Chapter 66: The Koshien Experience

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

Narumiya was Out, and Seidou High School's defense held strong for the final inning.

At this moment, many eyes were on Sawamura Eijun, their admiration shining brightly.

'Amazing!'

'Even when pushed to his physical limit, his performance was still impressive.'

"Why didn't the ball sink just now?" Miyuki wondered.

"Not all of my Moving balls sink; some actually float, where do you think the Moving-up ball came from," Sawamura said with a smug smile.

"Then our next task is to polish the Moving-up ball!" Miyuki said with a grin.

Sawamura Eijun shook his head and did not agree.

Miyuki looked at him, confused.

Sawamura smiled.

"Our next task is to score!"

'Score!'

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Seidou High School began their attack.

'Because of my continuous pitching of breaking balls, my fingers were tired.'

'In this game, it was hard for me to throw more sharp breaking balls.'

Although his physical exhaustion wasn't as severe as others imagined, it still took its toll.

'With my current stamina, if I continued pitching at the same pace, I could only last for another two or three innings at most.' Sawamura had a premonition.

With this level of stamina, winning a playoff game would be impossible. Moreover, considering Inajitsu High School's momentum, it would be difficult for Furuya and Kawakami to handle them.

In this situation, Sawamura could only hold on!

He knew well that his earlier mistake wasn't due to physical fatigue but rather due to his fingers not being as sensitive as before.

But this didn't change one fact.

'If this game went into extra innings, Seidou High School was in real trouble.'

'So, we had to score in this inning, no matter what.'

Coach Kataoka realized this too.

"The task for the first and second batters is very simple: get on base. As long as you get on base, the batters behind you will definitely bring you home!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!!"

To Coach Kataoka's orders, Kuramochi and Kominato responded like soldiers going to battle.

They knew their mission well and were determined to get on base, even if it meant giving it their all.

After saying this, Coach Kataoka turned his attention back to Sawamura and Miyuki.

He had great trust in these two outstanding players.

He believed that if the first two batters got on base, these two would certainly bring them home.

"Let's go!"

On the other side, Inajitsu High School's dugout.

"Due to continuously pitching breaking balls, Sawamura's fingers must be under a lot of strain. Even if his stamina is holding up, his pitching will surely have weaknesses! As long as the game goes into extra innings, we will win!"

With that, Coach Kunitomo focused on Narumiya.

"Right now, your job is to trust the Ace's pitching, support him, and hold the game. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

The tension was palpable on both sides. Their eyes were filled with an unwavering determination not to lose.

"First Batter, shortstop, Kuramochi-kun!"

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Kuramochi was the first to step into the batter's box for Seidou High School.

The game seemed to reset to its starting point.

Kuramochi's gaze was locked on the pitcher's mound.

In his mind, he replayed the performances of his teammates.

'Sawamura, Miyuki, Shiratsu…'

They had performed well; but he, the first batter, had yet to contribute.

'This couldn't continue.'

Sawamura's bravado seemed superficial, but Kuramochi believed that even if Sawamura struggled, he wouldn't collapse easily.

'Still, his stamina was severely taxed.'

As a Senpai and dorm mate, Kuramochi felt he needed to help out.

He decided to bunt!

Just as Kuramochi had this thought, he noticed that Inajitsu High School's fielders had moved five or six steps closer to the plate.

They were in a defensive shift!

'And it was very aggressive.'

The opponent had clearly decided they would not allow him to steal bases.

'Damn!'

'At Seidou, we had learned more than just base stealing.'

Facing the incoming pitch, Kuramochi remained calm.

He did not swing at the first pitch.

"STRIKE!"

He did not swing at the second pitch either.

SNAP!

"BALL!!"

The count was one Ball and one Strike.

In the stands, the audience was astonished.

With the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, the tension was palpable. Not just the players, but even the spectators could feel their hearts pounding.

Despite this, Kuramochi remained remarkably steady, showing no sign of nerves.

"Truly impressive!"

In the stands, Owada Akiko clasped her hands together.

Even she felt incredibly nervous. She hadn't expected Seidou High School's players to stay so calm.

"Players who have performed well at Koshien are not easily intimidated by such scenarios. Kuramochi and Shiratsu, though not as famous as Sawamura-kun and Miyuki-kun, are also key players for Seidou High School. Their Koshien experience has greatly boosted their confidence and composure," Fujio said.

