Chapter 103: For The Team!

In the Koshien finals, there are countless thrilling moments. Every move made by the players captures the hearts of the audience. However, today was different.

The exceptional performances of the players create an exhilarating atmosphere. If there were to be a ranking for such moments, a grand slam with bases loaded would definitely rank in the top three.

Just now, Sawamura had such a moment. With the bases loaded, he hit a clean and decisive home run.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

"A GRAND SLAM!!!!!"

At that instant, the entire Koshien stadium felt like a festival. Everyone jumped up in excitement, cheering wildly.

How often do such moments occur in a lifetime? No one can say for sure, but this one was undoubtedly the most thrilling.

They were overwhelmed with excitement! Their bodies shook uncontrollably, and they were at a loss for words.

"THIS IS CRAZY!!!"

"THIS MATCH IS SO AWESOME!!!!!"

"SEIDOU!"

"KING SEIDOUU!!"

"SEIDOUUU!!"

"SAWAMURA!!"

"DEMON KING!!!"

"YOUR MAJESTY!!!!"

"SAWAMURA!!!"

The audience in the stands erupted in collective ecstasy, cheering again and again.

The media were equally excited. Is there anything bigger than this moment?

The record that had just been tied by Raichi was reclaimed by Sawamura Eijun.

In this Koshien tournament, Sawamura hadn't hit many home runs prior to this. But today, he exploded onto the scene, hitting two home runs, including that grand slam.

He successfully updated his record to five home runs, matching the monstrous Raichi from Yakushi High School.

Of course, it felt like Sawamura's batting ability still fell short compared to Raichi's. After all, Raichi achieved five home runs in just three games, while Sawamura had played six games up to this point.

In terms of efficiency, he lagged behind. However, the strength of the team is also a measure of a player's value. Otherwise, the Golden Boot at the World Cup wouldn't go to the player with the most goals, but rather to the player with the best average.

Thus, Sawamura's performance was certainly not lacking.

Beyond his personal achievements, the shockwave created by that grand slam was unparalleled.

The score, originally 5-3, was flipped to 5-7. With Sawamura's home run, Seidou High School not only completed the comeback but also extended their lead to two points.

In the dugout of Inajitsu High School, it felt as if a hailstorm had just passed. The air was chillingly tense.

Seidou High School's lineup was nothing short of explosive. Initially underestimated, they delivered a stunning blow to Inajitsu High School at the last moment.

This left their opponents feeling utterly caught off guard.

Superintendent Kunitomo wore a grim expression as if someone owed him a fortune. The assistant coach was clearly panicking, unsure of how to handle the situation.

Thinking back, their decision to avoid direct confrontations with Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya seemed entirely justified. The skill levels were simply not comparable; they lacked the necessary assets to defeat them.

Sawamura's home run appeared effortless as if he faced no pressure at all.

'Monster!'

From his position as a catcher, Tadano's eyes glimmered with intensity. While he had anticipated such an outcome, he never truly believed it would happen. He thought that even if Sawamura swung at the first pitch, he might not connect with Hirano's crucial pitch.

Even if he did make contact, he assumed it wouldn't result in a home run. If Sawamura had only allowed one or two players on base to reach home, it wouldn't have posed a crisis; it could have been an opportunity.

This way, they could have Walked Miyuki to first base. Compared to walking players one by one and having them run home, that outcome would have been far preferable.

But that was merely his wishful thinking. Sawamura didn't need to perform for them.

As a result, things turned tragic. The score changed to 7-5, with Seidou High School back in the lead.

Now, with the game unfolding in this manner, they would have to face Seidou High School's core lineup again, possibly more than once.

Tadano felt bitter. But as a man, he understood one important truth: when faced with a problem, retreating was pointless.

No matter how hard it is, the only thing to consider is how to confront it.

As the main catcher for Inajitsu High School, Tadano took on the responsibility without fear, charging forward against Seidou High School.

Given the current situation, how much worse could it get? This was Tadano's mindset.

Yet, reality proved that there's no worst case, only worse.

Ping!

The first hit came from Miyuki, who connected cleanly with no one on base. The pitcher had clearly weakened. This was a golden opportunity for Seidou High School.

How could they let it slip away? Especially Miyuki, who sensed the opposing pitcher's fatigue and pounced on the opportunity.

If not for this excitement, he might have even been out despite being ahead.

With two Outs and a runner on first, it was time for Shiratsu to bat.

Ping!

The white ball rolled smoothly past the first baseman after making contact. Shiratsu also secured a hit.

Shiratsu's batting style closely resembled that of Kominato and Toujou, demonstrating a similarly restrained approach. As long as he maintained his composure and performed well, coupled with a bit of luck to avoid the opponent's stellar defense, getting a hit was inevitable.

With Shiratsu on base, Miyuki sprinted to third. The situation changed to two Outs with runners on first and third.

Inajitsu High School was just one Out away from getting out of this inning.

But that single Out was proving to be as stubborn as an unyielding cockroach. They had nearly cycled through their lineup and still hadn't succeeded.

In this scenario, it was the sixth batter, Maezono's turn.

Upon seeing Maezono step up, the Inajitsu players breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to several other players, Maezono's style was certainly more manageable against Hirano.

