Chapter 101: The Horn of Seidou’s Attack!

In the second half of the sixth inning, Seidou High School launched their offense.

The two strategies articulated by Coach Ochiai can be boiled down to one simple objective: get on base as much as possible.

If the opponent is determined to stick to a full-base strategy, then it's time to confront them head-on.

The best outcome, of course, would be to have Sawamura Eijun or Miyuki Kazuya in the Batter's Box. If that doesn't happen, players like Haruichi Kominato, Hideaki Toujou, or Shiratsu are also viable options. With enough attempts, they will eventually find a way to break through.

"Seventh batter, center fielder, Toujou-kun."

At this moment, Toujou Hideaki stepped up to the plate.

In his usual style, he was very restrained against Hirano.

If the opportunity was right, he would certainly have a chance to get on base.

The ball sped toward him, a low straight pitch.

A sharp glint flashed in Toujou's eyes; he sensed an opportunity approaching.

'Here it comes!'

It was a tricky location.

It was precisely this type of pitch, combined with the low-angle Slider, that had kept Seidou's lineup from getting a hit against Hirano.

Aside from a few Walks, the hits that Seidou High School batters had achieved were quite limited.

But this time, Hirano was destined to falter.

As soon as Toujou realized it was a straight ball and not a Slider, he swung decisively, without a hint of hesitation.

Buzz!

As Toujou swung the bat, Tadano, the catcher, heard the buzz of air from the powerful swing.

'When did this guy grow to this level?'

Both players were well-known in the Tokyo area and had a basic understanding of each other.

In Tadano's earlier impressions, while Toujou had decent strength, he was nowhere near as terrifying as he seemed now.

But now it appeared that he already possessed the skills of a key player from a top-tier team.

'Seidou!'

'What kind of place is it that allows a player to grow so much in just one year?'

Ping!

The ball was struck and zipped into the air.

The moment Hideaki Toujou made contact, he discarded his bat and sprinted toward first base.

"SAFE!"

With no Outs and a runner on first, Toujou's running speed, though not as swift as Kuramochi's, was still notable within Seidou High School.

Once such a runner gets on base, it poses a significant challenge for Inajitsu High School's entire defense.

We had to be cautious!

Tadano, positioned as the catcher, secretly frowned.

Then he decisively signaled to Hirano on the mound.

'Senpai, don't worry about the runner on base; just leave him to me. You need to focus on dealing with the batter.'

Tadano's intent was clear.

He aimed to secure as many Outs as possible.

Even if they gave up a run in the process, maintaining the current rhythm of the game was paramount.

In Narumiya's eyes, this Kohai still seemed immature, yet he had truly grown into a challenging opponent.

"What a determination!"

On first base, Toujou cautiously observed Tadano, fully aware of the difficulty this opponent presented.

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"

The evidence was clear as Kawakami was struck out.

However, Toujou on base did not feel despair. He still had hope because the next batter was his friend, Kanemaru Shinji.

'Shinji! This is the Koshien final. Now's your chance to shine!'

Kanemaru had a knack for performing exceptionally well in crucial games, especially finals.

Toujou held high expectations for him.

As Kanemaru stepped into the Batter's Box, he felt a surge of adrenaline, his blood boiling with excitement.

'What an exhilarating scene!'

Every cell in his body felt alive, jumping with joy.

At this moment, he was intensely focused.

His eyes were sharp with determination.

'Let's go!'

'Hit it!!'

'I Will Hit It!!!'

Toujou had set the stage for him, and as his friend, it was time for him to showcase his strength to the entire nation.

'Bring it!'

Kanemaru gripped his bat tightly, his cold gaze fixed on the pitcher on the mound.

He was itching to hit the incoming ball.

'Come on!'

'Pitch it!'

As if responding to Kanemaru's call, the ball flew toward him.

'Here it comes!'

Kanemaru's eyes lit up as he swung his bat without hesitation.

'Got you!'

Ping!

The ball, once hit, traced a beautiful arc and fell into the outfield.

As he watched the ball soar, a relieved smile spread across Kanemaru's face.

He was indeed the key player for Seidou High School, consistently performing well in critical situations.

Seeing the direction of the ball, Toujou dashed toward second base.

This ball should land!

However, it did not.

Like a streak, someone dashed over ten meters to catch the ball in the outfield.

SNAP!

"OUT!"

It was him again, Inajitsu High School's center fielder, the incredible Carlos.

This guy was like a cheat code with an astonishingly wide fielding range.

Toujou, who had planned to reach second base, quickly ran back to first.

"SAFE!"

'That was close!'

Now, the situation shifted to two Outs with a runner on first.

The momentum began to favor Inajitsu High School.

In the stands, Fujio, a senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom Magazine, observed thoughtfully.

"The lineup has been disrupted again!"

If Seidou High School couldn't fill the bases before Eijun Sawamura and Kazuya Miyuki came to bat, Inajitsu High School would likely adopt a Walk strategy.

Could Seidou score then? It would really come down to luck.

Superintendent Kunitomo!

He cast a deep glance at the figure in Inajitsu High School's dugout.

Fujio was genuinely impressed.

In the near future, there will be a practice game against a team from the U.S.

The head Coach of that team had initially been speculated to be Kataoka, who had just led his team to a national championship.

