Chapter 144: Tenacity in the Battle Against Inashiro
After Eijun secured an out against the seventh batter, Hirai, Seidou High School firmly established its early-game lead.
In such a high-stakes final, gaining the upper hand from the outset is a crucial advantage for Seidou.
However, both Seidou and Eijun know well that Inashiro Industrial's lineup won't be suppressed indefinitely.
Once they adjust to Eijun's pitching, it could trigger Inashiro's counterattack. Even in the first rotation, Harada, Inashiro's cleanup hitter, managed to connect with Eijun's pitch for a solid hit, serving as a clear warning for him.
Although Seidou High has a fallback option in terms of a relief pitcher, and even still has their ace yet to take the mound, everyone understands that Eijun, currently in peak form, is Seidou's best option. If even he is figured out, it would leave them in a tough spot regarding a substitute.
Therefore, the ideal approach is for Seidou to solidify their advantage as much as possible before the middle innings.
That way, they'll have more strategic flexibility in the later stages of the game.
But it's unlikely that Narumiya will give them that opportunity so easily.
"Top of the third inning, Seidou High School up to bat. First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi!"
Whoosh!
Crack!
The intensity of this pitch…
In the batter's box, Kuramochi's eyes reveal a flicker of surprise. Has Narumiya powered up even more since the last inning? Or maybe this is him giving it his all now?
Thud!
The ball slams into the ground as Shirakawa, the shortstop, dives swiftly to intercept it, catching it in his glove and making a rapid throw. The white ball streaks through the air, landing firmly in Yamaoka's glove at first base.
Pop!
"Out!"
The transition between pitches was flawless.
With Narumiya's relentless fastballs and precision breaking pitches, Kuramochi barely had a chance to swing, his limited strength unable to fully connect with Narumiya's powerful pitches. After just two pitches, Kuramochi was retired.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato-kun!"
Having given up a run in the first inning, Narumiya is now pitching with a burning intensity against each Seidou batter.
After taking down Kuramochi, he faces off against Ryousuke, a batter known for wearing down pitchers with foul balls.
Narumiya meets him head-on, showing no hesitation.
No matter how tenaciously Ryousuke tries to stay in the count, Narumiya holds his ground, matching him pitch for pitch. The force of Narumiya's fastballs even causes Ryousuke's hands to sting from the impact.
Whoosh!
A fastball down the middle, and Ryousuke is caught off guard.
Pop!
"Strike! Batter out!"
Strikeout without swinging!
With an aura of sheer dominance, Narumiya challenges Seidou with every pitch.
"Third batter, center fielder, Isashiki!"
"After an impressive display by ace pitcher Narumiya Mei, he quickly shuts down Seidou's top two hitters. Now facing him is the third batter, Isashiki Jun, who hit a home run in the first inning. What kind of fireworks can we expect from this showdown?"
"Go, Isashiki-senpai!"
"Mei, take him down!"
"Send it flying, Isashiki-senpai!"
"Let's go, Narumiya!"
"Crush him, Jun-san!"
....
"Damn it! This guy keeps throwing to the corners without giving me a single decent pitch to hit."
Isashiki shot a fierce glare at Narumiya on the mound. Narumiya didn't flinch; he glared back with equal intensity.
After all, it was this guy who had broken his no-runs-allowed streak in this tournament. He was determined to teach him a lesson to vent his frustration.
Fine, if there's no hittable pitch...
Whoosh!
A blazing pitch came in, slicing through the inner corner.
Isashiki's gaze turned icy. It would be a stretch, but he had to connect with it, no matter what!
Whoosh!
Swinging with all his might, Isashiki unleashed a powerful aura that sent a shiver down Harada's spine. His expression changed—was this guy really going to swing at that pitch?
Just as the thought flashed in his mind, the white blur closed in, and the bat connected.
Crack!
The sound was thunderous.
The ball soared high, and Narumiya's eyes widened in shock, as the Seidou High dugout erupted in cheers. However, their jubilation lasted barely two seconds.
In center field, a black figure dashed rapidly under the ball's trajectory. In a perfectly timed leap, Carlos, the center fielder, smoothly caught the incoming ball.
Pop!
"Out! Three outs! Change of sides!"
"Nice catch, Carlos!"
"Amazing, Kamiya!"
"Haha, Carlos, that was pinpoint!"
With his incredible fielding skills, center fielder Carlos had crushed Seidou High's hopes of building momentum.
Isashiki, having barely taken a few steps after hitting the ball, watched as it was caught and reluctantly returned to the bench with a dissatisfied huff.
Narumiya, likewise, let out a smug huff and walked back to his dugout.
Inashiro wasn't satisfied with merely stopping Seidou's offense.
During the bottom of the third, Narumiya and his fielders executed flawlessly, retiring Seidou in order.
Then, in their own turn at bat, Eijun and Miyuki worked together seamlessly, securing two quick outs in just five pitches—one by striking out the eighth batter with a straight pitch and the other by inducing a ground ball from the ninth batter that rolled to third base.
But now, the lineup had cycled back to Inashiro's top order.
Two outs, and up to bat was Carlos, Inashiro's leadoff hitter.
From the very first pitch, Carlos made an all-out effort. Despite Seidou's infielders being on high alert for a bunt attempt, Carlos still managed to swipe the ball with power.
Whoosh!
Crack!
Using his excellent physical skills, he made solid contact, sending the ball over the side of the mound, a spot that caught Eijun completely off guard. Reacting instinctively, Eijun reached out with his glove to intercept, but the ball ricocheted off its edge.
The deflection disrupted the fielders behind him, Kuramochi and Ryousuke, throwing off their defensive play.
"Boom!"
"Safe!"
In that quick exchange, Carlos successfully reached first base, putting Seidou face-to-face with their biggest threat—a runner with incredible speed on base.
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