In that moment, they finally saw a glimmer of hope for securing that final Out.

With two Outs and runners on first and third base, Hirano was on the verge of exhaustion after facing Sawamura Eijun's home run and a series of hits. His performance was shaky, but upon seeing Maezono step up to the plate, he suddenly found a renewed sense of energy.

Compared to stronger and more skillful opponents, Hirano excelled at handling batters like Maezono. His tricky pitch placement made it easy to deal with aggressive hitters like him. Just one more out was all he needed!

At this moment, Hirano wasn't being greedy. His only wish was to secure one more Out so he could finally rest. Only after a break could he re-enter the game for the next inning.

This inning felt unbearably long. He had already thrown over 30 pitches in it alone. Although the game was only in the sixth inning, his total pitch count had exceeded 100.

If he were up against a regular team, he'd still feel confident enough to keep fighting even after such a pitch count. But this was Seidou High School!

Though he had thrown more than 100 pitches, the physical and mental toll was far greater against this elite team. Hirano felt as if his energy had been completely drained, like a lamp that had run out of oil.

But now, seeing Maezono in the Batter's Box felt like spotting a long-lost relative, rekindling his spirit. This sensation was akin to the mythical return to light. After enduring so much, he finally faced an opponent he felt confident he could conquer.

He had to admit that Seidou High School's batting lineup was incredibly tough. While some players weren't widely recognized nationwide, their skills were legitimate. Many claimed that with the graduation of the third-year seniors, Seidou's batting strength had dropped at least two levels.

Hirano felt no such decrease. He couldn't imagine that Seidou had really dropped two levels.

'If they hadn't dropped, what was the previous Seidou lineup like? Were they all batters of the same caliber as Sawamura Eijun and Miyuki Kazuya?'

The thought sent shivers down his spine.

Though Hirano didn't guess completely correctly, he was close. The former Seidou lineup was not entirely made up of star players, but they had at least six or seven batters with star-level skills—not far from an All-Star team.

But that was all in the past. Let's return to the game.

When Hirano saw Maezono stepping up, the backup pitcher felt a surge of excitement. This was his chance! After waiting so long, he finally had the opportunity to secure the last Out.

Even if Maezono displayed an intimidating front, Hirano would treat him like a big teddy bear.

Tadano, the catcher, shared similar sentiments. Despite their dismissive strategy towards the opponent, he was meticulously focused on the tactical arrangements.

Maezono's weaknesses were glaring. He struggled with outside pitches and breaking balls. The plan was clear: take him out with a combination of breaking balls and outside pitches.

During his time with Narumiya, Tadano learned an essential lesson: never show mercy to your opponents. If they have weaknesses, attack those weaknesses relentlessly.

'Let's go!'

When he saw Tadano's signal, Hirano nodded eagerly. Pitching a straight ball on the inner corner to Maezono would be foolish! He needed to focus on outside pitches and breaking balls.

'Here we go!'

With confidence surging, Hirano released the ball. Maezono swung fiercely.

Ping!

The ball struck the bat and spun to the foul area.

"FOUL!"

Maezono wore a fierce expression at the plate, looking intimidating. But the Inajitsu battery remained unfazed; they weren't easily intimidated.

Narumiya was sidelined, and Hirano, as an emergency substitute, found himself in the finals of Koshien. At first, he had felt nervous, but as the game progressed, the situation became increasingly dire, with more and more runs being scored against him.

Gradually, he stopped viewing the runs he allowed as a mental burden.

What could the result possibly be? Not much worse than this.

In this mindset, he relaxed and pitched with more resolve.

Ping!

Maezono hit the second pitch Foul as well.

Seidou's momentum was still strong, especially Maezono's. He had hit two Foul balls in a row, both close to the field.

'But no matter how pretty the swings are, we're leading with two strikes!'

Tadano, calm behind the plate, strategized their next move. The plan was to throw a Ball on the outside corner to trick Maezono into swinging and missing.

He aimed to strike out Maezono.

Otherwise, if the ball made it into the field and hit the ground, the situation could quickly turn.

'Let's finish him!'

Understanding the stakes, Tadano quickly signaled Hirano.

Receiving the signal, Hirano nodded, took a deep breath, and pitched.

In his mind, he envisioned Maezono being struck out.

But then!

Maezono stepped out and swung fiercely at the outside pitch.

This man, devoted to his own hitting style, cast aside his previous caution.

His lower half was steady, and the power transferred perfectly.

'I will hit this ball!'

His arms and shoulders were relaxed but they were filled with power.

'For myself!'

The bat was swung sharply and precisely aiming at the ball.

'For this team, I will hit it!'

The baseball and the bat connected, the baseball was smashed forward!

No matter how predictable Hirano thought he was, always striking Maezono Out was impossible!

Ping!

The ball flew into the left field gap. Narumiya rushed in but was a step too late.

Pak!

The ball landed for a double!

The two runners on base sprinted home, scoring.

Seidou High School extended their lead to 9-5.

At this point, Seidou had nearly sealed the victory.

With only three innings left, it was hard to imagine how Inajitsu High School could recover so many runs.

…