One Out, with a runner on second base.
At this moment, it was the turn of Seidou High School's batter, the second hitter, Kominato Haruichi.
As soon as he stepped into the Batter's Box, excited screams erupted from the surrounding female fans.
Many older girls were absolutely smitten with this adorable younger student.
Kominato had a lackluster performance in the previous spring Koshien. Although he was the only player using a wooden bat, generating some buzz, his overall hitting stats weren't impressive. The topic of wooden bats faded away.
This performance was considerably below the expectations for someone in his position as the second batter for Seidou High School.
In today's match, during his previous at-bat, Kominato had also been effectively suppressed by Yasuji Koji, the Ace pitcher of Eigen.
He was overpowered by the opponent's strength.
Whoosh!
This pitch looked exactly like the previous ones—a pure power pitch.
The opponent clearly intended to completely dominate Kominato with pure power.
Paak!
Faced with this challenge, Kominato swung his bat without hesitation.
Though he made contact, the ball didn't take flight.
The white ball skimmed the bat and flew behind the catcher.
"FOUL!"
This scene left the audience in shock.
"Kominato Haruichi seems to be struggling against the opponent's power!"
"There's nothing he can do; their strength is just too overwhelming!"
"It's truly incredible; it seems hard for ordinary players to handle the pitcher of Eigen. Just look at the speed and power of their throws..."
Just watching his pitching gave me a feeling of power.
In such circumstances, it was only natural for Kominato to be suppressed.
Unlike the anxious spectators, Kuramochi, on second base, looked at Kominato with a sense of expectation.
'Now that I've taken Ryo-san's position, you need to show your strength as the second batter! With me on second base, it's your time to shine!'
Kuramochi had never doubted the baseball abilities of the Kominato brothers, whether it was the older brother or the current younger one.
At this moment, the vast majority of people were not optimistic about Kominato's performance. He had created some buzz with his use of a wooden bat, but after failing endlessly, he stubbornly continued using it, leaving spectators puzzled.
They couldn't understand what Kominato Haruichi was so committed to.
As for Haruichi, he paid little attention to what others thought.
He knew that he was physically weaker than the rest of the players, and even if he did his best to improve it, there was a limit to it.
Even if he gave it his all, he would still fall a lot short, and he wouldn't reach high.
Moreover, he knew that batting had more to it than just power.
The accuracy of the swing, the speed of the swing, the angle of the contact, and the type of pitch, are all important factors in hitting too.
He felt that if he changed to a metal bat, he would walk a path he could not excel in, a path he could never be the best at.
"Why is he so obsessed with wooden bats?"
Some players in the Seidou dugout were equally confused.
At that moment, Miyuki's remarks indirectly addressed everyone's doubts.
"Everyone has their reasons for what they do. Kominato likely has his own reasons for this choice."
After forcing Kominato to hit a foul ball, the battery of Eigen High established a clear strategy.
Against a player like Kominato Haruichi, they didn't need to consider anything else. If they could overpower him, then that's what they would do.
If they could get an Out, they would take it.
After determining the pitch strategy, Yasuji Koji, the ace pitcher of Eigen High, focused all his strength on the two fingers he used to throw.
Whrrroosh!
The instant the baseball was released, a faint sound of air being drilled could be heard.
Kominato stood in the Batter's Box, facing a sharp outside corner pitch from the opponent.
He didn't seem flustered.
In fact, he had understood the opponent's plan from the start.
The opponent was still captivated by his own strength, not realizing that it had begun to slightly wane.
That, however, wasn't the most crucial point.
The most important thing was that he had revealed his intention to pitch a Straight ball to the outside.
To maximize the use of the ball's power, the opponent needed to throw an outside corner pitch.
Sure enough, Koji delivered an outside corner pitch.
Haruichi, standing in the Batter's Box, transformed into a fierce devil, with a crimson light flashing in his eyes.
Although he looked fierce, his mind was very calm.
The only thought he had on his head was to hit the ball.
In that moment, he felt as if he had returned to the time of his debut.
The time when he always hit the ball.
The time of the 100% hit rate.
He could see the ball clearly, he could recognize the spin perfectly, and he could track the course accurately.
With a calm head and clear sight of his target, he swung his arm.
His swing rushed with an incredible speed as he swung the bat with precision.
Paaak!
After making contact, the small ball flew high past the first baseman, landing just behind him.
During this process, the first baseman of Eigen High could only barely turn his head.
He could only watch helplessly as the ball sped away.
The hit didn't fly far, just about thirty to forty meters.
But because it fell into this precise location, it turned into a defense-splitting hit!
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kominato dashed to second base.
Meanwhile, Kuramochi, originally on second base, rushed home.
He helped the team score an additional run.
The total score became 3-0.
"In the third inning, Seidou High School, leading the offense, scored additional points through the perfect cooperation of the first and second batters."
"The gap between the two sides has widened to three points."
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
"KOMINATO!"
"KOMINATO!!"
"HARUICHI!!!!"
The fans in the stands were also fired up, cheering loudly.
With the score gap widened to three points, Seidou High was essentially in a secure position unless the opponent suddenly turned the tide.
Even though the game had just entered the third inning, everyone believed the outcome had already been determined.
Little did they know that the game would unfold even faster and more thoroughly than they had anticipated.
Meanwhile, the players of Eigen High School felt a heavy blow when they conceded the third point.
But they had not completely given up.
Desire to fight burned in their eyes.
"As expected from a team that consistently reaches the top 16 in East Tokyo, their fighting spirit is indeed stronger than that of average teams."
Before going up to bat, Miyuki intentionally discussed strategy with Sawamura.
An opportunity to defeat their opponent was at hand.
Whether they could seize it would directly impact Seidou's progress in the spring competition.
