At the end of five innings, Seidou High School and Inajitsu High School were evenly matched.
The performances of the two backup pitchers, Kawakami and Hirano, were impressive.
Thus, the game moved to the sixth inning.
In the top half of the sixth inning, the first to attack were the top batters from Inajitsu High School.
This was a prime opportunity for Inajitsu to strike. However, Seidou High School's pitcher Kawakami was no ordinary opponent, and Inajitsu's batters found it challenging to conquer him in a short time.
On the other side, Seidou High School's lineup had just reached their sixth batter, Maezono.
This meant that the upcoming batters were from the lower half of Seidou's lineup.
The lower batters of Seidou included the seventh-ranked Toujou, who had some potential, while the other two were not particularly impressive.
From these clues, one might assume that the sixth inning would be insignificant.
However, the reality was the opposite; this inning would directly influence the outcome of the game.
Before the inning officially began, no one paid much attention to this crucial moment—except for the two players involved in the game.
The game continued.
"First batter, center fielder, Kamiya-kun."
The first batter for Inajitsu High School was the young player Carlos.
As he stepped into the Batter's Box, he appeared casual and indifferent.
He swung his bat lightly, showing no intention to attack.
"Don't underestimate him due to his nonchalant attitude; he's quite a troublesome player," Miyuki warned Kawakami cautiously from the mound.
Kawakami was aware of the stakes and wouldn't take Carlos lightly.
Carlos was a national-level star player who had attracted the attention of many professional teams long before entering Koshien.
For a batter of his caliber, there could be no weak spots in the strike zone.
This meant he could hit from any position.
'To deal with such a batter, one needed to be exceptionally careful.'
'The control had to be precise, and the pitching rhythm must be maintained.'
Whoosh!
Receiving the sign from Miyuki, Kawakami delivered a clean pitch.
Carlos, still looking relaxed, did not swing at the first ball.
He simply watched as the small ball flew past and landed in Miyuki's Mitt.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!"
'This pitcher is amazing too.' Carlos grinned widely, revealing his teeth.
It was just a year ago that Seidou High School struggled with a lack of pitching strength. Now, merely a year later, they had become a kingdom of pitchers.
With the legendary Ace Sawamura Eijun, the monster pitcher Furuya known for his blazing speed, and the versatile Kawakami, they faced formidable competition in West Tokyo.
'It's quite unfortunate,' Carlos thought. 'But we won't let you guys have it easy!'
Ping!
When the second pitch came, Carlos hit the ball hard.
Although it wasn't a long hit, the place was clever, threading through the gaps in the defense.
Carlos's fast legs propelled him forward, reaching top speed in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, he was at second base.
"Wow, just a single hit, and he's already at second?"
Facing such a player could be intimidating for anyone. With no outs and a runner on second, the pressure was palpable.
Shirakawa took his place at the plate, looking aggressive and ready to swing. Meanwhile, Carlos, not content to remain idle, took off for third as Kawakami prepared to pitch.
He sprinted like a whirlwind, quickly approaching third base.
His speed was impressive, but Seidou High School's response was equally swift.
Seeing Carlos attempt to steal third, Miyuki was ready.
As he caught the ball, he adjusted his body and swiftly threw it to third base.
The throw landed perfectly at Kanemaru's feet.
SNAP!
With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Kanemaru caught the ball without needing to adjust his stance and tagged the sliding Carlos.
"OUT!"
This sequence of events unfolded in a matter of seconds, marking the end of an intense confrontation.
The audience watched intently until the dust settled, and only then did they react.
"Wow, that catcher is unbelievable!"
"The timing on that steal was flawless!"
"That guy ran so fast; I thought he was a sure thing to be safe!"
"Miyuki Kazuya is truly remarkable!"
"What was his reaction time just now?"
"1.62 seconds."
"No way! Are you kidding?"
"With this, even those veterans in professional baseball can't ignore him!"
