Chapter 48: Give It to Me!

"OUT!"

Kuramochi, the leadoff hitter who made a name for himself at Koshien, was again dealt with neatly in his second appearance at the plate.

Two Outs, no one on base.

The faces of all the New team's players were grave.

The gap in offensive strength between the two teams was evident.

"Improving our offensive power isn't something that can be done overnight. But if we don't strengthen this area, we might face serious problems in the autumn competitions," Coach Ochiai said calmly, stroking his goatee.

"Yes, we need to strengthen our offense!" President Ota nodded in agreement, rubbing his hands.

With two outs, it was Kominato Haruichi's turn at bat.

Tanpa had good speed and power, but he wasn't known for being overwhelming in these areas. His real strength lay in his sharp breaking balls.

From this perspective, it was only natural that Tanpa Koichiro was restrained by Kominato Haruichi.

Chris, the catcher, furrowed his brow as he watched Kominato Haruichi and Sawamura Eijun waiting to bat.

'The New team's acting coaches were also quite skilled, and their batting lineup had been strategically arranged.'

If Kuramochi could reach base, the trouble he could cause would be significant! Even if he didn't get on base, passing the line to Kominato Haruichi still presented a big offensive opportunity. Kominato Haruichi was more adept at handling Tanpa and could easily get a hit. And once he reached base, Sawamura and Miyuki would follow.

For these two, even with two Outs, having runners on base meant their threat was considerable!

'Considering the situation of the game, the best strategy was to stop Kominato Haruichi here.'

'Trust your teammates behind you and pitch the ball!'

Although Tanpa's powerful pitching could challenge Haruichi Kominato, the uncontrollable factors made this approach less appealing to Chris.

If Haruichi got a hit, dealing with the aftermath would become much more difficult.

'Thus, it was better to use a fishing pitch, directing him to hit in a fixed direction and relying on defense to get the Outs.'

Let's do this!

Chris signaled, and Tanpa on the mound threw the baseball without hesitation.

Whoosh!

The white ball, like a flash of light, zoomed into the strike zone.

Haruichi had completely emptied his mind. He wasn't thinking about anything; he was simply swinging his bat instinctively.

Everyone experiences hitting differently. Some think a lot, and the more they think, the more accurate they become. For example, Miyuki Kazuya and Takigawa Chris belong to this category.

They consider every factor, even the thoughts of the pitcher and catcher, possible accidents, and the position of the fielders...

After preparing everything, they hit the ball.

On the other hand, Kominato Haruichi and Todoroki Raichi rely more on instinct. They don't think much but trust their intuitive sense of what kind of pitch is coming.

Which style is better? It's like all roads lead to Rome. As long as you can get a hit and find a swing that suits you, it doesn't matter how you do it.

Ping!

That was the case with Kominato Haruichi. He hit the baseball squarely, sending it hovering above the pitcher.

The ball landed perfectly between the shortstop and second baseman.

"Well done!"

"Run!!!"

The New Seidou High School team erupted in excitement, waving their hands.

A hit at this moment was crucial!

But before they could fully cheer, a player dashed out and successfully blocked the rebounding ball with his Mitt.

He was the third-year handsome shortstop, Kusunoki Fumiya.

But due to the momentum, he couldn't get his balance and ended up tumbling.

'There's still a chance!'

The surrounding players urged Kominato to keep running.

Haruichi's base hit was invaluable. Behind him were Sawamura and Miyuki. With a runner on base, their combined strength would be tenfold.

"Run!"

"Go for it!!!"

The excitement was palpable, and the team shouted encouragement as the action continued.

At the same time, someone sprinted over to Kusunoki's side.

"Give it to me!"

At this moment, the one sprinting over to assist is naturally the third-year second baseman, Kominato Ryosuke.

Kusunoki didn't have time to switch hands. He simply tossed the white ball into the air with his Mitt.

Kominato Ryosuke, facing the thrown ball, didn't hesitate. He reached out and grabbed it with his bare hand.

After catching the ball, he twisted his body and threw the ball to first base in one fluid action.

The coordination between the two wasn't flawless, but it was impressively smooth.

Snap!

By the time Yuuki caught the ball from Ryosuke, Haruichi had almost made it to first the base.

"OUT!"

The seamless defense by the Keystone Duo helped the third-year seniors secure the final Out of the inning.

Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.

From his catcher's position, Chris cast an approving glance at Haruichi as he walked back to the dugout.

The hit just now was excellent. It hit the defense's weak spot precisely. If Kusunoki hadn't been alert, the ball might have gone to the outfield.

If it had, the resulting chain reaction could have been disastrous.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong.

"Nice job, Kusunoki!"

"You're improving more and more."

"If you'd played like this before retiring, that pesky Kuramochi wouldn't have stolen your spot…"

The praise from his teammates clearly lifted Kusunoki's spirits.

He knew that even if it was Kuramochi instead of him, he could still make the play. But this successful defensive move—throwing directly with his Mitt—was a first for him and Kominato Ryosuke as a duo.

"I'm really glad that it went well!" Kusunoki said with a relieved smile.

Meanwhile, the New Seidou High School baseball team looked very worried.

The score at the end of the third inning was 3:1!

Perhaps because they had played against each other so often, they had never realized just how big the gap was between them and the third-year seniors!

The game continued!

In the fourth inning, the third-year seniors were up to bat.

This inning would also be Kawakami's final inning.

Before taking the field, Miyuki and Kawakami reviewed their tactics one last time.

Their next opponents were the powerful third-year hitters led by Masuko. The batters were powerful, and even a slight touch could send the ball out of the park.

"Do you remember the countermeasures we discussed?"

Miyuki reiterated before Kawakami took the mound.

"I'll pitch well," Kawakami responded solemnly, his eyes clear and full of confidence.

Miyuki glanced at the scoreboard, noting the score:

3:1!

They were two points behind.

If he and Sawamura could close the gap, there might still be hope. Any more runs, and it would be much harder!

'No matter what, we can't afford to let them score again!' Miyuki thought to himself.

The top of the fourth inning began.

…

T/N: That's it for now.

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