"SEIDOU'S STEEL WALL IS BACK!!"
"SO STRONG!"
"SEIDOU!!"
"KING SEIDOU!!!"
Despite being at a significant disadvantage on the field, Seidou High School still had many supporters in the stands.
One by one, they cheered loudly for the players on the field.
After Kuramochi pulled up Kominato Haruichi, he didn't say a word but turned and ran to the dugout.
With the last Out recorded, Seidou High School's defensive mission for this inning came to an end.
As he turned, Kuramochi gave a thumbs-up to Haruichi.
Though there had been a notable gap when the two first partnered, Kominato Haruichi lagging behind his brother Kominato Ryosuke, that gap was closing fast.
The original Steel Wall of Seidou had been revived.
"Can they really defend that?"
"Seidou must be cheating!"
While some were ecstatic, others were clearly displeased.
At Komadai Fujimaki High School, their players looked as though they had swallowed flies.
No matter how hard they thought, they couldn't understand how that kind of ball was stopped and turned into a double play.
When you're in it, you can be confused; when you're watching, you see clearly.
Sitting in the stands, Fujio was not surprised by the outcome.
'It is something outsiders might not know, but while Seidou is known for their explosive lineup, the foremost criteria that they choose their main player are their defensive skills.'
'The players won't be trusted on the field if their defensive skills are inadequate. And Coach Kataoka usually punishes the players with replacements if they make a glaring defensive error.'
'Who shed sweat more than anyone? This is in Seidou's slogan, to reach a high level of defense, a lot of training is required. Seidou players take pride in that and put an incredible effort in it, and the team chooses the best of them to represent the team.'
'When it comes to thorough defense training, no other team can compare to Seidou. The way Komadai Fujimaki High School honed their team in Hokkaido's icy weather was impressive.'
'But in terms of defense alone, Seidou High School players are definitely on par with any top-tier team in the country without even trying to.'
'It is precisely because of this confidence that they shout such slogans.'
At the end of six innings, the score remained 2:0.
As the game entered the top of the seventh inning, Seidou High School went on the offense.
In this inning, Seidou's starting batter was the second hitter, Kominato Haruichi.
"This is also their last chance!"
Some baseball professionals in the stands shared this consensus.
If Seidou's batters were taken out one after another without scoring, it would mean they had little chance left.
"It's hard to imagine that today's Hongou would give up consecutive hits and lose many runs. Seidou's only chance is to score first in this inning."
Only by closing the gap could Seidou have a chance to overtake.
The purpose of scoring is not just to narrow the gap but also to advance the lineup and earn more chances.
In this situation, if Seidou cannot advance, their core batters may not get another chance to bat when the ninth inning arrives.
That would be disastrous.
Relying on the lower-line batters to break this deadlock is nearly impossible.
So, Seidou's only chance is now.
If they don't score this time, it's all over.
This reality is understood by the baseball folks in the stands, as well as those of Komadai Fujimaki.
And the Seidou team understands it very well too.
Their chance is now.
Watching Kominato Haruichi drag his bat toward the Batter's Box, Coach Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully, hesitating.
He wanted to remind Haruichi to use a metal bat this time, but the words didn't come out in the end.
'There's a significant difference between a metal bat and a wooden bat. Kominato was used to the wooden bat, and suddenly switching to metal might make him uncomfortable.'
Although Coach Ochiai was eager to see how Haruichi would perform with a metal bat, he wouldn't sacrifice the team's state over such a trivial matter.
After some hesitation, he ultimately let the thought go.
Ping!
The ball was struck, soaring high into the air.
The ball flew high, but unfortunately, it didn't travel far.
At second base, the second baseman of Komadai Fujimaki effortlessly caught the ball with his mitt.
Snap!
"OUT!"
One Out, and no one on base.
Seidou's first batter was cleanly dealt with like this.
In Seidou's dugout, everyone wore solemn expressions.
Sawamura Eijun stood in the Batter's Box under such circumstances.
As he took his position, his eyes locked onto Hongou Masamune on the pitcher's mound.
