Only one more Out to go!
For Sawamura Eijun, today's game meant he was just one out away from completing his task.
Miyuki offered him two options.
One was a clean strikeout of the batter, and the other was to use his Moving Ball.
Both methods had their pros and cons. Naturally, as a grand finale for his pitching today, striking out the batter seemed more impressive at that moment.
However, Sawamura decisively rejected this tempting proposal.
For him, as long as he could secure the Out, the method didn't really matter.
Another consideration was the flow of the game. If he continued with the Moving Ball now, it would surely give the opponent the impression that he would keep using it.
That is, Sawamura would continue to pitch!
Based on his usual habit, in the final pitches, he always relied on his Breaking Ball to secure strikeouts.
The scouts from Bunkyo High School likely understood this very well.
So, if Sawamura opted for the Moving Ball it would definitely leave the impression that he would continue to use it, increasing the mental pressure on the opponent.
As his best partner, Miyuki quickly grasped Eijun's intent and offered support.
"Your personality is really terrible!"
Yet, he still couldn't help but complain.
Though Sawamura didn't hear Miyuki's complaints, he could guess what he was expressing just by looking at his mumbling lips.
"I don't want you to say that!"
When it comes to a terrible personality, who in the entire Seidou High School baseball team could compare to Miyuki? He truly was someone whose bad character had left him friendless.
In contrast, Sawamura was quite popular.
The game continued!
Whoosh!
Sawamura threw the ball cleanly.
To be safe, this time he didn't use the ordinary Moving Ball; he went straight for the modified version.
After all, the opponent standing in the Batter's Box was no pushover.
Aoki Sugimoto!
He was also a core player at Bunkyo High School.
Though he wasn't the ace pitcher, he was undeniably the strongest player on the current team.
Definitely not someone to take lightly!
As the ball approached home plate, it suddenly curved.
Ping!
Aoki didn't let the pitch go and swung his bat.
The ball was hit and rolled out of bounds.
"FOUL!"
Aoki's expression turned extremely grim.
Even from the Batter's Box, he could clearly feel the break in the baseball. The most frightening part was that the ball didn't break until it was right in front of him.
Looking at Sawamura on the pitcher's mound with heavy eyes, Aoki's expression tightened further.
He had to admit that Sawamura's prowess far exceeded his expectations.
'Even the Moving Ball that Sawamura regularly used had an incredibly terrifying effect and power.'
Hitting such a ball was no easy feat.
Whoosh!
Before he could think too much, the second ball flew over again.
Ping!
Once again, the ball was sent flying out of bounds.
Aoki's face turned even darker than before.
'The ball Sawamura threw just now had a bigger break than the previous one.'
Now, Aoki looked at Sawamura as if he were a hedgehog covered in spikes.
There was nowhere for him to hit!
Two Strikes, The batter was chased!
In this situation, Sawamura Eijun the third pitch for the kill.
According to his usual game-calling rules, after two consecutive oddballs were hit out of bounds, he would have to use his winning shot.
But this time, for the sake of the next game going smoothly, Sawamura deliberately eased up and used a Straight ball.
Whoosh!
After two Moving Balls in a row, facing the Straight ball that suddenly had no break made it hard for the batter to connect.
Ping!
In fact, Sawamura Eijun's choice was not wrong. Aoki Sugi truly lacked the ability to hit this ball well; he could only awkwardly sweep at it.
After the ball was hit, it rolled in front of the first baseman.
This forced Maezono to rush forward to catch the ball, leaving first base open.
'Chance!!'
Though somewhat coincidental, it was indeed a good chance.
At that moment, Aoki no longer hesitated and sprinted towards first base.
The next batter behind him was Jack April!
As long as he could reach base, they had a chance to score.
Though the name 'Maou' is powerful, it doesn't mean he hasn't let in runs. As long as they had a chance to get on base, there must be a chance to score.
Such a thought might be a bit naive, but they had to hold on to it.
Because if they didn't think this way or take action, they wouldn't have any chance at all.
Aoki sprinted to first base, while Maezono's body staggered past him, a trace of annoyance flashing in his eyes.
He will need time to return to first base, which means he will be late for first base.
"Give me the ball!"
Suddenly, a voice called out.
Without hesitation, Maezono completely trusted the voice. He had just picked up the ball and, unable to see clearly, threw it over.
