"Wahhhhhhh!!!"
The Seidou second-string players in the dugout jumped up in excitent.
Even Coach Rei Takashima had a smile on her face.
These kids were performing amazingly well.
"Good job, keep it up like this…"
"No problem, we're going to give it our all today!"
The third-year senpai were full of fighting spirit.
From their perspective, this could very well be their last ga.
Whether or not they could get promoted to the first string didn't matter anymore.
Who would want to leave behind a bad mory in their final ga?
After Shimojii returned to the dugout, the players gathered around to congratulate him.
Compared to Zhou Hao, or even Miyuki who had just hit the ball, this strong third-year senpai didn't seem to stand out as much.
But still, the third-years from the second string surrounded him at the center.
In the days to co, they might no longer have the chance to wear Seidou High's baseball uniform and play on the field.
Let alone bring glory to the school and the team.
They had pinned all their hopes on the players before them now.
Unlike the geniuses Miyuki Kazuya and Zhou Hao, Shimojii's situation was more relatable.
A third-year with only average talent.
He had relied on sheer effort to climb up to the first string. And now, in this ga, he was performing spectacularly.
Both in batting and base-running, he was outstanding.
Coach Kataoka, standing in the umpire's position, had seen it all with his own eyes.
Shimojii would definitely be promoted.
"We're going to win for sure!"
"We will!!"
Shimojii, usually quiet and reserved, was also influenced by the energy of his teammates. He clenched his fists and pumped them into the air.
The other third-years imdiately echoed his passion.
In stark contrast to Seidou's fired-up mood—
The atmosphere on Matsuyama's side was heavy.
After their pitcher Midorima managed to take care of Seidou's sixth batter,
All their players returned to the dugout.
The Matsuyama High baseball coach scanned the faces of every player around him, but not a single one dared et his gaze.
If the ground could open up, they would've gladly crawled into it to escape.
They were all bracing for a thunderous scolding from their coach.
But surprisingly, it didn't co.
Instead, he clapped his hands loudly—clap clap clap!
When the players looked at him in confusion, he smiled and said,
"Do you know why I brought you all to play this match today?"
He didn't expect them to answer and continued,
"I wanted you to see with your own eyes what a true powerhouse looks like. If you can't beat a team like this, then forget about beating Chiba."
Chiba High School was the reigning powerhouse in their district.
"You think just because we made the semifinals, we've got a shot at Koshien? The truth is, you're still several levels below the real giants."
"I didn't let you play Seidou's first string because I didn't want to shatter your confidence. You thought Seidou's second string was on par with you because both teams were from regional top four? Get rid of those unrealistic fantasies. Take a good look at your actual strength. There's an old saying: 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' I want you to rember that well. Midorima!"
Before the players could fully absorb the speech, the coach turned to Midorima.
The chubby pitcher lifted his head.
"Focus. Believe in your pitching."
As he spoke, the coach clenched his own fist with encouragent.
"Yes, sir," Midorima replied, his voice low but firm.
When the ga resud, it was as if the Matsuyama players had transford.
Their cleanup hitter who stepped into the batter's box was radiating an aura of: I'm hitting this ball, no matter what!
Crack!
The incoming pitch was aggressively driven away.
Behind the plate, Miyuki stood up in shock.
"He hit that?!"
He couldn't believe the cleanup hitter managed to swat away a bad pitch.
The Seidou second-string fielders were just as stunned.
By the ti they realized the ball was in play, it was already rolling fast along the baseline.
The cleanup hitter reached second base, followed by a walk, and then a run batted in.
As soon as Matsuyama cald down and focused on the ga, their true strength as one of the district's top four ca out.
At the top of the second inning, they scored a run, narrowing the score to 2–1.
In the bottom of the second, Seidou's batters went down in order.
Top of the third, Kawakami delivered a powerful double play, swiftly taking down three outs and keeping Matsuyama from scoring.
Then ca the bottom of the third—Seidou's offense.
All eyes were on the leadoff hitter, Zhou Hao, who once again stepped into the batter's box.
With his earlier success, everyone in the Seidou dugout was excited to see what he'd do next.
"Knock it outta there!"
"All out! All out!!"
Especially Kuramochi, who cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to Zhou Hao like a cheerleader, instantly boosting the dugout's spirit several notches.
But even with the support of his teammates, