Chapter 43 Quater Final (1)

The stadium roared to life as both teams took the field, the atmosphere electric with anticipation. Renjiro and Yamamoto, two seasoned reporters who had covered high school baseball for years, were seated in the stands, soaking in the tension. Renjiro adjusted his glasses, his eyes darting between the field and the stands. "Man, I'm really itching for this game to start," he muttered, his notepad resting on his knee, the pages already half-filled with pre-game notes.

Yamamoto nudged Renjiro and pointed discreetly towards the stands. "Hey, doesn't that guy look familiar?" he asked, nodding towards Hiroshi m, seated alongside his wife Yumi. "Isn't that the guy who knew all about Shinjiro Takumi in the preliminaries?"

Renjiro squinted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, he looks like him…..hmm last time he looked different."

The crowd erupted as both teams lined up, their cheers blending into a deafening sound of excitement. Fans waved banners and clapped thundersticks, creating a sea of color and noise that filled every corner of the stadium. The commentator's voice boomed, "Can Nehimon Seimei continue their reign in the fall tournament? They've won it three consecutive times, but today, Suma Tomogaoka is out for revenge for their last game against them, aiming to take this match and secure their place in the Meiji Jingu Tournament. This is the matchup everyone's been waiting for!"

On the field, Noboru Hayashi adjusted his cap, his fingers gripping the baseball tightly. His heart pounded, but his expression remained calm. He'd been dreaming of this rematch ever since their last encounter—when Seimei snatched victory from Suma with a late-game home run by Kenji Tadeka. Noboru could still remember the sting of that loss, the disappointment of letting his team down. Today, he vowed things would be different.

Kenji Tadeka, Seimei's captain, stepped up to the plate first. His demeanor was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, studying Noboru's every movement. The count quickly moved to 3-2 as Noboru struggled to find his rhythm. The first pitch sailed high, the second too low, and Kenji fouled off two more, prolonging the at-bat. Noboru's shoulders tensed; he was already feeling the weight of expectations.

Masato, Noboru's catcher, crouched behind the plate, his eyes scanning Kenji's stance. He could see the confidence radiating off Seimei's captain, and he knew they couldn't afford to let Kenji get on base. He called for a fastball, hoping Noboru would find his command. Noboru nodded, took a deep breath, and let the ball fly. It veered slightly off course, just missing the inside corner.

"Ball four!" the umpire called.

Kenji didn't hesitate, tossing his bat aside as he jogged to first base, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Noboru clenched his jaw, frustration boiling under his stoic exterior. Damn it he thought, watching Kenji settle in at first. He could feel the weight of the crowd's eyes on him, every set of them scrutinizing his every move.

Kaito stepped up next, his bat held loosely in his hands as he eyed Noboru. On the second pitch, Kenji took off, his cleats kicking up dirt as he sprinted toward second base. The crowd gasped as Kenji slid in safely, his speed turning what should have been a routine steal into a statement. Noboru watched in silent frustration as Kenji dusted himself off at second. They're not holding back huh he thought.

Masato called for a slider, hoping to catch Kaito off guard after the count was 0-2. The pitch was perfect, biting down sharply at the last moment, and Kaito swung through it and struck out. missing completely. Noboru felt a small surge of confidence return. He needed more pitches like that.

But Kazuki, Seimei's right fielder, wasn't so easily fooled. He stepped up, eyes locked on Noboru, and connected on the first pitch—a fastball that didn't have the bite Noboru intended. The ball shot past the infield, bouncing just shy of the outfield grass. Kenji rounded third and slid into home, the umpire's call drowned out by the roaring crowd.

Seimei had scored first, and the momentum was clearly on their side. Noboru gritted his teeth, feeling the pressure mount with every cheer from the opposing fans. He looked over at Masato, who signaled for calm but felt the same urgency. They were already in a hole, and it was only the first inning.

Daiki Seimei's cleanup hitter, took his position at the plate. Coach Nakamura's sign came quickly: swing all the way. Daiki squared up, hit a grounder on the third pitch that went along the base line passing the third baseman. Kazuki sprinted to second. Daiki was safe, and Seimei had runners on the corners with only one out.

From the stands, Renjiro jotted down furious notes, his pen moving rapidly across the page. "Noboru's struggling out there. This isn't the ace we've seen all season," he said to Yamamoto, who nodded in agreement, his eyes locked on the tense scene below.

Noboru sighed, though his grip on the ball felt tighter than ever. He glanced up at the scoreboard—1-0, Seimei's lead. It's just one run. I've got to keep it that way.

Haruto, was next to bat. He stepped into the box with swagger, pointing his bat at Noboru as if daring him to throw. "Bring it!" Haruto shouted, his voice cutting through the din of the crowd. The fans took up the chant, clapping in rhythm.

Noboru could feel his heart pounding, the pressure building. He started Haruto off with three straight fastballs, each one faster than the last. But Haruto's stance remained solid, his swings just missing their mark. The count moved to 2-1, and Masato knew they had to be smart. He signaled for a changeup, hoping to disrupt Haruto's timing.

Noboru nodded, winding up and releasing the ball. The pitch looked like another fastball, but as it neared the plate, it dropped sharply. Haruto swung early, his bat slicing through the air a full second before the ball crossed the plate. Noboru watched with satisfaction as the ball dribbled toward second.

Kazuya, Suma's second baseman, scooped it up smoothly and flipped it to Yamada at shortstop, who pivoted and fired a bullet to Akira at first base. The double play was a textbook execution, shutting down Seimei's momentum and ending the inning. Noboru jogged off the field, his heart still racing but relieved they'd managed to limit the damage.

In the Suma dugout, Coach Fujimoto's expression remained neutral, though his eyes betrayed a mix of concern and determination. "He's shaky, but he pulled it together. We've got to support him out there," Fujimoto said, addressing his players. "Let's get some runs and take the pressure off."

Meanwhile, in the Seimei dugout, Coach Nakamura was all business. "Good job getting on the board, but don't let up," he told his players, his voice calm but firm. "Noboru's off balance. Keep the pressure on him."

Kenji nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "We've got the first run. Now let's go defend our lead."

The crowd settled back into their seats, the tension still thick in the air. Noboru sat on the bench, replaying every pitch in his mind. That wasn't good enough, he thought.

The top of the first inning had been a battle of nerves, a test of composure under the bright lights. Noboru knew this game would be a grind, a constant struggle against not just the batters, but the expectations and doubts swirling in his mind. The crowd, the coaches, the players—everyone was watching, and there was no room for error.

Lineups

Suma Tomogaoka High School

1. Yamada Yagami ( Shortstop)

2. Kazuya Uzumaki (Second Baseman)

3. Masato Luffy (Captain Catcher)

4. Noboru Hayashi(Ace Pitcher)

5. Takeshi Endo (Third Baseman)

6. Riku Tanaka (Left Fielder)

7. Hiroshi Nakagawa (Center Fielder)

8. Shinji Matsumoto (Right Fielder)

9. Akira Suzuki (First Baseman)

Nehimon Seimei

1. Kenji Tadeka - Center Fielder

2. Kaito Nakashima - Shortstop

3. Kazuki Yamashita - Right Fielder

4. Daiki Matsuda - Catcher

5. Haruto Suzuki - First Baseman

6. Shunichi Watanabe - Second Baseman

7. Shota Iwata - Left Fielder

8. Koji Nakamura - Third Baseman

9. Ryoichi Kuroda - Ace Pitcher