However, the organizers ended up selecting Kunitomo from Inajitsu High School.

From the organizers' perspective, the most capable and powerful coach in Tokyo was Kunitomo, not Kataoka.

'There must be some truth to this claim.'

***

The players from Seidou High School were determined to get on base, and before Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya stepped into the Batter's Box, they filled the bases.

While the idea was good, the execution proved far from smooth.

Even though the batters had gradually gotten used to Hirano's pitches, hitting the ball required considerable effort.

Without sufficient strength, it was nearly impossible.

Furthermore, even if a batter could reach the ball and make contact, they faced another hurdle.

That was the ironclad defense of Inajitsu High School.

Breaking through these two points wasn't something that could be accomplished with a few whispered words.

It required both strength and a bit of luck.

The batters from Seidou High School had strength, but their luck was a bit lacking.

Now the situation had become two Outs with a runner on first base.

Inajitsu High School only needed one more out to secure the inning.

"Two Outs!"

"Let them hit the ball!"

"We'll stop them."

The fielders from Inajitsu High School were energized, shouting confidently.

On one hand, they were encouraging their pitcher; on the other, they were trying to apply pressure on Seidou's batters.

"TSK!"

Kuramochi stepped into the Batter's Box, his face set in a displeased expression.

For him, this kind of pressure was nothing.

'They really strong!'

Though he found Inajitsu's actions irritating, Kuramochi had to admit their strength—especially their attention to detail.

Miyuki had a good saying about this rival team from the same region: "This is a team that knows how to win!"

This statement encapsulated Inajitsu High School's biggest characteristic.

When battling such an opponent, if Seidou didn't exercise extreme caution, the outcome could be extremely unfavorable.

Just like now: if they gave Inajitsu another Out, Seidou's situation would become perilous.

Although Kuramochi wasn't known for his hitting, he wasn't willing to take the blame if this situation happened.

'We had to get on base, no matter what!'

With two Outs and a runner on first, the Inajitsu players seemed unconcerned about the base runner; they focused solely on the batter.

They positioned themselves aggressively against Kuramochi, determined to prevent him from reaching base.

Facing such a dangerous situation, Kuramochi remained unusually calm.

He eagerly waited for the incoming baseball, appearing ready to hit it cleanly.

Inajitsu's players, having adopted a forward defensive strategy, were not surprised by Kuramochi's demeanor.

With the bunt option blocked, it seemed Kuramochi had no choice but to confront the pitcher directly.

In the catcher's position, Tadano arranged his team's defense and breathed a quiet sigh of relief before signaling Hirano on the mound.

'Let's go!'

The crucial time was now.

While he couldn't guarantee he would get Kuramochi Out, the opportunity was ripe.

After all, they already had two Outs, and one more would end Seidou's offense this inning.

Whoosh!

The small ball zipped through the air.

Tadano saw something astonishing.

Toujou, who had been stationed at first base, suddenly took off for second.

'Are you crazy?'

This was Tadano's first thought; it wasn't that he was overthinking, but with two Outs, how could Toujou attempt a steal?

Seidou had already accumulated two Outs—one more would end their chance to score.

'No, wait.'

Now that there were two Outs, what was Seidou's strategy?

A hit-and-run!

With two Outs, the worst-case scenario couldn't be that bad.

'In situations with two Outs, it was quite normal for the offense to adopt a hit-and-run tactic.'

'Stay composed!'

In an instant, Tadano steadied his thoughts.

Although the opponent's move was unexpected, it wouldn't significantly affect the outcome.

'We just need to focus on stopping the batter…'

'Wait, what?'

Tadano looked in disbelief at the additional bat in front of him.

'A BUNT?!?!?!'

In a two Out situation, not only was the runner attempting a risky steal, but the batter was also forcing a bunt.

'What on earth was happening?'

Tadano's mind froze for a moment.

Seidou High School's maneuver exceeded his wildest expectations.

He couldn't understand the scene before him, let alone grasp Seidou's plan.

Ping!

The ball was bunted toward the space between the pitcher and the first baseman.

"Second baseman!!"

Because the first baseman had moved forward to the field, the ball easily slipped past his range.

While there were advantages to this forward play, it also came with limitations.

Had Kuramochi simply bunted, the first baseman would definitely have had time to stop it.

Fortunately, it wasn't just the first baseman who had charged forward; the second baseman had too.

At that moment, if the second baseman ran forward a few steps to pick up the ball while the first baseman quickly retreated, theoretically, they could still get Kuramochi Out.

'But what about the second base?'

Tadano's pupils widened as he began to understand Seidou High School's intentions.

'Toujou's steal wasn't merely a hit-and-run; it was also to draw the second baseman's attention.'

In fact, the ball was meant for the second baseman to field, while the shortstop would cover second base.

'However, because all the infielders had charged forward, the shortstop, Shirakawa-senpai couldn't return to cover second; he had to protect third base.'

'As a result, the second baseman retreated, significantly delaying his chance to field.'

By the time he reacted, rushing forward to pick up the ball and throw to first, it was too late.

"SAFE!"

"SAFE!!!"

The perfect combination of Kuramochi Yoichi and Toujou Hideaki executed an almost impossible double steal.

The situation on the field transformed to two outs with runners on first and second base.

…