Whether it was Zhang Han or Azuma Kiyokuni, both of them desperately wanted to hit more ho runs.
But perhaps they were being too opportunistic, or perhaps luck simply wasn't on their side. No matter how hard they tried, neither of them managed to send another ball over the fence.
How should that feeling be described?
It was like punching cotton there was no resistance at all, yet it felt unbearably empty and powerless, as if every effort disappeared into nothingness. Zhang Han's at-bat ended with nothing more than a long hit to Second Base.
No outs, runner on Second Base.
At this point, the seventh batter stepped up.
Isashiki Jun had already been substituted, and not just him. After the sixth inning, Seido High School Baseball Team's lead had expanded to nine runs.
In other words, there was no longer any suspense in the ga. In regional tournants, a situation like this might have led to an early rcy rule ending.
Under these circumstances, even the usually cautious Coach Kataoka began giving opportunities to substitute players.
One player after another was sent onto the field. Everyone had co all the way to Koshien; they deserved at least a chance to play.
To so extent, Director Kataoka was a very gentle person.
Of course, having learned from the previous ga, he did not dare to replace Ace Pitcher Hidezawa.
Even though Shinko High School was being completely suppressed by Seido High School Baseball Team, they were still a prestigious school with a deep foundation.
Although their players had largely given up ntally, a dying ember could still reignite.
If the situation changed drastically, the Shinko players already demoralized might co up with sothing unpredictable. And Seido High School Baseball Team absolutely could not afford to face such a situation again.
They truly did not want to relive that experience, and neither Director Kataoka nor Manager Ota had the nerves for it.
They were also well aware of the consequences of letting the Ace Pitcher shoulder the entire burden alone.
But there was no other choice.
There simply were no reliable substitute pitchers in Seido High School Baseball Team's dugout. To put it bluntly, the gap in ability between the substitutes and the Ace was far too great.
Under these circumstances, how could Kataoka dare to send a substitute pitcher onto the mound?
This predicant also made Kataoka realize a truth: it was ti to cultivate new pitchers.
Koichiro Tanba had always been grood as Seido High School Baseball Team's next Ace.
In the past, although Director Kataoka worried that Tanba's strength and personality might make it difficult for him to carry the team, there had been no other choice.
For several years, Seido High School Baseball Team had suffered from a lack of promising pitcher prospects.
If not for that, they would never have had two new pitching talents erge the following year and quickly take on important roles in the first-string lineup. If Seido truly had a reliable Ace, those two newcors would have needed at least another half year to develop.
That, however, was a story for later.
At this mont, Kataoka had no idea how fortunate he would be in the future. Right now, he was only worried that Tanba's strength was simply not enough.
At best, Tanba could be considered a rotation pitcher and even that was still questionable.
Kataoka's gaze unconsciously fell on Zhang Han.
Zhang Han's learning speed and rate of improvent were astonishing.
They had originally estimated that it would take at least a year and a half before his left arm could be used effectively.
Now, it seed it wouldn't take nearly that long.
Perhaps they could even test it during the Autumn Tournant.
They believed that by the start of Zhang Han's second year, his left-handed pitching would be almost ready.
At that point, it would be hard to say who between him and Tanba would beco the team's Ace.
Director Kataoka was lost in these optimistic fantasies.
As for this Koshien tournant, although they were giving it their all, Kataoka knew very clearly that with Seido's shallow pitching depth, the team could not go all the way.
They could only take it one step at a ti and see how far they could go.
"Ping!"
The substitute third-year senior barely made contact with the ball. It floated weakly into the field, was quickly intercepted, and thrown to First Base.
"Pop!"
"Out!!"
One out, runner on Second Base.
Most of the audience believed that Seido High School Baseball Team's offense was about to end.
Azuma Kiyokuni and Zhang Han, due to their records, had both been aiming for ho runs and didn't concern themselves too much with their swings.
But logically speaking, the other players on Seido High School Baseball Team shouldn't have been swinging so freely.
After all, they had already pushed their opponent to this extent. Ending the ga as quickly as possible was the wisest choice.
Otherwise, if they provoked their opponent too much and Shinko High School's players acted irrationally, it would be too late to regret it.
That was why, when the score difference beca especially large, the leading team often chose to ease off a little and preserve everyone's dignity.
However, there were always exceptions.
Seido's next batter was Miyuki.
Because Hidezawa, the Ace Pitcher, had not been replaced, the catcher naturally remained the sa.
Hidezawa's pitching had beco increasingly unpredictable.
Even his teammates who trained with him every day could clearly feel how much he had improved.
Originally, very few people could handle his pitches. Now, only Miyuki remained.
Only this first-year had managed to keep up with Hidezawa's growth.
And now, he was standing in the batter's box.
At first, Shinko High School's players didn't pay much attention.
They believed there was already an unspoken understanding between the two teams.
To be honest, with the score already at 17–1, Shinko High School was on the verge of becoming the biggest embarrassnt among all prestigious schools.
But they hadn't expected just how low so people's bottom line could be on Seido High School Baseball Team.
Do you want to score at Koshien?
No matter how large the lead is, this is still personal glory.
For a young man who has dread of standing on the Koshien stage since childhood, how many could truly resist such temptation?
In Miyuki's eyes, the pitches thrown by the replacent pitcher were like at delivered straight to his doorstep.
It was impossible not to take a bite.
In the end, Miyuki gave in to temptation.
Seeing the at right in front of him, he stepped forward and took a clean bite.
"Ping!"
The ordinary fastball was struck hard and sent soaring into the sky.
The white ball traveled over a hundred ters and landed in the left-field stands.
With that, Seido High School Baseball Team hit their fifth ho run, and the score changed once again.
The total score beca 19–1.
That was also the final score of the ga.
As Hidezawa cleanly recorded the final three outs, the ga officially ca to an end.
Seido High School Baseball Team beca the first team to advance to the national top eight.
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The final chapter of Volu 1 is now live on P@treon! If you're curious about how the tournant all unfolds, check it out at: P@treon/Vividreader123
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