The scoreboard read 4-0.
Seidō fans were loving it.
"Did you see that? Even our benchwarmers are crushing it!" one fan cheered triumphantly.
"That's Seidō, baby!" another exclaimed proudly.
"Hachiya Oji doesn't stand a chance," a third sneered condescendingly.
Looking at those smug faces, you'd think they'd already won the championship.
The female reporter in the stands mused thoughtfully. 'If it were that easy, wouldn't everyone be a little more relaxed?'
4-0, Hachiya Oji was definitely feeling the pressure, but it wasn't a complete wipeout.
So, what does that tell us?
It shows they've got grit.
They're hanging in there against a killer lineup.
Most teams would've folded by now.
"If they had another couple years, they could really surprise people," she commented. optimistically.
Too bad high school is only three years long.
Natsume, their ace pitcher, is a senior.
This is his last shot.
Even if the team has potential, it's hard to say what'll happen when he's gone.
"High school ball is like fireworks – miss your chance, and you're done," The reporter sighed wistfully.
Seidō's in a different spot.
Their hotshot rookie is only a freshman.
They've got a long road ahead.
Who knows, maybe they'll pull off something amazing this year.
"I can't wait to see what happens next!" The reporter smiled with anticipation.
Sixth inning: Seidō only squeezes out one run.
Isashiki Jun and the ninth batter tried their best, but Takumi got tagged out at home by Hachiya Oji's catcher.
Seriously, Hachiya Oji was bringing the heat.
That double play and now this? Amazing.
Bottom of the sixth, Hachiya Oji's turn.
Their defense gave them a shot of confidence, and they were ready to take on Takumi.
But his spiral ball? Nope. Lower-order batters and pinch hitters couldn't even touch it.
Guess they didn't get to experience their bats flying out of their hands, huh?
Three consecutive strikeouts!
Hachiya Oji's players shuffled back to the field, heads down.
Natsume, their ace, was probably dying for a break.
But Seidō doesn't mess around.
He'd already given up four runs, and he was pushing himself just to stay in the game.
It was draining him.
If he wasn't so stubborn, his pitches would be toast by now.
Top of the seventh, Natsume's up to bat, leading off for Seidō.
"Even if I can't win, I'll make sure everyone knows how to beat you!" he spat out venomously.
His eyes locked on his opponent, burning with intensity.
He knew he might not win, but he could give Seidō's other opponents a leg up.
He was cool with a little self-sabotage if it meant messing with them.
Most people wouldn't do that.
Is it better to lose to a team that someone else beats later?
Or to win, climb the ladder, and own the whole thing?
Most would pick the second, but not him.
He wanted to make Seidō bleed.
Seidō's players saw the fire in his eyes.
They'd been holding back a little, but now they decided to play along.
Kusunoki Fumiya, leading off, swung at the first pitch.
He's their most consistent player, and this was his fourth time facing Natsume.
He knew those pitches like the back of his hand.
Ping!
He was on base, and Yoshida, the next batter, laid down a bunt.
Ping!
Textbook bunt. By the time Hachiya Oji got the ball to first, Yoshida was already there.
No outs, runners on first and second.
Third batter, Yūki Tetsuya, walks to the plate.
Natsume, feeling the pressure, decides to intentionally walk him.
No outs, bases loaded.
It was a calculated risk.
Everyone knows, the more runners on base, the tougher it is to score.
Why? Because the pitcher can zero in on the batter.
Natsume, being the ace, was thinking just that.
He wanted to force a crisis, then battle Seidō head-on.
And who's up? Azuma Kiyokuni, Seidō's cleanup hitter, their big gun.
Natsume knew getting anyone else out wouldn't matter as much. Taking down Azuma? That could shift the momentum.
Even if they can't win, they'd make Seidō work for it.
"If I'm going down, I'm taking you with me," he muttered resentfully.
He throws everything he's got at Azuma.
Azuma, a mountain of a man, locks eyes on the ball.
Boom!!
The bat explodes in a furious arc.
Ping!
The ball launched skyward.
Hundreds of eyes followed it as it sailed over the outfield, past the stadium wall.
"No way!" a fan shrieked in disbelief.
"Home run! He did it!" another yelled in amazement.
"Leave it to Azuma-senpai!" a third cheered enthusiastically.
Azuma was already a legend at Seidō, and this just cemented it.
A home run, four runs in one go.
What did this mean?