"Have you been living in a dream? Many were already reaching out to Seidou before this."
"But that third baseman cooperation was flawless too."
"Right? I also noticed he was doing well in defense in this game."
"What is his name?"
"Kanemaru Shinji? I have heard of that name before."
"He was a talent player in middle school, from the same club as Toujou Hideaki."
As the audience buzzed with excitement, the players on the field felt a chilling wave of depression.
Carlos stared in shock at Miyuki behind the plate.
'This guy!'
He hadn't expected his sudden steal attempt to fail after appearing so composed earlier.
'Miyuki had never let up on his vigilance.'
With one Out and no one on base, thanks to Miyuki's perfect play, Seidou High School had turned the tide.
They were poised to make further efforts to secure the remaining two outs.
However, things did not go as planned.
"BALL!"
"Walk to base."
After Carlos was tagged out attempting to steal, Shirakawa successfully drew Four balls and reached base.
"Idiot! If you can't get on base, just stay put! You think I won't send you back?" Narumiya grumbled about Carlos before stepping onto the field.
"Enough already! You're getting more and more noisy," Carlos shot back.
The frustration was palpable as Narumiya glared at Shirakawa.
With Kunitomo's cold gaze on him, Narumiya shrugged helplessly and stopped complaining.
As he stepped into the Batter's Box, he took an aggressive stance, ready to swing with all his might.
Even Miyuki felt the pressure from this stance.
He signaled Kawakami to throw a straight ball.
This pitch would be more powerful, and it would help set up Kawakami's breaking ball.
A straight ball was also a necessary precursor.
Ping!
And it was this straight ball that Narumiya cleanly sent flying.
The ball kept hovering all the way to the outfield stand where it had fallen.
A home run!
A two-run home run!
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!!"
"ANOTHER ONE!!!!"
"YEAAAAHHH!!!"
"THIS GAME IS NUTS!!!"
"AWESOME!!"
What is the most thrilling thing on a baseball field?
In other words, what stirs the audience's adrenaline, making them forget reason and cheer wildly?
Without a doubt, it's strikeouts and home runs.
How many strikeouts occur in a game? It's hard to say—it entirely depends on the pitcher's ability.
For example, if the pitcher on the mound is Narumiya Mei or Sawamura Eijun, strikeouts become a regular occurrence. If either of them pitches a game without racking up at least ten strikeouts, they would feel embarrassed.
The fearsome star players aren't just boasting; their records speak for themselves.
Compared to the common strikeout, home runs are even more exhilarating because they happen less frequently.
However, today's game is different, with several home runs hit throughout.
This is destined to be a historic match.
And the players' performances fully deserve this honor.
"INASHIRO!"
"INASHIRO!!!"
"NARUMIYA!!"
"MEI!!"
"NARUMIYA!!!"
The fans of Inajitsu High School were as excited as if they had taken a drug.
At the start of the game, they were down by two points. They had just tied it and now had taken the lead.
Nothing could excite them more than this.
Even Kunitomo, their usually stoic coach, wore a softer expression.
Although the game wasn't over yet, they were gradually taking control.
Now, it was up to Seidou High School to respond.
With Narumiya Mei's two-run homer, the score was pulled apart again, but this time, Inajitsu High School was in the lead.
The score was 5-3, with Inajitsu High School leading by two points.
In Seidou High School's dugout, everyone looked grim.
Coach Kataoka had stated beforehand that Sawamura wouldn't pitch today.
But given the current situation, it seemed they would be in serious trouble if he didn't step in.
A two-point difference was manageable, and their opponent's pitcher, Hirano, was nearing his limit. Taking him down was just a matter of time.
The key issue was the mound.
If the mound became a weak point, then no matter how many runs they scored, it would hardly matter.
'You have to hold on, Nori.'
From his position as a catcher, Miyuki carefully observed his partner on the mound.