There is a fundamental difference between those who have been to Koshien and those who haven't. This difference is especially noticeable in high-pressure situations.

However, Seidou High School wasn't the only team with Koshien experience.

Although it was a while ago—one year ago—Inajitsu High School also had two players with Koshien experience.

Carlos and Narumiya!

A year ago, they were freshmen who were promoted to the first team and participated in Koshien.

Especially Narumiya Mei!

Even as a freshman, he was already the Ace pitcher at Inajitsu High School.

Kuramochi was calm!

Narumiya was even calmer!

Roaar!

The white ball shot out of his hand like a laser, moving so fast it was almost impossible to react.

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

In the end, Kuramochi was Struck out against Narumiya's Change-up, and there are no boos from the crowd.

Everyone claps for Narumiya and watches Kuramochi with regret.

His bravery and fearlessness are appreciated by many.

After Kuramochi's strikeout, it's Kominato Haruichi's turn to bat.

He's the second batter!

As one of the earliest freshmen selected for the first string, he is somewhat comparable to Sawamura and Furuya.

Although not a mainstay in the previous Seidou lineup, his performance was never inferior. In the few times he batted, he maintained a 100% success rate.

Coach Kataoka considered him something like a secret weapon.

But since the new team was formed, for some reason, his magic seems to have vanished.

In the last three games, his performance has been lackluster. His hit rate is lower than anticipated.

It's not just Kominato; all Seidou players have struggled against these tough opponents. While Sawamura and Miyuki have managed to maintain a hit rate above 30%, most others have fallen below that.

Kominato Haruichi, who was previously highly regarded by Coach Kataoka, is among those struggling.

Coach Ochiai even directly pointed out Kominato's issues.

"Stop using a wooden bat stubbornly. You don't have the necessary strength; you might want to try a metal bat."

Since he's not the Head Coach, Ochiai's comments were quite diplomatic.

In truth, he wanted to say that if he were the coach, he wouldn't let Kominato, who uses a wooden bat, play. Kominato is one of the two players who disapproves of.

'Despite his natural ball sense, using a wooden bat is a waste of such talent,' Ochiai is extremely annoyed to see such talent wasted.

The other player Ochiai disapproves of is Maezono.

If he were the coach, Maezono would have a hard time making the first string, let alone being placed in a core position.

Yes, Maezono's presence in the second string is unmatched.

But that's a far cry from being a first-string player and getting a chance to play.

Despite Coach Ochiai's advice, Kominato Haruichi remains persistent in his approach.

Now facing Narumiya's pitching, he is calm and composed.

He focuses intently on the incoming baseball and swings with all his might!

Paak!

When the bat connects with the baseball, Kominato feels as if his arms were crushed by a truck.

The bat almost flies out of his hands.

The ball, of course, is not hit far.

It's fielded by Inajitsu and thrown to first base.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

Kominato Haruichi stares in disbelief at Narumiya on the mound.

'The game is drawing to a close!'

'But like Eijun-kun, Narumiya never held back!'

'Even after throwing seventy or eighty pitches, his power shows no sign of diminishing.'

On the mound, sweat drips from Narumiya's face, nearly blinding him.

Though he smiles, Narumiya's expression remains calm.

"Surprised?"

'While you bask in the joy of victory, I haven't stopped for a moment.'

Narumiya himself doesn't know how many times he has rehearsed this scene.

He has crawled out of the grave of guilt just for this moment, to avenge his Senpais, teammates, and himself.

Two outs, no one on base.

"Third batter, pitcher, Sawamura-kun!"

In this critical moment, Sawamura Eijun steps up to the plate.

As he stands in the batter's box, the cheering from the crowd seems to fade into the distance, becoming indistinct.

Sawamura has a strong feeling that his at-bat will determine the outcome of the game.

'Has our luck already run out?' Sawamura reflects with a hint of melancholy.

After the summer, everything had been going smoothly.

With this momentum, National-level powerhouses seemed less intimidating—

'Until this game!'

Now, Seidou's players are realizing just what a national-level powerhouse should look like. They are up against a team with a superstar pitcher like Narumiya Mei!

Incredibly fast runners, superb defense, and a smooth lineup…

The fact that this game is so evenly matched is largely due to the efforts of Sawamura and Miyuki. Without their support, Seidou High School would have crumbled long ago.

It is at this moment that Seidou's players fully grasp the gap between themselves and the top players in the nation.

…