramochi grumbled.
This guy was impressive; even on the verge of collapse, his pitching was not at peak performance.
Yet he still managed to suppress Hakuryu, not allowing them to score.
The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Inajitsu attacked.
Carlos faced Ouno Shintarou for the third time.
Glancing at his faltering ace, a sharp look flashed in Carlos's eyes.
'We had made it this far thanks to Narumiya.'
This spring Koshien grouping was merciless, offering no chance to breathe.
With Narumiya's current stamina, how long could he last? It was completely uncertain.
'We have to score back quickly!'
Ping!
Carlos hit the ball, sending it flying straight to the outfield.
Like a bolt of lightning, he dashed from first to second base.
"SAFE!"
"Fast!"
"Wow! He's so fast!"
"Is he a foreigner?"
"A Hafu?"
"His batting is amazing too."
Carlos's hitting and speed caught the audience's attention.
That's how it is on the baseball field; if you have real talent, you will shine eventually.
And Carlos was glowing!
After this Koshien, many professional baseball teams would surely be lining up to sign him.
The game continued.
Following that, Shirakawa used a sacrifice bunt to advance Carlos to third base.
In this situation, they were no longer thinking about anything else.
They were focused on quickly getting back on the scoreboard.
"Third batter, pitcher, Narumiya-kun."
At that moment, Narumiya stepped up to bat.
He looked up at the score on the electronic board.
The score was 2-0, with Inajitsu behind.
'I'll reclaim the points I lost!'
Narumiya thought fiercely, raising his bat high before swinging hard.
Ping!
The white ball shot off like a rocket, soaring into the sky.
It took a long time before the baseball landed heavily in the outfield stands.
A two-run home run!
There was nothing more shocking than this moment.
At that instant, Narumiya felt like there was nothing he couldn't do.
The score became 2-2.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with Narumiya's home run, the game was back to square one.
For the remainder of the game, both sides exchanged hits and Outs, refusing to give in.
In the eighth inning, Hakuryu's third batter, Mima, hit a home run, reclaiming the lead.
The score changed to 2-3!
Also in the eighth inning, Ouno Shintarou, who had already thrown nearly 100 pitches, served up a sweet pitch.
The ball was hit hard, sending it flying.
It was the lower lineup of Inajitsu who connected this time.
Following that, Carlos hit a timely single.
Then, Shirakawa collaborated with Carlos to score another point.
The score became 3-3.
At the last moment, Yamaoka, batting fourth, hit a two-run home run.
The score changed to 5-3.
This score remained until the end of the game.
After Seidou High School advanced to the top four in the nation, their rival, Inajitsu, also overcame their challenges to reach the same milestone.
Hakuryu High School had to accept their defeat.
There was no other option; Inajitsu's team was simply too strong even when they were exhausted.
They played as if they were on another level.
They were not opponents at all.
Keep in mind, that this match was played when Inajitsu's Ace pitcher was exhausted.
It wasn't even Inajitsu's peak condition.
What kind of strength do they possess at their peak?
That's likely a mystery that remains unsolved.
After the match concluded, every player from Inajitsu High School was utterly beat.
Although they won against Hakuryu High School, it wasn't an easy victory.
They faced a team known for its mobility, and not just their Ace pitcher, Narumiya Mei, felt overwhelmed—everyone else did too.
Their stamina was completely drained.
By the end of the game, they could barely catch their breath.
After thanking the audience, they stood in a line, casting their eyes toward the Seidou High School team seated in the stands.
At that moment, the Inashiro players looked quite disheveled, sweat still glistening on their faces, breathing heavily and unevenly.
Yet, despite their appearance, no one dared to underestimate them.
These were the kings returning from a fierce battle—a truly formidable enemy.
"Great game!"
The players from Seidou also stood up. They didn't applaud; instead, they simply regarded the Inajitsu team below with cold, determined gazes.
We'll be waiting for you in the finals!
No words were needed; both teams wanted to express the same sentiment.
Their hearts were equally proud, equally unyielding.
"Let's go!"
Coach Kataoka, wearing sunglasses, led the way out of Koshien Stadium.
Following him, the 18 players from Seidou's first string lined up and exited in order.
Before leaving the stadium, Sawamura deliberately turned to glance at Narumiya.
His condition was definitely not good; "shaky" was an understatement.
With a day off tomorrow and the semifinals the day after, Sawamura couldn't help but wonder: Would Mei-san be okay?
Yakushi High School and Seihou High School—neither of these teams was to be trifled with.
Yakushi was no joke!
If you were to ask which high school baseball team currently had the strongest offense, it would undoubtedly be Yakushi High School.
When Seidou's seniors were still in high school, they could vaguely outmatch Yakushi in offensive power.
Now, with the Senpais having retired, Seidou's offensive capabilities had taken a significant hit.
In terms of batting strength, Seidou truly could not compete with Yakushi.
And Seihou High School was even more formidable!
Before Seidou emerged to dominate the nation, Seihou had been sitting atop the national hierarchy.
Even with Sano and Akutsu retired, they were the elite of the elite.
Their team also still had a stunning Ace like Akashi Seiya.
Whichever of these two teams wins, they wouldn't be easy to handle.
Given Inajitsu's current state, they would likely struggle…
Of course, In baseball, anything can happen. What kind of match will unfold? Only time will tell when they face off.
Two days and two nights—48 hours.
Getting Narumiya back to peak form wouldn't be easy.
But restoring him to 80 or 90% strength shouldn't be a problem.
Shaking his head, Sawamura pushed aside any thoughts that shouldn't be occupying his mind.
From Eijun's current standpoint, now wasn't the time to worry about Inajitsu.
Before facing them, Seidou High needed to overcome the winner between the Komadai Fujimaki and Hoshiryu.
After lunch, the third quarter-final at Koshien began.
The players from Seidou's baseball team watched the match closely.
Some things simply can't be understood by just watching game footage and statistics.
Observing their future opponent's game live would yield a completely different understanding.
The match started.
The first to take the field was the Yakushi High School team.
In this Koshien tournament, Yakushi had emerged as the ultimate dark horse.
They were sweeping the nation.
Particularly, the monstrous batter Raichi was hailed as the biggest highlight of this competition.
"Keha-ha-haa! Keha-ha-ha-haa!"
With a peculiar laugh, Raichi swaggered into the field, his eyes locked onto Akashi Seiya.
Akashi's pitching particularly interested him, his pitching was as strong and charismatic as the man himself, to advance they had to break through Akashi's defenses.
'Come on! Come on!'
He could hardly wait to step into the batter's box and hit Akashi's pitch.
"Our opponent is exactly our favorite type!"
Todoroki Raizou lounged lazily on the bench, interestedly surveying the opposing lineup.
'Akashi Seiya and Seihou!'
They naturally exuded an air of superiority.
Facing Yakushi High felt like confronting a mundane opponent.
'The pitcher is calm and confident.'
'But, can you keep this confidence for long?'
…
T/N: We will pass by these matches quickly like this.
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