Seido High School had already recorded five hits, and their batting lineup was about to enter its third rotation. As for Inashiro, their second rotation had only just begun.
No one expected Inashiro Industrial to still be without a single hit.
In the stands, fans whispered among themselves. Many people present hadn't anticipated this outcome.
Inashiro had never truly dominated West Tokyo like an absolute king, but over the past decade, they were usually the ones laughing last. Even when they didn't take the championship, they still battled back and forth with their opponents in the semifinals and finals, always fighting to the very end.
Even in defeat, they lost with dignity.
Their strength had never been questioned.
But now, just three innings in, they were already down by three runs. The entire flow of the game was completely controlled by their opponent.
This was the first time such a situation had appeared since Coach Kunimoto began leading Inashiro.
The gap in strength between the two teams was obvious to the naked eye.
Among the spectators were fans who deeply loved Ichidai Third High School. They felt especially bitter watching this scene.
Their team had been wronged.
With Inashiro's current strength, they could still reach the semifinals. Yet Ichidai Third High School had been eliminated back in the quarterfinals.
Looking at it now, wasn't Ichidai clearly stronger than Inashiro?
Inashiro's batting lineup couldn't even handle Hidezawa, let alone Kameshima. They would never have been able to apply that much pressure on Kameshima, and he wouldn't have had to leave the game early due to physical issues.
Human imagination was endless.
Inashiro Industrial had already been placed into countless hypothetical situations in the minds of the spectators.
The strikeout at the start of the fourth inning didn't just affect the fans. The players on the field were stirred as well.
Especially the Seido players.
Even they hadn't expected the game to unfold this smoothly.
Inashiro Industrial, a team they once thought unreachable, was now being suppressed without any ability to fight back.
The Seido players were brimming with excitement.
Seido High School baseball had endured countless hardships. Now that they finally had a chance to shine, there was no way they would let it slip away.
Inashiro's second batter stepped up and showed no resistance. He was quickly dealt with.
After making contact, his hands nearly went numb.
Hidezawa's pitching strength had reached a level that felt impossible to overcome.
Two outs. Bases empty.
Coach Kunimoto had deliberately moved his core batters up in the order, but it didn't seem to make any difference.
As long as no one got a hit, everyone still only had three chances at the plate.
And that was assuming Seido didn't end the game early.
If the score kept widening, it was unclear whether the game would even reach the ninth inning.
At shortstop, Zhang Han felt deeply puzzled.
As far back as middle school, he had constantly heard people talk about how terrifying Inashiro was and how incredible Coach Kunimoto's leadership had been.
In his mind, Inashiro Industrial wasn't just strong. They were synonymous with dominance.
So how could they look this fragile?
To be honest, Ichidai's performance yesterday had been several times stronger than Inashiro's.
Zhang Han muttered to himself. The scene in front of him was truly confusing.
Was Inashiro really this weak?
Just as Zhang Han was lost in thought, Inashiro's players finally revealed their fangs.
With two outs, Nishimonji stepped into the batter's box.
He crowded the inside edge of the strike zone, pressing his body close. His eyes locked onto Hidezawa on the mound, filled with an unmistakable challenge.
Miyuki immediately became alert.
Setting everything else aside, the opponent's hitting power was unquestionable. Anyone capable of throwing pitches over 140 kilometers per hour possessed terrifying raw strength.
Otherwise, how could they throw that fast?
Miyuki signaled for the pitch.
On the mound, Hidezawa frowned slightly.
He always felt Miyuki was being too conservative.
Though reluctant, Hidezawa had successfully handled opponents by following Miyuki's calls before. There was no reason to object now.
So he forced himself to throw that pitch.
And it was that very pitch that Nishimonji caught.
"Ping!"
Nishimonji swung decisively, sending the ball flying.
Seido's second baseman, Tanaka, sprinted desperately toward the landing point, but he was one step too late. All he could do was watch the ball sail past him.
Nishimonji secured Inashiro's first hit.
Behind the plate, Miyuki was momentarily stunned.
What was going on with these powerhouse schools in West Tokyo?
Every one of their pitchers could hit.
Seido's ace, Hidezawa, batted second and was known as one of Seido's Three Musketeers.
Inashiro's Nishimonji was now batting third and had previously been their fifth batter. He was also a core hitter. Ichidai's Kameshima was their captain and cleanup hitter.
There was nothing wrong with Hidezawa's pitch just now.
Yet it was still hit cleanly.
All Miyuki could do was acknowledge the opponent's strength.
At this moment, Miyuki Kazuya still hadn't realized that their real crisis had quietly arrived.
Two outs. A runner on first base.
The next batter was Inashiro's cleanup hitter, Fujita.
He raised his bat high. His body stood firm like a mountain, radiating overwhelming pressure.
It was impossible not to notice him.
Miyuki grew even more cautious, carefully selecting his pitch calls.
Unexpectedly, Hidezawa, who usually trusted Miyuki completely, shook his head.
Miyuki frowned. A vague sense of unease crept in.
Still, he changed the pitch call.
Then changed it again.
Hidezawa remained unsatisfied.
Only when Miyuki signaled for a straight fastball did Hidezawa finally nod.
"Whoosh!"
Hidezawa poured all his strength into the throw.
Miyuki's pupils suddenly shrank.
How could this be?
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball head-on, scooping the white sphere cleanly into the air.
The ball flew farther and farther, soaring toward the deepest part of the field.
Isashiki Jun kept retreating, but the distance only grew.
"Thud…"
The baseball slammed heavily into the outfield stands.
Without any warning, Inashiro Industrial's cleanup hitter, Fujita, blasted a two-run home run.
The score became 3–2.
The gap between the two teams was reduced to just one run.
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