A gradual approach was no longer suitable for Seidou.
They were not the team waiting to stage a comeback; they were the National Champions who had already won it all.
There was only one way of fighting that belonged to them.
That was to rely on overwhelming strength to sweep away all opponents in front of them.
This was the third round of the Tokyo Spring Competition and Seidou High School's first match.
To showcase their kingly demeanor, they needed a strong start!
With this determination, Sawamura felt like a terrifying force when he stood in the Batter's Box.
His eyes glowed red, ready to deliver a fatal blow to his opponent.
The situation was one out with a runner on second base.
In the stands, Takuma watched the scene with excitement, murmuring to himself.
"The moment that decides the game has come!"
He didn't believe Seidou High School had secured victory merely with a three-point lead.
But he also thought this inning would likely send Eigen High School into the abyss.
The score was secondary; the key was for the batters to follow.
Now there were runners on base, and the lineup returned to the core third and fourth batters.
That is, Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya.
These two were the top two batters in Seidou High School.
The current score was trivial; Seto Takuma believed the final score would not be limited to this number.
"In this situation, they should consider Walking!" Asada muttered nearby.
"No!" Nishiyama and Yui Kaoru shook their heads almost in unison.
Suddenly addressed by the two upperclassmen made Asada very nervous.
But the two just exchanged smiles, saying nothing more.
Okumura Koushuu also had the same opinion, but he stayed silent. He was focused on Sawamura and was watching his every move.
Eigen High School was like a beast trapped in a cage.
Their downfall was only a matter of time.
In this situation, the beast's options were limited.
It could only fight to the death when the hunter opened the cage to kill it.
If it were lucky enough to kill the hunter, it might have a chance of survival.
Otherwise, death would gradually approach.
The longer the delay, the more dangerous the situation for the trapped beast became.
Eigen High School's situation was quite similar.
Despite not showing much in the previous inning, the gap in strength was clear. If things continued at this pace, it was only a matter of time before Seidou High School won.
Right now, if Eigen High School's battery was unwilling to accept this outcome, they would have to struggle.
Only then could they hope for a turnaround.
They were unlikely to win anyway, so they might as well give it their all.
This was a typical mentality of "If you're already in trouble, you might as well go all in."
With this determination, Eigen High School chose to face Sawamura directly, just as Nishiyama and Yui had predicted.
'Good!'
Sawamura was not surprised by their choice.
Any player with a bit of confidence in their skills would never be content to play a supporting role. They would certainly do their best to win the game.
Eigen High School's Ace might not have performed spectacularly, having given up three runs in three innings.
But his strength was solid; during the first round, most of Seidou High School's batters had nothing against him.
With such a capable pitcher in this situation, it would be strange for Eigen High School's players not to face him head-on.
Sawamura was confident in this.
So, when he saw the white ball flying toward him, he felt no surprise.
Whoosh!
Despite the opponent's intention to confront him directly, the pitch was tricky.
He started with a Ball outside the strike zone.
Naturally, Sawamura did not swing at such pitches.
"BALL!"
He patiently waited for other balls to come his way.
Then, almost in the same spot, another Ball flew over.
Two consecutive Balls were outside pitches.
"BALL!"
Faced with these two balls, Sawamura naturally did not swing his bat, continuing to wait patiently.
For Sawamura, being walked by four balls wasn't a concern; he had Miyuki behind him.
The most important thing was to show strong strength and completely break down Eigen High School's battery mentality.
'Bring it on!!'
Sawamura played his role excellently, exuding an intimidating and daring aura.
'How terrifying!'
That dreadful feeling pressed down on Eigen High School's battery.
This situation made them very uncomfortable, but they had to confront it.
After two probing pitches, the catcher of Eigen High School had given up.
The opponent in front of them was not someone they could defeat through bluffing.
Balls wouldn't solve the problem.
"There's no choice; let's face off!"
Fortunately, they had mentally prepared for this and didn't panic.
After two outside pitches, the catcher positioned the Mitt for an inside pitch this time.
A wide range of inside and outside.
It had to interfere with Sawamura's form to some extent.
Whoosh!
At this moment, Eigen's Ace, Yasuji Koji, still pitched sharply.
It seemed he poured all his strength and soul into every ball.
The pitch was frighteningly fast.
Here it comes!
In the Batter's Box, Sawamura's eyes lit up.
After two Balls, finally, a Strike appeared!
'Good!'
He shouted in his mind and decisively swung his bat.
Ping!
The bat made precise contact with the white ball, sending it flying like a rabbit.
Once hit, it landed beautifully in the defensive gap and soared out.
"Awesome!"
"So Cool!!"
It was a clean hit.
Although Sawamura didn't reach second base, remaining on first, Kominato, who was on second, rushed home, helping the team score.
The total score became 4:0.
This was why the audience cheered.
Such hitting, while not as visually pleasing as a home run, still thrilled the adrenaline.
They were captivated by the confrontation, hearts racing.
"So cool!"
"As expected of the Maou Sawamura."
Sawamura completely ignored the praise from the crowd.
He lowered his head to look at his palm.
There was a slight tingling sensation in his hand.
The last hit must not have connected with the ball's center; otherwise, it would have flown out.
'I missed!'
Sawamura thoughtfully glanced at Koji on the mound.
'This guy was not as simple as he seemed.'
After a round of devastation by Seidou High School's batters, the opponent's strength had not diminished; rather, they appeared to be gaining momentum.
If we didn't take advantage of this opportunity to knock him out quickly, the rest of the game would likely become very annoying for Seidou High School.
'It would be even more troublesome if such a player found his rhythm.'
Miyuki and Sawamura shared the same thought.
...
T/N: The Spring Boy is back!