The score on the field became 11-0, and this blow was quite fatal for the freshmen.
Originally, their momentum had been building up little by little, but the Senpais quickly suppressed them with real actions.
As a result, the gap between the two sides did not narrow but grew even larger.
"Time!"
Seeing that their momentum was about to collapse, Okumura had no choice but to call for a time-out and gather all the fielders.
It's unclear how he inspired his teammates, but after the huddle, the faces of the fielders relaxed considerably.
In the Senpais' dugout, Sawamura Eijun shot a disappointed look at Matsumoto from the freshman team, full of frustration.
He couldn't understand what his Kohai was thinking. Matsumoto had completely neglected this crucial moment. Even worse, he had tried to be needlessly clever, failing to demonstrate his strength, and ended up being substituted.
'On the other hand, look at Okumura—his playing skills are top-notch, and he has no trouble communicating with everyone. Whether it's helping pitchers adjust their form or boosting team morale, he's done an outstanding job.'
As long as Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff aren't blind, they won't be able to ignore him.
The rest can easily be guessed.
They'll definitely focus on honing him, at the very least giving him a chance to prove his strength.
Next, Okumura proved himself with his actions. Although they weren't able to stop Takatsu's powerful attack, he used their capabilities to deal with the remaining batters.
In the end, he even completed a double play, getting the Senpai team's batters out in order.
Three outs, defense and offense exchange.
The freshmen held onto the game tenaciously.
The Senpai team demonstrated their strong power, but the freshmen team performed well too.
Both sides must have felt a lot of pressure, trying to figure out how to deal with their opponents next.
Meanwhile, President Ota and coach Ochiai were quietly noting down names.
After the game, some players will definitely be promoted. This right naturally belongs to the head coach of Seidou High School, Kataoka.
As important assistants to Kataoka, they have the obligation and authority to recommend players.
President Ota's list was long, with names like Kawashima, Oka Kenichi, Oushima...
There were also many freshmen on the list.
The most important were, of course, those who performed exceptionally well.
Coach Ochiai's list, however, was much simpler.
It had only three names.
Okumura, Takatsu. The last one was quite unexpected, as it wasn't on President Ota's list.
Kuki Youhei!
They were making records, while the players on the field were fighting hard.
By the bottom of the fourth inning, the freshmen had finally moved up the batting order. Compared to the Senpais' lineup rotation, theirs was like an old horse pulling a cart.
"It's time to fight back!"
Before going up to bat, Okumura specifically told Seto Takuma.
The two of them were the first and second batters in the lineup.
This meant that their offense for this inning started with them.
"Don't worry!"
Seto Takuma had been eager to get started. If Okumura hadn't been by his side, the guy might have done it himself.
He couldn't stop that feeling.
"Alright!"
Okumura never doubted the strength of his friend.
Seto Takuma, with his usual smile, was the first to step into the Batter's Box, and he took the most normal batting stance.
On the pitcher's mound, Kawashima also noticed his odd behavior but didn't think much of it.
When he pitched, he stuck to his usual rhythm.
Whoosh!
The ball flew into the strike zone like an arrow.
'Fast!'
Seto Takuma was secretly surprised.
In fact, there were freshmen before who could hit well, such as Kagami, the fourth batter, and Matsumoto, who was substituted early.
Both were outstanding in batting during regular training.
But when facing Kawashima's pitches, they didn't perform perfectly because of Kawashima's terrifying momentum and ball speed.
Kawashima's pitching carries immense willpower. It's almost like he's showing everyone what real high school-level pitching looks like.
'This is tricky!'
Seidou High School was known as a Kingdom Of Pitchers, and it was originally thought that only the main pitchers of the first string were to be feared.
'Now it seems like we were mistaken.'
Not only do the first string's pitchers strike fear into others, but even those from the second string are equally strong...
'This definitely requires caution.'
On the first pitch, Seto Takuma didn't swing.
He watched helplessly as the ball landed in the catcher's Mitt.
For the next few pitches, he used the same strategy, letting the tricky balls go.
Soon, the count was 2 Balls and 2 Strikes, and the batter was being pressured.
'Let's see where you run next!'
Kawashima was also holding his breath. This freshman in front of him was too cunning, refusing to swing at any tricky balls. It made him uncomfortable as he pitched.
Seto Takuma looked innocent as if he had no idea why his Senpai was so angry.
Still smiling, he waited for the ball to come his way.
Watching the ball fly over, he swung his bat again.
Ping!
After the ball was hit, it rolled out of bounds.
"FOUL!"
Another unproductive ball, rolling out.
This scene surprised the Senpais.
At first, they thought that Seto was only fast, so they were wary of him attempting a bunt. But now, it seemed they had underestimated him.
