Chapter 247: Score! Score!!
The game reached the top of the ninth inning.
Two outs, with a runner on first.
The manager of Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team employed a time-delaying tactic to allow their ace pitcher to regain strength.
This seemed somewhat out of character for Inashiro Industrial, known as the dominant force of West Tokyo and a top powerhouse nationally.
Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team has always been known for overwhelming opponents with their formidable strength and spectacular performances.
Other such strategies, whether they were against the rules or not, were considered beneath them.
This was somewhat audacious!
But Inashiro Industrial High had the pedigree to be audacious.
However, at this critical moment, this fiercely proud team had to resort to tactics they previously scorned to secure a victory.
While these maneuvers weren't the most honorable.
No one could deny their effectiveness in the game.
The Inashiro ace, who was on the verge of physical collapse, would not have lasted much longer if he continued at his previous pace.
After resting for a minute or two.
Looking again at the Inashiro ace, who was nearly exhausted.
People were surprised to find that even his breathing had returned to normal.
The players in the Seidou High School baseball team's dugout felt as if a huge weight was lodged in their chests upon witnessing this.
"This guy..."
Though no words were spoken, the players from Seidou High understood the situation as clearly as if they were looking in a mirror.
The tide of the game was starting to tilt in the opponent's favor.
"The upcoming at-bat is crucial..."
Two outs, runner on first.
At this moment, stepping up to the plate was Seidou High School's third-year player, Isashiki Jun.
The senior with the stubble, coupled with his mature appearance, gave off the vibe of an adult.
For this reason, the Seidou High School baseball team members had once been accused by other teams during matches.
The complainants alleged that Seidou High had deliberately brought in older players to compete.
Anyone with a bit of sense knew that this was utterly impossible.
But there were those who thought so.
And they didn't just think it; they took action over it.
Because of that incident, the once not-so-famous stubbled senior, Isashiki Jun, suddenly became a household name as a star player of Seidou High School's baseball team.
It's funny how fame works...
Isashiki Jun's renown today can be attributed to one-third of his skill, one-third to his personality, and the remaining third to his tough-looking appearance.
Watching the imposing stubbled senior, Harada, the catcher, felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Narumiya Mei took a deep breath, adding to the pressure since they had already secured two outs.
From both aspects, they were putting a lot of pressure on Seidou High School's baseball team.
But the pressure on Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team was also significant.
Now at bat was Isashiki Jun, batting third. Though not as steady as Yuuki, and even compared to the first-year prodigy Furuya, he seemed a bit lacking at the plate.
But to underestimate him for these reasons would be a fatal mistake.
In fact, from a certain perspective, this player's unpredictability might even surpass that of Yuuki and Furuya.
Besides this troublesome guy, they also had to consider the possibility of unforeseen circumstances.
Then they would have to face Yuuki and Furuya.
"We need to get an out quickly!"
Harada knew he shouldn't be adding pressure to his partner at this moment.
But given the current circumstances, he couldn't help feeling anxious.
"There's no need to rush!"
On the pitcher's mound, Narumiya Mei muttered quietly.
Though he said this, his eyes told a completely different story.
That kind of gaze, as if he intended to devour his opponent, was enough to send chills down any rival's spine.
"My stamina has recovered, how will you handle this, senior?"
As he whispered, Narumiya Mei threw the baseball.
"Whoosh!"
The pitch was incredibly fast and tricky.
Many players in Seidou High School's dugout gasped at the sight of the pitch.
They were utterly shocked.
Looking at the quality of his pitches, one would never guess his stamina was at its limit.
"It shouldn't be possible!"
Everyone was baffled, but that was the reality.
Narumiya Mei, having rested only a minute or two, seemed as if he had fully recovered.
At the plate, the stubbled senior was known for his aggressive swinging.
However, at that moment, he watched the approaching baseball and made no move to swing.
He simply watched as the baseball flew past his face.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!"
The pitcher took the lead with a strike.
In the Seidou High School baseball team's dugout, the players frowned one after another.
According to their thinking, the stubbled senior should have swung at the first pitch.
On the surface, it seemed like Narumiya Mei had recovered.
But was that really the case?
Not only did the fans in the stands doubt it, but even the players themselves harbored deep questions.
Under such circumstances, if the stubbled senior could just make contact with the ball, he could exert tremendous psychological pressure on the opponent.
It could even lead to self-doubt.
But because the stubbled senior didn't swing, the situation changed.
Inashiro Industrial High School's ace, who had been on the verge of collapse, seemed to have regained his confidence.
The die-hard supporters of Inashiro Industrial High in the stands felt as though they had seen a glimmer of hope in the match.
Their morale soared.
"My goodness, he recovered so quickly!"
"Truly the seasoned Prince of Tokyo, he handles difficulties with such savvy."
"Although the score is still tied and Inashiro Industrial High School's situation isn't great, I still believe that today, they are likely to win."
This wasn't just a few fans' opinion.
It was the shared sentiment of many Inashiro Industrial High School supporters and some neutral fans at the venue.
Although it was the Seidou High School players who clinched the victory during the Kanto Tournament finals,
It appeared that their strength was somewhat superior.
But in baseball games, especially among high school teams, many factors can't be solely judged by the strength of the teams.