Though two first-year players had emerged impressively, Miyuki had also noticed Kawakami's hard work during this time.
'Trust your pitching, Nori. You can do this.'
On the mound, Kawakami Nori was breathing heavily.
'Watching Furuya and Sawamura pitch against Inashiro before, I hadn't realized the immense pressure they faced.'
'I didn't expect it to be this intense!'
'Facing the top-level teams in the nation, and even the strongest dark horse teams, was daunting.'
'Almost every opponent encountered at Koshien held this level of strength.'
Previously in Tokyo, they had also faced Inajitsu High School, but Kawakami hadn't pitched in those games.
So this was his first real showdown against Inajitsu.
Only after actually facing them did he fully comprehend the terrifying strength of his opponents.
It's frightening!
'Sawamura, have you always faced such pressure?'
'Have always held down these monsters?'
'Who can truly appreciate the burden of an Ace pitcher without standing on the mound themselves?'
At this moment, images of winter training appeared in Nori's mind.
Just thinking about it filled him with determination.
'We have come this far, we can't back down now.'
'There was no turning back— that option was lost long ago!'
Whoosh!
With renewed resolve, Kawakami unleashed his sharpest pitch.
Ping!
Inajitsu High School's cleanup hitter, Yamaoka, made solid contact.
"FOUL!!"
The ball flew foul.
After confirming it had landed out of bounds, Seidou's supporters breathed a sigh of relief.
How terrifying!
The oppressive aura from the opponents felt like it could swallow them whole.
Yamaoka, Inajitsu's fourth batter, truly lived up to his reputation.
Though he swung with all his might, he wasn't particularly good at hitting breaking balls. But he didn't need to connect perfectly; a slight touch would send the ball flying.
Such ability is something the average player could never match.
Pak!
"FOUL!!"
Two consecutive foul balls flew out of bounds.
From a momentum perspective, Inajitsu's fourth batter seemed stronger.
However, Yamaoka didn't see it that way.
'This is tough…'
He preferred straightforward pitches like those from Furuya Satoru.
Kawakami's breaking balls, which curved toward the edges, were challenging for him.
Ping!
On the final pitch, Yamaoka managed to keep the ball in the field, but he wasn't happy.
At third base, Kanemaru was ready, eagerly opening his mitt to catch the high-fly ball.
Snap!
"OUT!!!"
After Narumiya Mei hit his home run, Kawakami didn't let the opponent's momentum intimidate him; instead, he showcased remarkable determination.
In the end, the score remained 5-3.
Although Tadano fought hard and got a hit, their sixth batter, Yabe, struggled.
After hitting the ball, it landed right in front of shortstop Kuramochi.
"Hyaa-ha-haa!"
It was as if a cheetah suddenly awakened.
Kuramochi dashed forward, scooped up the ball, and sent it to first base.
"OUT!"
Three Outs and the offense and defense switched.
By now, the situation on the field had completely flipped.
Inajitsu High School, initially at a disadvantage, not only tied the game but also completed a comeback in this inning.
In contrast, the Seidou High School baseball team faced a dire situation, with their chances dwindling.
The score gap had widened to two points.
Under such circumstances, the game entered the second half of the sixth inning.
In Seidou High School's dugout, a group was discussing offensive tactics.
Coach Ochiai stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "The opponent is clearly avoiding confrontation with Sawamura and Miyuki."
This was obvious; after two consecutive innings, any time those two came to bat, the opponents chose to walk them.
"Thus, there are only two ways to break through: either the other players score runs, or we fill the bases before these two get their turn."
Coach Kataoka nodded and then turned to the batters who were about to step up.
"You all heard what Coach Ochiai said, right? I won't waste words. There's only one goal: get on base as much as possible."
"Yes!"
Clearly, Coach Kataoka was adopting the second strategy.
That meant filling the bases before Sawamura and Miyuki had their turn.
But while it sounded easy, executing it was far from simple.
…