From the very beginning of the game, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team displayed an unparalleled dominance.
First, their top three batters perfectly coordinated for a squeeze play.
Immediately after, their Fourth Batter, Harada Masatoshi, hit a clean Homerun, helping Inashiro extend their lead to two runs.
From a momentum standpoint, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team had perfectly seized control of the game.
The intense competition at Koshien Stadium hadn't extinguished their passion. If anything, it had turned these players into something fiercer.
In the dugout of the Yakushi High School Baseball Team, a neatly dressed, sunny and handsome middle-aged man squinted, observing his opponents.
"As expected of the team that just became National Champions. Their demeanor is truly different."
Playing against such an opponent, if they couldn't take the initiative, they would undoubtedly be at a huge disadvantage as the game went on.
They couldn't let this continue.
He glanced at Sanada resting in the dugout.
Not yet.
Even if they put all their cards on the table now, their current strength wasn't enough to defeat Inashiro Industrial.
They still needed to wait for an opportunity.
The middle-aged man suppressed his desire to act and watched as his team fell behind.
At that moment, he made up his mind.
If they lost this game, so be it. They could save their trump cards for the summer.
They had already secured a seeded spot. As long as they weren't particularly unlucky and avoided other seeded teams early, their path to advancement should still be relatively smooth.
However, just as the middle-aged man had given up on winning, the game had other ideas.
In the subsequent innings, the Yakushi High School Baseball Team seemed to be favored by luck.
While they couldn't score against the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, they also prevented any further runs from being scored.
Their pitcher steadily worked through the order, getting out after out.
Before Harada could come up as the Fourth Batter again, the pitcher had smoothly carried them through to the third inning.
Although there was no progress on offense, the defense of the Yakushi High School Baseball Team was truly impressive.
"They actually held them off?"
The middle-aged man, who had already given up on the game in his heart, had to reconsider.
"Pop!"
"Out!"
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout!!"
In the bottom of the third inning, Inashiro Industrial's relief pitcher powerfully retired two opponents in a row, giving them no chance to reach base.
So far, he hadn't given up a single hit.
His performance was extremely strong.
Even though Inashiro Industrial's luck hadn't been great in these innings, it was precisely because of this relief pitcher's excellent performance that they hadn't been completely overwhelmed in terms of momentum.
The Seido High School Baseball Team players in the stands exchanged glances.
"I didn't expect even their relief pitcher to be this good. He's not worse than other teams' Aces, is he?"
This feeling of dominance made the Seido players envious.
Especially when they thought about their own Ace.
They couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Tanba didn't seem to have much of an advantage over the opponent's relief pitcher.
Everyone was discussing Inashiro's strength.
Zhang Han, on the other hand, didn't feel anything particularly alarming.
He acknowledged that Inashiro Industrial's relief pitcher was an excellent pitcher. But Zhang Han was confident that if they faced each other, he would find a way to make contact.
What surprised him more was Yakushi High School's performance. Even with their team trailing, these players were swinging actively and without hesitation.
They seemed to feel no pressure, fully enjoying the game. It didn't feel like a team that had made it to the top 16 at all. It felt more like a group of players who had just discovered the sport.
That atmosphere made Zhang Han a little envious.
In competitive sports, no matter how loud the slogans were, winning and losing remained the primary measure of a team.
No matter how much fun was had on the field, a team eliminated in the first round wouldn't attract anyone's attention for long.
The most remarkable thing about Yakushi High School was that they had preserved the purest enjoyment of the game while also showing genuine ambition.
Three innings played, and they hadn't allowed Inashiro to add to their lead. Luck had played a part, but the most fundamental reason was their own ability.
These players were genuinely good.
Keeping Inashiro scoreless was the proof.
Another point: although they hadn't scored yet, that didn't mean their offense was without effect.
Sweat had already begun forming on the forehead of Inashiro Industrial's relief pitcher. He wiped it with his arm more than once.
It wasn't midsummer. It was only early April, temperatures in the low teens, with a spring breeze blowing.
Pitching three innings in those conditions had already brought him to this state. The pressure Yakushi High School's batters had put on him was real.
That aggressive hitting style could lead to significant changes later in the game.
Just as Zhang Han was thinking this, the situation on the field shifted.
The quiet middle-aged man had stepped forward and called for a pinch hitter.
Bottom of the third inning, two outs.
Just one more out and Inashiro Industrial would close the inning.
No one expected Yakushi to make a move at this moment. The timing made no sense to anyone watching.
The pinch hitter coming in for the Ninth Batter was a slender first-year player.
"A first-year!"
The Seido players exchanged glances.
Their disbelief needed no words.
How long had first-years been on the team? Two weeks at most.
What were the Seido High School Baseball Team's own first-years doing right now? Still working through basic training, without having touched a bat or ball yet.
Seido was a prestigious school with strict rules, but even at most other teams, this was the norm.
For players who had just entered high school, the priority wasn't catching up on training. It was building physical strength and endurance.
Yakushi High School Baseball Team was a well-known strong team in West Tokyo. This was far outside convention.
Either that, or this player named Akiba was someone their coach considered worth bending the rules for.
The teammates' guesses were soon confirmed.
Akiba stepped onto the field and swung his bat without hesitation.
"Ping!"
The moment the ball was hit, everyone was stunned.
Although some had sensed that something unexpected might happen, when it actually did, they still felt disoriented.
This was Inashiro. The National Champions.
They hadn't suffered any post-tournament effects. They hadn't lost form or stamina from the grind of Koshien.
Judging from the first two games, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team remained as strong as ever.
How could such a powerful pitcher be hit like that?
The ball was in play, and the batter successfully reached Second Base.
Two outs, runner on Second Base.
The Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team players felt a sudden shift. Clearly, they hadn't anticipated this.
In the dugout, Narumiya Mei raised both hands and called out to his teammates.
"It's nothing. Just a lucky shot. Don't let it get to you. Get the last out, Iguchi-senpai!!"
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