Chapter 41: Pushing Ahead

As the three bantered in the dugout, the situation on the field changed once more.

Maezono, the sixth batter, executed a bunt.

Ping!

The white ball was hit and rolled out.

Seizing the opportunity, Shiratsu advanced to third base.

"Really decisive!" Fujio in the stands commented sincerely.

Seidou's aggressiveness and chance of exploiting was beyond expectations. Even with a slight advantage, they remained incredibly aggressive.

For instance, despite being ahead 1-0, they continued to push forward without hesitation if there was a chance to score.

They avoided taking unnecessary risks and pushed forward steadily.

Their opponents, a national powerhouse with excellent defense, could easily thwart dangerous plays.

Failing to score despite having an advantage could lower Seidou High School's morale.

Conversely, steadily accumulating runs and gradually wearing down their opponents could establish a strong advantage.

"Quite impressive!"

Initially, it was thought that Coach Kataoka would show different growth after the summer of Koshien.

Instead, he had embraced his style even more thoroughly.

No matter the glow, winning was what mattered.

Coach Kataoka likely believed that their style was more likely to lead to victory.

Not wasting any opportunity to get on base was very much aligned with Seidou High School's current lineup.

With one Out and a runner on third base, it was Toujou's turn to bat.

Ping!

A hit-and-run!

How to score with a runner on third base?

Seidou players were well-acquainted with this.

Toujou and Shiratsu worked in perfect harmony.

"SAFE!"

Although Toujou was Out, Shiratsu made it home successfully.

They combined to score the second run.

With the score at 2-0, Homei became desperate to recover the score, but the more desperate they were, the harder it was to handle Sawamura's fastballs.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Even as they adjusted to Sawamura's pitching rhythm in the later innings, hitting his powerful fastballs remained challenging.

Sawamura continued to dominate with his fastballs, shutting down Homei in the five inning two.

In the past five innings, no one from Homei had a hit, scored, or even reached base.

Sawamura also racked up nine strikeouts.

The Demon King proved his reputation.

On the other hand, Seidou launched a sharp offensive.

At the bottom of the fifth, with a two-run lead, Seidou adjusted their strategy.

They no longer just pushed forward and took chances when opportunities arose.

In the fifth inning, Kuramochi, Haruichi, and Sawamura got consecutive hits led to a run and runners on base.

Miyuki, batting fourth, finally showcased his worth with a timely hit, sending Haruichi and Sawamura home getting three runs in that inning.

In the following sixth inning, Toujou reached base, and Asou added another crucial hit.

By the end of the sixth inning, Seidou High School had amassed a total of 6 runs.

With a commanding 6-0 lead, they approached the remaining three innings.

In the seventh inning, Sawamura was substituted.

This substitution was thorough—he didn't even stay in the outfield but went straight back to the dugout.

Kawakami took over the pitcher's mound.

Against Koshien's formidable opponents, preserving Sawamura's stamina was crucial for Seidou.

Coach Kataoka's approach was understandable.

"Did Sawamura-kun really get substituted out?" Akiko Owada in the stands stared in disbelief.

If her memory served her right, this seemed to be the first time Sawamura had been substituted in an official game.

"This move indicates that Seidou High School now has absolute confidence. Even without Sawamura-kun, they can still secure victory," Fujio said, focusing on the dugout.

'Whether this was good for Sawamura was hard to say.'

But for Seidou High School, it was undeniably a great development.

It signified that Seidou High School had indeed progressed.

In some ways, it was even better than their previous performance.

In the past, Seidou High School relied too heavily on Sawamura's strength.

Although Sawamura is very powerful, depending solely on him limits the team's overall strength, no matter how strong the team is.

For Seidou High School to advance further, other players need to step up.

It seems that Coach Kataoka has already realized this.

That's why he chose this moment to substitute Sawamura.

Fujio glanced seriously at Seidou High School's dugout, unsure if he was looking at Sawamura Eijun or Kataoka.

He then busily wrote numerous notes in his small notebook.

The game on the field continued.

Of course, this wasn't Kawakami's first time pitching at Koshien. During Seidou High School's previous dominance, he was also one of their rotation pitchers.

With his experience, he should be able to perform steadily.

