Successfully dealing with Koushin Academy's third batter, Kawakami Ryohi, Lin Guanglai secured the third out of the inning, and the two sides switched between offense and defense, with Waseda Jitsugyo up next.
Given the importance of the final, Izumi Minoru employed the same conservative strategy in the opening stage of the offense - as long as the first batter, Chongxin Shen Zhong, could get on base, the subsequent two batters' task was to advance him to third base, leaving the decisive play to the strongest, Lin Guanglai.
Of course, after Lin Guanglai was intentionally walked four times in the semifinals, Izumi Minoru learned his lesson. To ensure the team's continuous firepower, he placed the batter with a higher average, Yagaki Kentaro, in the fifth spot right after Lin Guanglai. Meanwhile, Hagiyama Mitsuo, with a low average but strong long-hit ability, was put in the ninth spot to bridge the lineup.
