Second batter, second baseman, Kominato-kun."
'No rush!'
Remembering Coach Kataoka's earlier instructions in the dugout, Kominato knew exactly what his mission was. Hongou was currently on fire.
There was no need for a direct confrontation.
The primary objective should be to tire out the pitcher's count.
Of course, if the opportunity arises, a hit would be even better.
After all, behind Kominato stood Seidou's two strongest batters:
Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya.
As long as he could get on base, they should be able to bring him home.
With this in mind, Kominato stepped into the Batter's Box.
"Oh, the wooden bat guy."
"Quiet bold isn't he."
The wooden bat in his hands sparked discussions in the stands.
While many professional players use wooden bats, high school players typically prefer metal ones, making the use of wooden bats quite rare.
Kominato, with his good looks and wooden bat, had already drawn attention in Koshien.
Not to mention, he had recorded several hits in his previous three games,
Which had increased his notoriety.
Now that he was in the Batter's Box, cheers erupted from the audience.
'Koshien is truly a great place. If you shine here, everyone will remember you.' Coach Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Ideally, he wanted Kominato to switch to a metal bat. But Kominato had his own beliefs and had not heeded Ochiai's advice.
In this situation, Ochiai couldn't push him.
He hoped that this Koshien would serve as a benchmark; if Kominato could perform well with a wooden bat, he wouldn't bring it up again.
But if Kominato's performance was mediocre on this stage,
Ochiai believed he would need to have a serious conversation with him.
'I'll wait and see!'
He watched the duel on the field eagerly, and it quickly reached a conclusion.
After a few tense pitches, Kominato had to take a swing.
With two strikes against him and no balls, his goal was simply to hit the ball foul.
Paak!
The moment the small ball made contact with the bat, Kominato's face fell.
'A straight ball!'
And a strong one at that.
Hitting it foul would not be easy.
After making contact, the ball rolled naturally.
The Komadai's first baseman rushed in, picked up the ball, and stepped on the base.
"OUT!"
Today, Kominato's performance was lackluster.
His lack of power was glaringly obvious. Even if he could keep up with Hongou's speed, he still couldn't connect with the ball.
Two at-bats, one Strikeout, one Shutout.
That was Kominato's performance today.
"After this Koshien ends, you should seriously consider whether to stick with the wooden bat or switch to a metal one."
As Kominato returned to the dugout, Ochiai said while stroking his chin.
Had Kominato used a metal bat just now, this would have been a hit or at least a Foul.
In this regard, the Kominato brothers had talents beyond the ordinary.
One Out, no runners on base.
It was Sawamura's turn to bat.
When Sawamura stepped into the Batter's Box, the atmosphere became charged.
"Let's go big!!
"This moment is yours!!"
"We are counting on you!!"
"Do it, Sawamura!"
"Hit a home run!"
Led by the second-string team, cheers were getting louder, and the chant for 'Abarenbou Shogun' was spreading like fire in the stands.
The brass band played the beautiful melody like they were training hard on it.
'This feeling can only be experienced in high school and at Koshien. Once you go professional, it's gone.'
A relieved smile spread across Sawamura's face.
He wasn't certain he could hit the incoming pitch.
But this time, he was willing to give his all for the team.
Looking at Hongou on the mound, Sawamura was adjusting himself.
"He is on fire today, isn't he? And you too Renji." Sawamura said this to Renji on the catcher position.
"Back at you, why are you not?" Renji responded to Sawamura by asking him why he was not on the mound.
"Heh, you want me on the mound that much?" Sawamura did not reveal any information but kept inquiring.
"I will pass," Renji said his honest feeling in the end. As he was surprised by Sawamura's stance.
'Bunt!'
'With one Out and no runners on base, his posture was clearly not meant for a real bunt; what was his aim?'
'He is trying to get a sure hit!'
The answer was obvious for Renji and everyone else.
The audience, already enthusiastic, became even more frenzied at that moment.
"Go!"
"Hit it off! Sawamura!"
"Show them your power!"
"Demon King!"
'It's time to test the legend!' Renji showed no signs of backing down when he saw Sawamura's stance; instead, his fighting spirit was at an all-time high.
Before facing Seidou, they had studied everything. Sawamura's various batting stances were naturally a top priority.
They had already devised a strategy to counter him.
'Based on their previous intel, Sawamura-kun's hundred percent hits had never resulted in a swing and a miss.'
'It was unrealistic to expect Sawamura-kun to miss simply because of pitch speed and movement.'
In this situation, the only option was to challenge him with strength.
'A stable batting stance would increase his accuracy.'
'But it also limited his power.'
Given this, the type of pitch they could use became clear.
'A Fastball!'
They would face off against Sawamura using strength.
'Bring it on!'
No one could guarantee the outcome of their duel.
The only thing they could ensure was their determination to defeat their opponent.
This was true for Renji, and equally so for Hongou Masamune.
As for Sawamura, he was equally prepared mentally when he adopted his bunting stance.
Roaar!!
A pitch that felt like thunder erupted unexpectedly, catching everyone off guard.
Sawamura wore a serious expression, his eyes locked on the incoming baseball.
He gripped the bat tightly with both hands.
The moment Hongou Masamune released the ball, Sawamura had already pulled back his bat.
The ball's path was clear, traveling at about 150 km/h.
The timing for a powerful swing was calculated in Sawamura's mind.
After all, this process was merely instinct.
Sawamura couldn't articulate it in detailed terms; he simply had played too many similar pitches to not have a sense of timing.
Practice makes perfect.
Even at 150 km/h, Sawamura's swing wouldn't fail.
Ping!
The bat struck the ball perfectly, sending it flying far.
At that moment, a bright smile broke across Sawamura's face.
'Very good!'
While it didn't seem likely to clear the field, it was still a solid hit into the outfield.
This result was acceptable.
Yet before his smile could fully blossom, the moment he saw where the ball landed, he immediately tensed up.
…