On the stands of Jingu Stadium, the fans supporting Seido High School Baseball Team looked at the Ichidai Third High School supporters opposite them with a satisfied, arrogant gaze. It was as if humans' tailbones had degenerated; otherwise, they would have already wagged their tails.
Having secured such a significant advantage in the first inning, as staunch supporters of Seido, they certainly had the right to look down on their opponents. So what if they were among the top eight in Spring Koshien?
When they met Seido High School Baseball Team, they would still be defeated. Don't assume that just because everyone made it to the top eight of Koshien, they were evenly matched. There was still a fundamental difference between being in the top eight of Summer Koshien and being in the top eight of the Spring Koshien Selection Tournament.
On the other side, an assistant responsible for filming for Tokyo Television looked at the changes on the field and said with some disappointment.
"Ichidai Third High School's luck is too bad. Losing so many runs at the start makes this game lose all suspense."
Upon hearing the assistant's words, Reporter Nitta shot him a glare, startling him.
"What do you know? This is the best outcome. I don't believe that Ichidai Third High School can still hold back their strength in the face of Seido's dominant performance."
"With such a large score difference, what suspense is left in the game? Even if Ichidai Third High School goes all out, it's too difficult to turn the tide. A game without suspense, then it's also..."
"What's wrong with that? Who stipulated that a final must be evenly matched? Two powerhouses showcasing a world of difference isn't bad either. The process of the game is certainly important, but it's not the decisive factor. As long as the result is shocking enough, everything is worth it."
Leading a program alone, even if only for about a month, Nitta had made significant progress. He had gradually come to understand what their television station needed and what the audience in front of their televisions needed.
Whether the score was lopsided or the game was one-sided, as long as the game hadn't ended, there was still suspense. This way, fans supporting both teams would continue to watch, and the ratings would follow.
He could seize this opportunity to help the television station make a fortune. Setting aside sentimental matters, television programs essentially served two purposes: promotion and making money.
They had already achieved both goals by broadcasting the Spring Tournament of the Tokyo teams. Was the game exciting? Of course that was also very important. But as long as they completed their tasks, they didn't really need to care that much.
Reporters on site continuously photographed the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout. Even players from other regional powerhouses who had specifically come to scout the Tokyo finals now focused most of their attention on Seido High School Baseball Team's players. The performance of the Seido players had brought them too much shock.
They could only give a thumbs up and say, "They truly live up to their reputation as the team with the strongest offense in the nation!"
So what if it was Ichidai Third High School? So what if it was a national top powerhouse? So what if it was among the top eight in the Spring Koshien Selection Tournament? Facing the fully unleashed Seido High School Baseball Team, they didn't even have time to show their strength before being crushed. This was strength.
From Seido's perspective, this was their performance to prove themselves. They fully demonstrated that their offensive power was not just empty talk, but earned through their bats.
However, from Ichidai Third High School's perspective, today's game was equivalent to Seido High School Baseball Team giving them a harsh slap in the face. Not only were they slapped, but the five runs left behind were like a five-fingered slap mark.
Ichidai Third High School had truly lost face. It should be noted that even when Seido High School Baseball Team played against weaker teams, they rarely had such a brilliant start. The current situation seemed as if Ichidai Third High School had deliberately caused it.
The only thing that made them feel relieved was that their Ace had not collapsed. Although Manaka was battered after being continuously hit, he still hadn't collapsed. His subsequent pitches still demonstrated a very high level. He successively retired the seventh and eighth batters of Seido High School, successfully securing three outs and ending the inning.
In the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout, Coach Kataoka watched as Manaka Kaname, who remained steady despite giving up a four-run Homerun, performed admirably. He felt incredibly envious.
Compared to Ichidai Third High School and Inashiro, Seido High School Baseball Team had one fatal weakness. Both of those teams had stable Aces, and most importantly, their Aces, whether in terms of strength or fighting spirit, were very resilient. Even if they suffered a major setback, they could stabilize the situation.
Just like Manaka Kaname in front of him. Even after giving up five consecutive runs and a Homerun, he could quickly adjust his rhythm and get outs. In contrast, their team's current number one, Tanba.
Although his pitching technique and the weapons he possessed were considered top-notch, he himself couldn't reach such a high level. What Tanba lacked the most compared to Manaka was precisely this. In the same situation, if it were Tanba, he would probably find it very difficult to maintain this state.
Bottom of the first inning, Ichidai Third High School's offense.
The players from Seido High School Baseball Team took to the field with soaring morale. If they could firmly hold this inning, they wouldn't have completely taken control of the game, but it would be close. After all, a five-run deficit was simply too large, even for Ichidai Third High School.
Tanba's initial performance was good; he successfully dealt with Ichidai Third High School's first batter.
"Smack!"
"Out!"
One out, no one on base.
Seeing Tanba's performance, the players from Seido High School Baseball Team felt quite relieved, thinking that perhaps they would win smoothly today. They didn't expect Ichidai Third High School to bring them such a big surprise next.
First, Miyakawa, the second batter, after fouling off five or six pitches, chose a Fastball and hit the ball. It bounced off the ground, and Miyakawa smoothly ran to First Base.
"Safe!"
One out, runner on First Base.
Immediately after, Hoshida, the third batter, also got a hit, not to be outdone. Tanba gave up consecutive hits. One out, runners on First Base and Third Base.
At this point, the Seido High School Baseball Team players already sensed the crisis. Miyuki even called a timeout to discuss strategy with Tanba. But the final result did not change because of it.
Omae, Ichidai Third High School's fourth batter, as famous as Yuuki, cleanly hit a three-run Homerun. From the second batter to the fourth batter, Ichidai Third High School completed the entire process in less than five minutes. They had caught up by three runs, setting the score at 5:3.
In the Seido High School Baseball Team dugout, Coach Kataoka suppressed his anger, which was why he didn't immediately make a substitution. However, his dissatisfaction with Tanba, and with Seido's current pitcher's mound situation, was clearly written on his face.
Seido had just slapped Ichidai Third High School's face, and now they had cleanly returned the favor. This was a give and take, with no one owing anything.
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