Sawamura realized this was their last chance.
If he missed this opportunity, they could only wait for Hongou to collapse or be replaced by their coach.
'Otherwise, today's game would be beyond saving.'
Relying on Superintendent Nitta to pull his Ace pitcher during a stalemate seemed unrealistic.
So, Seidou's only chance was to score here.
'What to do?'
There are plenty of things Sawamura could do now.
The issue for Sawamura is deciding which method will succeed.
Currently, Seidou High School can no longer take risks. If Sawamura gets Out now, they will have no chance at all.
They can't rely on luck; they must secure a hit.
You have to remember that Sawamura's previous 100% hitting stance has already been stopped.
In this situation, he needs to steadily advance the lineup and bring hits into play.
This means he needs to think of another method, preferably a surprising one.
'No matter how I think about it this is the best one.'
Standing in the Batter's Box, Sawamura took a bunting stance.
The catcher, Renji, frowned immediately.
'Here we go again!'
He understood Sawamura's thinking very well.
The current situation was one Out with no one on base. Sawamura had once again assumed a bunting stance.
What was he trying to do was obvious to the players of Komadai Fujimaki High School.
'He was merely aiming for another 100% hit.'
'That bunt that sends the ball soaring looks impressive, but Sawamura doesn't use it much!'
'There must be a reason for that.'
'That bunt is decent for a sneak attack, but in a real confrontation, it likely wouldn't be effective. Otherwise, Sawamura would have long considered that method a supplement to his 100% hits.'
'Right now, Seidou High School absolutely won't dare to take risks! So, Sawamura must be planning a slash bunt.'
Renji believed he saw everything clearly.
Without hesitation, he placed his Mitt inside.
Hitting a pitch in that position is extremely difficult.
Adding to this is the terrifying speed and power of Hongou's pitch.
Their odds are quite high.
No one would dare claim they could deal with Sawamura's 100% hits.
Not to mention high school students like them; even if they moved up a level to professional baseball or even the majors.
It's likely that very few would confidently make such a claim.
They were all gambling on luck to see who would fare better.
They had no assurance they could solve Sawamura Eijun.
But at the same time, Sawamura had no guarantee he could hit the ball either.
Now they held the initiative, and they had no reason to back down.
'Come on, show him your strength.'
Under Renji's lead, Hongou Masamune felt like an awakened monster.
His eyes seemed to glow red.
He pulled back his stance and then hurled the baseball with all his might.
Roaar!!
In an instant, it felt like the atmosphere would collapse around that ball.
The first pitch contained the full strength of Hongou Masamune; he was determined to take down Sawamura.
Sawamura, who was already in a bunting stance, did not retract his bat this time.
Instead, he stayed in his bunt stance, but his body shifted slightly.
He was planning to use a modified version of the Long Bunt!
Instead of sending the ball soaring using the Long Bunt, he was planning to reflect the Super-Fastball as if he was pitching it back from the plate.
This is something Sawamura cannot achieve solely with his own strength; he needs to rely on the rebound of the ball itself. Using the opponent's strong straight ball to force the ball in the desired direction.
'Here it comes!'
The ball was incredibly fast.
Yet in Sawamura's eyes, it appeared crystal clear.
Coming right at him, he swayed his body and drove the bat forward.
When the baseball flew toward him, he met it unreservedly.
Ping!
After the ball was knocked, it did not fly arc like the Long Bunt.
'That arc was too large and easy to catch if you are prepared.'
This was a straight line, a very fast straight line. Like it has been pitched by a pitcher, or shot by a gun.
The first baseman of Komadai who was running to the plate to stop the bust stretched his mitt to catch the ball.
Hongou stretched his mitt to catch the ball too.
But it was in vain!
They both missed perfectly.
Pak!
The ball cleanly dropped behind the first base.
It was a long hit and a very long one at that.
Bunt Gun!
This is the prototype of the Long bunt, the Bunt Gun.
The final bullet that Sawamura had against pitchers with super velocity.
…