The opponent wasn't just fast; he also had a great sense of the ball. He easily managed to Foul this ball.
"Tsk!"
Impatience was growing on Kawashima's face as he struggled to deal with the freshman. His frustration was clear.
He tightly gripped the ball in his hand and threw it hard.
Whoosh!
The ball was fast, strong, and precise, heading straight for the edge of the strike zone, aiming for the Mitt.
But faced with this pitch, Takuma still didn't swing.
SNAP!
"BALL!"
Coach Kataoka's voice was a little cold.
Seto Takuma in the Batter's Box had a relieved smile on his face.
"Lucky!"
This behavior directly angered Kawashima.
Whoosh!
Kawashima threw another hard pitch.
This time, Seto Takuma didn't swing either.
SNAP!
"BALL FOUR!!"
Just like that, Seto Takuma was walked to first base.
The Senpais' side became completely silent.
They had actually allowed a freshman to get a four-ball Walk, which was more humiliating than letting a freshman hit a home run.
'It's okay, it's okay, focus on dealing with the batter!'
Sawamura remained calm, but no one knew what was hidden beneath that calm exterior.
On the mound, Kawashima nodded.
This first-year freshman, Seto Takuma, had A-level speed.
He should definitely be watched carefully for any possible base stealing attempts.
In the end, base stealing isn't just about speed.
Position, stance, and timing of the attack...
All these are extremely important factors.
Without extensive practice, speed alone isn't enough.
After taking a deep breath, Kawashima kept his focus on the batter in front of him.
Okumura.
Okumura's presence today had been exceptional, making it impossible to ignore him.
'I'll deal with you first!'
With that decision made, Kawashima pitched the ball.
As he pitched, Seto Takuma on first base began to move.
'Stealing base on the first pitch?'
The spectators were stunned.
They had seen the Senpais do this before, but seeing a freshman pull it off was still surprising.
'You guys really underestimate Kariba!'
Kawashima's eyes were sharp.
His partner, Kariba, was a talented catcher, and his abilities were strong.
Whoosh!
After receiving the ball, Kariba immediately threw it to second.
Snap!
It was only by about two meters difference that Seto Takuma touched second base first.
"SAFE!"
"So fast?"
The shortstop, Takatsu, frowned slightly.
He had a bad feeling.
Originally, there was a runner on first base, but now there was a runner on second base.
This made Kawashima, the third-year pitcher, look very upset.
But there was nothing he could do—the new runner had still appeared.
The audience around them were getting excited.
"Finally, some freshmen are starting to get on base!"
"Let's capitalize and score now!"
"By the way, that guy's speed is incredible. He ran to second base in the blink of an eye."
The audience's chatter sounded like flies buzzing around their ears.
For Kawashima, who was already in his third year, this was his last chance to prove himself. If he didn't achieve results that satisfied Coach Kataoka in today's game…
Then his high school baseball career might very well be over.
Although staying on the second-string team would still allow for some practice games, for someone like Kawashima, who had never tried pitching in Koshien, that would never be enough.
He still wanted to experience the glory of Koshien!
He had to get back into the first string!
Not only for himself but also for countless teammates who were just like him.
How many of Kawashima's teammates at Seidou were silently working hard in places that no one could see?
'No need to worry—just throw the breaking ball!'
Before, in the Spring Koshien, only 18 players could be on the bench. Therefore, Kawashima had unfortunately temporarily withdrawn from the first-string team.
In the days that followed, in order to return to the first string, he worked hard to perfect a special pitch.
Originally, he had planned to use it to challenge the first string, but now, if he didn't use it, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to challenge them.
Whoosh!
Having made up his mind, Kawashima immediately threw his trump card.
It was a low-course Slider!
The small ball descended like a shooting star.
Okumura, standing in the Batter's Box, chose to let it go because he had never seen Kawashima throw such a breaking ball before.
Watching the small ball fly toward him…
After the ball entered the batter's area, it suddenly changed direction. It slid to one side, as though it is a drone controlled by a remote.
Preparing to catch the ball, Kariba, the catcher, couldn't react in time. He quickly adjusted his Mitt's position, trying to intercept the ball.
'NOW!!"
At almost the same moment, Seto Takuma, who had already reached second base, had his eyes light up.
It was as if he had suddenly switched on a switch and took off toward third base!
'So fast!'
This guy went from standing still to accelerating, with hardly any delay!
In the blink of an eye, he was already near third base.
Behind the catcher's position, Kariba missed the catch. The ball flew behind him.
When he picked up the ball and came back, Seto Takuma had safely reached third base.
Kariba was stunned.
'Can someone tell me what just happened?'
…