That's what Kataoka thought.

At this point, Seidou High School had established an absolute advantage.

Given this situation, as long as Kawakami could perform steadily, suppressing the opponent should be no problem.

But unexpectedly, Kawakami, who had just taken the mound, was a bit nervous.

Whoosh!

The white ball flew and was immediately hit by Homei High School's leadoff batter.

Ping!

The ball landed in the gap between the infielders.

The batter reached first base with this hit.

"SAFE!"

No outs, runner on first base.

Without any warning, the first hit appeared inexplicably.

The crowd fell silent; the tension was palpable.

What a surprise!

It was initially thought that Seidou High School was almost certain to win today's game. Even when Sawamura was substituted, the crowd reacted with little more than applause, as if to celebrate Sawamura's individual contribution.

The score difference was six runs, making it seem like Homei High School had no chance of a comeback.

Yet, at this moment, Kawakami, who had just come in, allowed a hit.

And now, with the team's Ace, Sawamura Eijun, also off the field, the situation became awkward.

In Seidou High School's dugout.

Coach Kataoka's expression was obscured by his sunglasses, but the heavy atmosphere around him reflected his mood.

He was clearly upset.

Sawamura Eijun's greatest asset was not just his sharp breaking balls but his stability.

When he was on the mound, he provided immense reassurance to his teammates.

It seemed that as long as he was there, no one needed to worry.

Now that he's gone, the team is in immediate crisis.

It was truly unexpected.

The runner on first base was visibly restless, preparing to steal.

As the team's leadoff batter, he was not only a great hitter but also very fast.

"I'LL RUN!" The runner shouted.

The loud shout seemed designed to distract the pitcher.

Kawakami frowned at him.

'Such a long distance from the base!'

Just as Kawakami was caught in this dilemma, a hand suddenly reached out in front of him.

"Focus on the batter!" Miyuki spoke up.

"Focus on the batter; I'll handle the runner!"

When Miyuki said that, Kawakami felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

'Yes, even though Sawamura wasn't on the field, we still have Miyuki.'

'That's enough!'

'To defeat Homei, having Miyuki was sufficient.'

Reassured, Kawakami regained his calm.

He adjusted his stance and threw the ball.

Whoosh!

As a side-armed pitcher with great break and precise control, Kawakami was not easy to handle.

SNAP!

"STRIKE!"

The batter didn't have time to swing at Kawakami's pitch. He could only watch as the ball zipped into the catcher's mitt.

"Even a substitute is this challenging?"

In Homei's dugout, the bearded Coach pondered for a moment and signaled his players.

'The priority now was to score runs. With the opponent's ace pitcher off the field and three innings remaining, we need to claw back runs gradually.'

If they couldn't score this inning, it would be a severe blow to Homei High School.

The runner on first base nodded. This time, he was calm and collected, reverting to his earlier composure.

The kind of calm before a storm.

As Kawakami prepared to pitch, the previously still runner suddenly sprang into action.

The timing was perfect!

Whoosh!

The runner shot towards second base like an arrow. Miyuki only caught the ball after the runner had covered about ten meters.

SNAP!

'Perfect!'

The Homei High School Coach's heart leaped with joy.

A runner on first base and a runner on second base are two completely different situations.

If the runner successfully stole second, it would greatly enhance their offensive momentum.

Before his joy could fully show, the situation on the field changed again.

As Miyuki caught the ball while he was standing up, his arm moved with the speed of a car wheel.

Whoosh!

The ball was even faster on its return, like a streak of lightning, covering the distance to second base in an instant.

"Hyaa-ha-haa!"

Kuramochi, who had been ready, arrived at second base in time.

The ball landed perfectly at the runner's feet.

SNAP!

The moment Kuramochi caught the ball, his mitt touched the runner.

"OUT!!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!"

The spectators were astonished, unable to believe their eyes.

"Incredible!"

"Is it really possible to make such a throw?"

"Was there any flaw in that steal attempt?"

"Not at all; the timing was perfect!"

"How could such a steal not break through that catcher?"

"I'd heard Seidou High had another top player besides the great Sawamura, but seeing it firsthand is still unbelievable."

"Miyuki!"

"Miyuki!!"

...