[218] The Conclusion of the Seihou Battle

Chapter 218: The Conclusion of the Seihou Battle

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Strike! Batter out! Three outs, change sides!"

With Eijun successfully striking out Seihou High's eighth batter, Seidou High ended Seihou's offensive drive for the inning.

The scoreboard displayed a "1," signifying that Seihou High had managed to avoid a complete shutout this inning.

It also marked the first run Eijun had conceded in Koshien.

The pivotal moment came when Shuuzou Sano hit a double, which laid the groundwork for Seihou's run.

Following that, their fifth batter, Misaki, managed to barely connect with Eijun's changeup, securing an infield single and advancing to first base.

With runners on first and third and no outs, Seihou High capitalized under the tactical guidance of Coach Nishidera.

They played it safe and aimed for a sacrifice fly to right field, ensuring Sano could score from third base.

The calculated move brought the score to 3-2, cutting Seidou's lead to just one run.

Seihou High's strategy was clear: use the score to shake Eijun's composure and build momentum for their lineup.

Unfortunately for them, their plan underestimated Eijun's resilience.

While the run conceded could be attributed to some uncontrollable factors, Eijun refused to let any further damage occur.

He swiftly retired the seventh and eighth batters, leaving Misaki stranded on second base.

Seidou High carried their slim one-run lead into the bottom half of the inning.

"Good job, Sawamura!"

"You pitched great! Don't let it bother you!"

"Keep this up! Just two more innings to go!"

"We've got this, Sawamura!"

"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"

Encouraged by his teammates' cheers, Eijun smiled despite feeling a bit reckless earlier.

However, as he returned to the dugout, he was met with the icy stare of Coach Kataoka, whose expression made Eijun freeze in place.

His heart raced as he realized he had completely disregarded the presence of this "boss."

"Uh-oh," Eijun thought nervously, cold sweat dripping down his back.

"You have two more innings to pitch. Do it properly. I don't want to see a repeat of this mess. Understood?" Coach Kataoka's stern words and frosty gaze sent shivers through Eijun.

"Yes, sir!" Eijun nodded frantically like a chicken pecking grain, his voice loud and clear.

Meanwhile, Miyuki couldn't help but smirk, which only fueled Eijun's frustration. "This isn't fair," he thought. "Sure, I was reckless, but why doesn't that sly senior, who went along with my recklessness, get scolded too?"

Stealing a glance at Coach Kataoka's cold expression, Eijun decided to retreat quietly.

It wasn't the time to argue.

In the top of the seventh inning, while Eijun's slight lapse in judgment introduced a hint of uncertainty to the game, Seidou High quickly turned that uncertainty into a certainty.

Although Seihou High narrowed the score, making victory seem within reach, the remaining two innings felt like an insurmountable challenge for them.

Even one more run seemed too far away.

Seidou High wasn't about to sit back and let Seihou dictate the game.

They struck back in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The inning began with their cleanup hitter, Tetsuya Yuuki, stepping up.

As the core of Seidou's lineup, Yuuki once again proved his worth.

With no one on base, Seihou's battery attempted to ride the momentum of their earlier run, aiming to retire Yuuki and shift the game's tide in their favor.

Coach Nishidera and their catcher Misaki decided to challenge Yuuki directly.

That decision, however, sealed Seihou's fate.

Ping!

A sharp, resounding hit echoed through the field, dazzling everyone watching.

With a precise swing, Seidou's cleanup hitter, Yuuki, seized the golden opportunity during this at-bat. He perfectly captured Seihou's decisive pitch—a vertical slider.

There was no luck, no errors, no underestimation. It was a pure contest of skill, and Yuuki came out on top.

It wasn't that Seihou's pitcher and catcher made the wrong choice; rather, Yuuki's ability was simply a notch above.

In the end, Yuki emerged victorious, launching Narakoshi's prideful pitch out of the infield, beyond the outfield, and straight into the electronic scoreboard with a resounding bang.

The sharp, thunderous sound reverberated throughout the stadium, leaving everyone in awe.

Yuuki's long-range centerfield home run didn't just demonstrate Seidou's batting prowess—it made a statement to the world that Seidou's lineup was second to none.

It also introduced the nation to another monstrous batter whose power rivaled that of Seihou's Shuuzou Sano.

If Yuuki's home run was a direct blow to Seihou's morale, then the subsequent centerfield hit by Masuko and a timely RBI single by Miyuki sealed the deal.

These consecutive plays shattered Seihou's ace, Narakoshi, who gave up two runs without recording an out in the bottom of the seventh.

Facing a pale and shaken Narakoshi on the mound, Coach Nishidera had no choice but to substitute him with a second-year relief pitcher.

While the substitute managed to suppress further scoring, he still allowed one more run.

By the end of the seventh inning, Seidou had scored three runs, widening the gap to a four-run lead.

At this point, the victory was all but certain for Seidou High.

Aside from a determined Shuuzou Sano and a handful of diehard Seihou fans, most spectators believed the game was decided.

This battle between powerhouse teams seemed destined for Seidou High, the reigning champion.

With a four-run deficit and only two innings left, Seihou High's chances of a comeback were slim but not impossible.

At least for the Seihou players, they refused to give up.

In their eyes, even with one out remaining, they would fight until the very end. That was their pride and belief.

However, in the face of the harsh reality of competitive sports, belief can occasionally create miracles but more often proves powerless.

In the top of the eighth inning, Seihou's lineup started with their ninth batter.

Eijun showed no mercy, relying on sharp fastballs and well-controlled changeups to swiftly strike out the ninth through second batters, retiring the side in order.

Seidou's lineup then took their turn in the bottom of the eighth.

Seihou knew that conceding another run here would snuff out their last glimmer of hope.

The players gave it their all, and the substitute pitcher managed to escape the inning unscathed despite allowing a walk to Yuuki.

Seihou clung to their slim hope as they entered their final offensive opportunity.

Top of the Ninth Inning.

This was Seihou's last chance, starting with their leadoff batter.

Unfortunately for them, Seidou gave them no room to breathe.

Eijun quickly overpowered Seihou's third batter with four decisive pitches, securing the first out.

Then came the highly anticipated showdown with Sano for the third time.

Eijun and Miyuki neither deliberately walked Sano nor aggressively aimed for an out.

Instead, they targeted the edges of the strike zone with precision, challenging Sano with borderline pitches that left him no good opportunity to swing.

In the end, Eijun issued a walk, allowing the monster cleanup hitter to reach first base.

However, that was as far as Seihou's offense would go.

Eijun successfully shut down the next two batters, earning the final out of the game.

With that, the battle between these two powerhouse teams came to an end.

Seidou High emerged victorious, their dominance reaffirmed.

The final score was locked at 6-2.

"Whoosh!"

"Pop!"

"Out! Game over!!!"

In the individual duel, Eijun undeniably lost to Sano.

However, in the battle between teams, Seidou High emerged victorious.

They successfully advanced to the quarterfinals!

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