"The Tokyo Spring Tournament final, Seido High School versus Ichidai Third High School, has now begun!"
The stands of Jingu Stadium were packed with people. Although the outfield seats were not open, the other sections were already mostly filled with spectators.
In addition to Tokyo Television, there were at least a dozen other media outlets with reporters filming, as well as more than a dozen teams from other regions. They had all come to watch this game.
When Nitta saw this scene, he almost shed tears. They had been worried for so long, and now it seemed the problem was finally resolved. With so many spectators, the ratings were sure to be good. Even if the final was not as intense as expected and the two teams didn't fall for it, the live audience and ratings alone would be enough for him to account for.
At the very least, the Baseball Shonen program could conclude perfectly.
As for the program's level, whether there was a possibility for further improvement was not something their reporters and television station could decide; it depended on the performance of the two teams in the game.
Nitta's heart quickly settled completely. The players from Seido and Ichidai Third High School taking the field immediately gave him a sense of impending confrontation. They were all playing with their full main lineup, showing no intention of holding back.
The spectators were also incredibly excited to see this, vigorously waving their cheering tools to support the players of both teams on the field.
Of course, the happiest were those players from other regions of Kanto who had specifically come to watch this game. They were here to scout for the Kanto Tournament.
They had originally thought that Seido and Ichidai Third High School, having already qualified for the Kanto Tournament, would likely hold back their strength. They didn't even expect to see the main players' performance; they would have considered it a great gain just to observe their lineup and strategy.
They never expected the people of Tokyo to be so enthusiastic, presenting them with a luxurious gift. If they didn't record this well, it would be too ungrateful for such enthusiasm. Everyone who came to watch the game turned on their recording equipment. They wouldn't miss a single detail; everything would be recorded.
Although the coaches of both teams had already prepared for this, they still felt uncomfortable seeing those people openly taking advantage. This was too much of a loss. But there was no choice. As prestigious schools, they had their own honor and responsibility. Under the Tokyo Television cameras, neither of them was willing to concede defeat.
And so, the game began.
The first to attack were the boys of Seido High School Baseball Team. The pitcher sent out by Ichidai Third High School was their Ace, Manaka Kaname. Manaka Kaname, who had just fought hard at Koshien, had pitched too intensely there, and his performance at the beginning of the Spring Tournament was not very good. However, he quickly found his form later. In the words of the reporter, Manaka Kaname, who had experienced the Koshien battle, had evolved. Having seen a higher stage, he had undergone a complete transformation. He might not have adapted at first, but once he did, his strength would surely increase significantly.
Now, this statement seemed to be verified. Manaka Kaname's performance in the semifinals was eye-opening. Now, facing Seido, Manaka Kaname took the mound from the very beginning. This also fully demonstrated how much Ichidai Third High School valued this game. They were determined to win.
"First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi."
Kuramochi stepped into the batter's box first, glaring intently at the man on the pitcher's mound. In two consecutive games, his performance hadn't been very good. People's impression of him seemed to be limited to just his speed.
And this one aspect had been questioned privately for a long time. After all, if he couldn't get on base, what good was his speed, even if he were faster than Usain Bolt? Ultimately, it still came down to his hitting ability. He had to hit the ball to have a chance to fully display his abilities.
The man on the pitcher's mound was Ichidai Third High School's Ace, rumored to have performed very well in the Spring Koshien. He was, without a doubt, a top-tier pitcher. Of course, Manaka was not without weaknesses.
It might not have been very obvious originally, but ever since returning from Koshien, Manaka's weakness had become apparent. He wasn't very stable at the beginning of the game. In the last game, Manaka pitched five innings and gave up two hits, both of which occurred in the first inning. He only started to show his true strength after runners were on First Base and Third Base.
Why did Manaka Kaname undergo such a change after the Koshien game? Kuramochi didn't know, nor did he need to know. He only needed to know that Manaka Kaname had such a weakness.
The opportunity was the first pitch. Otherwise, once this man got into his rhythm, with his own strength, it would probably be very difficult.
"Whoosh!"
Facing Seido, Manaka Kaname's fighting spirit was very high. This could be seen from his pitching motion; he was throwing very hard. But for some reason, the harder he threw, the less his pitch speed came out.
Coach Tahara, seeing this, raised his eyebrows slightly.
"Manaka seems to have become greedier since returning from Koshien."
Precisely because he wanted too much, he became lost, unable to even properly utilize what he originally possessed. Just like this pitch, the ball speed didn't come out at all.
"Ping!"
Kuramochi, seeing the baseball flying towards him, didn't hesitate at all. He directly swung his bat, sending the baseball out. Even after it landed in the outfield, the fans in the stands still seemed somewhat disbelieving. Especially the die-hard supporters of Seido; they couldn't help but doubt their eyes.
What just happened?
Wasn't today's opponent Ichidai Third High School, a Koshien quarterfinalist? Wasn't the pitcher on the mound the famous Manaka Kaname? It was worth noting that even at Koshien, the current Manaka already had a certain reputation. How was his first pitch hit out?
If it was Zhang Han or Yuuki who hit the ball out, Seido's supporters could easily accept it. Even if it was Isashiki Jun or Kominato Ryosuke, those third-year players, they could accept that too.
But why was it Kuramochi?
When playing against Yakushi and Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team before, Kuramochi was easily dealt with. Some more vocal fans had already considered him a disgrace to Seido High School Baseball's upper batting order.
How embarrassing for the die-hard Seido supporters who had posted complaints about him online.
Watching Kuramochi run to Second Base like a leopard, the stadium first fell silent, then erupted in huge cheers.
"This is what a final should look like!"
They felt that the Spring Tournament finals in previous years were fake finals, their quality far inferior to this one.
Fujio, a senior reporter for Baseball Kingdom Magazine, arrived late with a beautiful assistant. He entered just as he saw this scene.
"It really did heat up..."
************************************
Upto 50 Chapters In Advance At: P@treon/Vividreader123