If strength alone determined everything, there would be no need to play the games.
Why not just analyze and determine who is stronger?
And simply crown them the champions.
Why go through the hassle of a game?
Beyond individual player skills, the momentum of the teams, the use of tactics, and player experience...
All of these could potentially be decisive factors.
In today's game, Inashiro Industrial High School's baseball team was only slightly behind Seidou High School's team.
In such cases, these other factors could very well become the deciding elements of the game.
This means that Inashiro Industrial High School really could clinch the victory.
The stubbled senior at bat, of course, felt the shift in the atmosphere at the venue.
Unbeknownst to them, it seemed as if Inashiro Industrial High School's players had already taken control of the game.
"They are underestimating me..."
It felt as though his own out had already been planned by the opponents.
This feeling undoubtedly made the stubbled senior very uncomfortable.
He was already eager to hit the ball.
With this negative emotion fueling him, his fighting spirit grew even more intense.
"I refuse to believe that there's no flaw in your pitching! If you've got the guts, pitch it here, I'll definitely hit it out!"
The determination displayed by the stubbled senior was surely noticed by his opponents.
But Harada and Narumiya Mei, the pitcher, didn't care.
In fact, for them, this very outcome was the most ideal.
"The fish has bitten the hook, let's finish them off with this strike!"
Harada was resolute.
Narumiya Mei on the pitcher's mound, nodded slightly.
The trap had been set.
The opponent's emotions had also been stirred.
In this situation, all they needed to do was wait for the fish to bite and pull up the fishing rod.
"This is the pitch!"
The determined pitcher wound up and threw a compelling pitch.
The ever-watchful stubbled senior, seeing the pitch, immediately sprang into action.
He aimed to hit this ball.
However, just as he was about to swing, as if by a stroke of intuition, the stubbled senior suddenly had a bad premonition.
He quickly stopped his action.
Ultimately, he watched helplessly as the white ball leisurely landed in the catcher's mitt.
"Snap!"
"A change-up???"
The stubbled senior was profoundly shaken inside.
The fans in the stands involuntarily swallowed.
It must be said, the ace of Inashiro Industrial High School was incredibly bold!
To use a change-up in such a tense showdown?
"This is simply..."
The fans were in deep shock.
A senior reporter from Baseball Kingdom magazine also felt a bead of cold sweat form on his forehead.
But his fear was different from the others.
What terrified him was that this pitch wasn't just an ordinary change-up.
It was Narumiya Mei's trump card, the spiral change-up.
The baseball did drop slightly, though the drop wasn't significant, it was still there.
What if Isashiki Jun had swung?
The outcome would have been unimaginable.
Just the thought of such a scenario made Fujio break out in a cold sweat.
On the field, the players of Inashiro Industrial High School were also furrowing their brows.
Although they had secured two strikes against their opponent, the main players of Inashiro Industrial High School couldn't feel happy at all.
No one knew better than they did what kind of calculation they had just made.
The seemingly reckless third batter from Seidou High School was supposed to be an assured out for them.
Unexpectedly, the opponent managed to suppress his urge to swing at the last moment?
This turn of events actually put them in an awkward position.
What to do?
Narumiya Mei, who was already at his physical limit, had just managed to rally.
Their concern was how to quickly secure an out.
No one expected that the opponent seemed to have a clairvoyant ability.
The seemingly reckless Isashiki Jun had seen right through their trap.
"Let's start with a bad pitch, if he swings at it, we've got him."
Although this outcome differed significantly from their initial plan, Harada quickly regained his composure.
Given the changes on the field, they needed to find a way to adapt.
With two strikes against them and the opponent shaken and under pressure,
he was unlikely to want to wait.
Moreover, this third batter from Seidou High School was known for his aggressive swinging.
It must be said, Harada of Inashiro Industrial High School is undoubtedly an exceptional catcher.
When their initial strategy didn't succeed,
he quickly thought of another approach.
Narumiya Mei on the pitcher's mound nodded in agreement.
If at this time, the renowned Tokyo Prince still had plenty of energy, he would not have agreed with his partner's choice of pitches.
He would have preferred to use his genuine strength to defeat the opponent openly and fairly on the field.
But at this moment, Narumiya Mei knew better than anyone how poor his condition was.
If he were stubborn about it,
the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Let's secure an out first, we can settle accounts later."
Narumiya Mei gathered his stance and pitched a bad ball.
Both had assumed that the opponent was unlikely to swing. Even if he did, such a tricky bad ball would be impossible to hit effectively.
However, just as they thought this, the stubbled senior swung.
Despite the tricky angle of the bad ball, he swung without hesitation.
"Whoosh!!"
The white baseball whistled out.
Standing in the batting box, the stubbled senior watched the approaching baseball and decisively swung.
"Ping!"
After the baseball was hit, it flew directly into a gap in the defense.
Two outs, runners on first and third.
At this moment, it was Yuuki's turn to bat.
"Boom!!!"
Like a bolt from the blue, the bat solidly struck the baseball, sending it flying.
"Ping!"
The white baseball soared through the outfield and bounced off the field.
"It's through!!!"
After several innings of intense competition, Seidou High School finally scored another run.
Haruichi returned to home plate.
The situation changed from two outs with runners on first and third, to two outs with runners on second and third.
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