SNAP!
Sawamura ran to first base while catching the ball with his mitt.
The distance between him and Aoki Sugi at first base was nearly identical.
They could only race to see who was faster.
Sawamura's expression remained unchanged.
Aoki put all his strength into his run.
In the end, Sawamura stepped onto first base just ahead of Aoki.
"OUT!"
The umpire at first base was momentarily stunned before he remembered his duty.
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange!
In the top of the seventh inning, Sawamura once again delivered a perfect three up, three down.
Though the process was a bit more tortuous than before, the result was still flawless.
Aoki gasped heavily.
It was just a normal distance to first base, but he had exerted all his strength.
His gaze toward Sawamura was filled with complex emotions.
There was admiration, fear, and a hint of relief…
And just like that, the bottom of the seventh inning began.
Seidou High School was on the offensive.
Ping!
As the bat hit the ball, Kanemaru felt as if his arms were about to break.
'So heavy!'
Up to this point, their previous tactics had gone smoothly. Though they hadn't achieved many hits, they had forced the opponent to throw nearly a hundred pitches.
But even after nearly a hundred pitches, Jack April on the mound still appeared vigorous.
There was no sign of a drop in pitch speed or power.
SNAP!
The hit baseball was caught by Jack April.
"OUT!"
One Out, no one on base.
Aoki glanced thoughtfully at the annoyed Kanemaru.
'Now even the lower-tier batters of Seidou High School could accurately catch April's pitches!'
Though on the surface, April's pitch speed and power seemed unchanged, the reality was likely different.
'The situation is more unfavorable than before!'
It's not an exaggeration to say that it's worse.
On the other hand, the Seidou High School baseball team was more focused than ever.
Kings!
To make it to the end at Koshien, these players had a top-notch mentality and experience.
The longer the game dragged on, the clearer the gap between the two sides became.
'We must speed up the pace of the game!'
"Ninth batter, outfielder, Nishiyama-kun."
It was Nishiyama, Seidou's ninth batter, turn.
Seeing Nishiyama Kibo step into the Batter's Box, Aoki dared not be as careless as in the previous two rounds.
'So annoying.'
Just thinking about Coach Kataoka of Seidou placing such a player in the ninth position made him feel uncomfortable.
'However, no matter how good they are at setting traps, they could only pull that trick once.'
Once they got serious, those little tricks wouldn't work.
'Just be careful!'
He signaled his pitcher to be cautious.
Then he decisively squatted in the catcher's position and opened his Mitt.
"I won't trip over the same rock twice!"
April didn't need Aoki's reminder at all.
It was one thing for him to be tricked by Seidou's players once; if it happened repeatedly, that would truly be a problem for his intelligence.
This time, he had to be careful.
Whoosh!
The ball shot like a laser beam, instantly crossing 18 meters to land precisely in Aoki's open Mitt.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!"
Nishiyama in the Batter's Box was completely stunned as if he were in a daze.
'Humph!'
Aoki Humph inwardly.
'No matter how great his reputation had been before, Nishiyama was just a first-year freshman.'
Though he had to admit this freshman was quite powerful, challenging the top pitcher at his current level was still a bit naive.
'Continue!'
'Just like that, let him experience the horrors of high school baseball.'
Seeing Aoki's signal, April nodded slightly and decisively pitched.
Whoosh!
The ball was like a laser, sharp and frightening.
Nishiyama gritted his teeth, swung his bat, and barely made contact with the ball.
Ping!
The ball rolled out of bounds after being hit.
"FOUL!"
In the blink of an eye, Nishiyama, who had previously gotten a hit, was now down to two Strikes.
Jack April's momentum was growing stronger.
"Die!"
He gave Nishiyama no breathing room and pitched the third ball directly.
In the Batter's Box, Nishiyama's expression gradually returned to calm without him even realizing it.
'If it were at the beginning of the game, I truly couldn't hit such a strong pitch. But now, that might not be the case.'
After tangling with the opponent for two pitches, facing the third ball, Nishiyama didn't shrink back like before but charged forward unreservedly.
Ping!
The ball, after being struck, drew a perfect arc, soaring over the head of the shortstop.
Pak!
The baseball hit the ground and passed through the defenses of the two outfielders.
With this hit, Nishiyama dashed confidently to second base.
One Out, a runner on second base!
…