Chapter 78: First Battle Victory
Bottom of the Second Inning, Seidou High School's lineup cycled through completely, and Eijun stepped up to the plate for the second time in this inning.
Due to their considerable lead, Coach Kataoka let the players take the initiative. Eijun successfully hit a single to left field, securing another RBI.
After substituting their ace, the opposing team barely managed to disrupt Seidou's batting order, yet the daunting nine runs on the scoreboard were glaring and daunting.
By this point, most of Maimon West High School's players showed expressions of deep discouragement.
At the top of the third inning, facing the lower batting order, Eijun took a more relaxed approach, quickly securing three outs.
Three innings with no hits, no walks, and no runs allowed.
Eijun's outstanding performance utterly broke Maimon West High School's fighting spirit.
In the bottom of the third inning, Seidou showed no signs of easing up.
During Seidou's third turn at bat, they demolished the opposing ace once more.
Though not as dramatically as in the previous inning, they still racked up five more RBIs.
The run difference swelled to a staggering fourteen. Without a doubt, Seidou was aiming for a mercy-rule victory.
"Nice pitching. Next inning, go and cover left field," Coach Kataoka said to Eijun after Seidou's offensive push ended in the third inning.
"Yes, Coach," Eijun nodded lightly.
Given the situation, it was evident the goal of enforcing a mercy-rule victory was within reach.
Eijun had successfully started the game, so further play wasn't necessary.
The remaining innings would be better used letting other pitchers adjust to game conditions and rhythm.
"Tanba, you're on next inning. Seal the deal for two innings. As our ace, you can handle that, right?"
Coach Kataoka looked at Tanba, speaking sternly.
"Yes, Coach." Tanba had been eagerly waiting on the sidelines. Upon hearing Coach Kataoka's call, he promptly stood up and responded loudly.
As mentioned before, the rest of this match could easily be considered garbage time.
The reality was, putting the experienced ace on the mound wasn't so much about closing the game but rather giving Tanba a chance to familiarize himself with the game atmosphere.
Whether Seidou switched players or not made no difference to Maimon West High School by this point.
In the fourth and fifth innings, after Eijun swapped to left field, Tanba took the mound and maintained a stable performance, suppressing Maimon West's top six batters.
The relay from Eijun to Tanba resulted in five innings of complete dominance, without walks, hits, or runs allowed.
During their turn at bat, Seidou exploded once again, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the top of the fifth inning, Tanba secured the final out.
"Game over!!!"
"Salute!"
"Thank you for the match!!!"
The difference in the tone of the umpire's call and the shouts from both teams marked the conclusion.
The summer tournament's first game for Seidou High concluded on a perfect note. With a four-inning offensive wave, they triumphed emphatically, 21-0.
First victory secured!!!
"Wow, watching Seidou play really is a treat with that powerful lineup."
"Yeah, it's incredible. Scoring 21 runs in four innings is rare anywhere in the country."
"Plus, our pitching has become much stronger."
"Tanba looks really stable."
"First-year, that kid called Sawamura, right? His pitching is pretty impressive too."
"Haha, it's rare to see a first-year with such control."
"And then there's Kawakami, and that first-year hailed in the Kanto tournament as a power pitcher, Furuya Satoru."
"It feels like we have a real chance this year."
"Yeah, I agree."
After the game ended and both teams began packing their gear in the dugout, preparing to leave the field, spectators in the stands started discussing the victorious Seidou High School.
As for Maimon West High School, they were quickly forgotten.
One of the harsh realities of sports competitions is that people often remember only the winners, not the losers.
Seidou High School's reputation has been built upon continuous victories.
However, due to past failures, their national reputation had begun to wane, leaving them still recognized as strong in Tokyo and the Kanto region.
But if their situation were to continue for another two to three years, Seidou High School might fade into oblivion amongst ordinary teams, even within Tokyo—a scenario they hoped to avoid at all costs.
Apart from the general audience, the stands were populated with scouts from various strong teams in the West Tokyo area, diligently taking notes and recording videos to prepare for upcoming matches.
Among the crowd, in the shadowy corner of the west stands, a tall figure leaned against a stone pillar, carefully trimming his nails. Through his glasses, his eyes carried a hint of seriousness as he watched the departing Seidou players.
This person was not just anyone but You Shunshin, the ace and foreign player from Akikawa High School, Seidou's third match opponent in the summer tournament's fourth round from the original story.
He was known as the pitcher with the best control.
"Indeed, this team's batting lineup is extremely formidable. If we can't suppress their hitters, victory is unattainable," You Shunshin mused.
"We also need to be mindful of their ace in good form, as well as that first-year with good control, the sidearm second-year who closes games, and lastly, that first-year power pitcher from the Kanto tournament isn't much of a threat. Speed alone doesn't matter; the focus should be on their ace."
Even though it was only the second round, and Seidou's clash with Akikawa High School was in the fourth round, You Shunshin, being cautious by nature, came to watch Seidou's game as soon as his match ended.
For him, no opponent was unbeatable, not even Seidou High School.
You Shunshin harbored no fear or intimidation.
There's no team that can't be defeated.
"Seidou is indeed strong," remarked Sekiguchi, Akikawa's catcher accompanying Shunshin. "Their pitching depth and powerful lineup truly make them one of the top three prestigious teams in West Tokyo."
"Seidou is eventually an opponent we'll face, but that's a matter for the fourth round. Right now, we must focus on preparing for the third round," You Shunshin said as he adjusted his glasses.
"Indeed," Sekiguchi agreed with a nod.
"Let's go. In a few days, it's the third round," You Shunshin said lightly, casting one last deep look at the blue and white figures in the first base dugout before striding off, leading the way.
His eyes flashed with a sharp glint, revealing the fierce demeanor of this ace pitcher.
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