PAANG!
After the white ball was struck, it zipped through the air like a beam of light, crashing heavily against the fence.
If it weren't for the wall, the ball might have flown right out of the field.
"A POWERFUL HIT THAT DIRECTLY STRUCK THE WALL!!!!! COURTESY OF MAEZONO, THE SIXTH BATTER OF SEIDOU HIGH SCHOOL!!!!"
This thrilling moment made the commentators burst with excitement.
He roared passionately.
He had lost all semblance of professionalism as a commentator and transformed into a fervent fan of Seidou High School.
The catcher from Eigen High School watched this unfold, his eyes completely void of sparkle.
He simply couldn't accept what he was witnessing. Who could explain to him what just happened?
'How could Maezono hit this ball out? Wasn't that his weakest area?'
On the Batter's Box, Maezono tossed his bat and sprinted forward, still yelling in a frenzy.
It seemed as if he wanted to unleash all the pent-up frustration he had been holding inside.
Perhaps the past few days had been too stifling, and he could no longer contain his emotions.
As Seidou High School's fame grew, the weaknesses of its players became increasingly apparent. In almost every game, they found themselves targeted.
Only those who could withstand this pressure, overcome their weaknesses, and still perform under scrutiny could remain in Seidou High School's starting lineup.
After months of silence, Maezono had finally conquered his weaknesses.
Now, he was confident he could hit both inside and outside pitches.
Sawamura was the first to return to home plate, quickly turning to high-five Miyuki behind him.
The two celebrated together, thrilled to have helped their team score two more points.
The score now stood at 6:0.
Unless something unexpected happened, an early end to this game seemed inevitable.
The players from Eigen High School weren't slow to react; they gradually began retrieving the ball and passing it back.
Shiratsu, who had already advanced to third base, silently calculated the timing in his mind.
There was some risk involved, but it wasn't without opportunity.
Without receiving any instructions, this usually steady player suddenly took off running.
He dashed toward home plate like an arrow released from a bow.
"BACK HOME!!!!!!!!"
The moment Shiratsu stole home, the catcher from Eigen High School's eyes were filled with disbelief.
How dare the opponent run in such a situation? Didn't he fear getting thrown Out?
"What's there to fear? If he succeeds, it'll only worsen the opponent's situation. Even if he fails, a score of 6:0 is already enough."
Nishiyama offered a very positive assessment.
The other first-string players were so dazzling that he hadn't even noticed this Senpai before.
He never expected such a powerhouse to be hidden within the team.
Not only was he solid in skills, but his performance was also quite impressive.
Snap!
The ball was thrown back into the catcher's Mitt, and the Catcher of Eigen quickly turned to tag Shiratsu.
But he was too late.
As Shiratsu approached home plate, he slid smoothly, going around to the side.
At the same time, his hand mischievously touched the plate.
"SAFE!!!"
The Third Point!
This was also the seventh point that Seidou High School scored in today's game.
The total score became 7:0.
It's important to note that the game had only just reached the third inning, and the Seidou High School lineup had exploded for five runs.
They had completely pushed the game into high gear.
Maezono, who had hit the timely three-run homer, was so excited that tears filled his eyes.
Fortunately, he had enough composure not to let the tears fall right then and there.
His hit today was simply incredible.
Not only did it extinguish the suspense of the game, but it also showcased Seidou's offensive cohesion.
"SIX IN A ROW!!"
"AMAZING!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
Starting with Kuramochi, moving through Kominato, Sawamura, Miyuki, Shiratsu, and finally Maezono.
Since the beginning of the second round of batting, Seidou High School's hitters had yet to make a mistake.
They demonstrated unparalleled coherence.
"If you want a benchmark for the national powerhouse, Seidou in front of you is undoubtedly the most suitable."
Ever since last year's seniors retired, Seidou High School had been lackluster in its offense. Although strong batters like Sawamura and Miyuki existed, the overall hitting power had not been favored by many.
Now, they were finally witnessing the rebirth of Seidou.
Seidou High School was beginning to show the demeanor of a champion.
"It's incredible! These seniors are simply unbeatable."
Takuma felt a mix of excitement and worry.
Excited because he was thrilled to be part of such a team.
Worried because he felt he couldn't find a place on a team like this.
This was no joke; it was a harsh reality.
"If I want to get promoted in my first year, a freshman must oust one of these outstanding Senpais on the field."
Otherwise, why would Seidou High School not continue using their accomplished students from Koshien and instead opt for freshmen?
"Our opponents have never been weak; didn't we realize this long before joining Seidou?" Okumura remarked.
This game had a tremendous impact on the freshmen of Seidou High School.
As for how much they could learn or feel from this game, that was beyond the school's control.
But one thing was certain: those who could stand out in the future must have gained something from this game.
Let's shift back to the game.
With Shiratsu returning to home plate, Seidou High School had extinguished the last flicker of suspense in the match.
It was clear that Seidou High School's victory was a foregone conclusion. An early win was already expected.
What remained to be seen was whether the fifth inning would be the end or the seventh.
For Seidou, it made little difference.
Facing a team of Eigen High School's caliber, as long as they could end the game early, Seidou High School had demonstrated their strength.
Not to mention, their offense was far from over.
"Seventh batter, outfielder, Toujou-kun!"
Teammates on the field continued to display superb hitting.
Toujou wasn't about to let himself fall behind.
Though he appeared gentle and refined, Toujou's heart was incredibly strong.
Now, Seidou High School has become a nationally renowned pitching kingdom. Toujou, a former pitcher, was reluctant to give up. Yet, he knew that with his pitching ability, it would be challenging to get a chance to play at Seidou High School.
In this situation, if he wanted to keep his position, he could only rely on the bat in his hand.
'No matter what, I will not give up my spot to anyone!'
Even without looking, Toujou knew a group of freshmen in the stands was eyeing his position.
Many of these guys he had faced during middle school.
He was acutely aware of their strength!
The more he understood this, the more unwilling he was to concede his position!
Having trained at Seidou for a year, how could he lose to a kohai who just joined?
Ping!
After the small white ball was hit, it flew out along the sideline and landed, bouncing back...
Toujou made a well-timed hit, and Maezono returned to home plate.
The gap between the two teams widened to eight points.
The score became 8:0.
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!!"
The entire audience went wild.
So far, it has seven consecutive hits.
Such a scene was even rarer than a home run.
They cheered madly for their team, mercilessly sending their opponents to the gallows.
"Eigen High School is changing pitchers!"
In this situation, Eigen High School's Superintendent could no longer hold back and had to replace their Ace.
He did this not because Koji's pitching had faltered, but precisely because Koji had no problems with his pitching.
If something were wrong, a player could bounce back easily after being critically hit.
However, the current pitcher had shown no issues whatsoever.
The only reasonable explanation for this scene was the vast strength gap between the two sides.
This harsh reality would directly shatter the pitcher's confidence.
With just three months until the summer competition began, Eigen High School's Superintendent found it impossible to accept this result.
"The Ace pitcher was replaced? He was doing fine!"
"Yeah, his pitching speed was also very fast, should exceed 140 km/h, and his control was decent..."
"Such a pitcher is rare even in the Tokyo area!"
Seidou High School's supporters excitedly discussed.
They weren't overly praising Yasuji Koji; it was merely a simple comparison.
How could a pitcher of this caliber hold up against Seidou High School?
He had only managed to hold out for one inning, only to be swiftly taken down in the second!
The strength of Seidou High School had long surpassed what ordinary teams could handle.
Even Eigen High School, which had reached the top 16 in Tokyo, found itself outmatched against Seidou High School.
After the relief pitcher took the mound, he performed well and successfully recorded the remaining two outs without allowing Toujou to return home.
The score remained at 8:0.
Immediately after, in the fourth inning
Seidou High School's batting order returned to the top line.
"Hyaa-ha-haa!"
Leading off, Kuramochi fired up the next wave of offense.
He used a somewhat unremarkable hit to reach second base.
The situation quickly changed to no Outs with a runner on second.
Following up were Kominato, Sawamura, Miyuki...
Another barrage ensued, helping Seidou High School score four more runs.
The total score rose to 12:0.
In the top of the fifth inning, Eigen High School, aided by luck and defense, finally managed not to give up any more runs.
The teams maintained a 12-point gap, entering the bottom of the fifth inning.
...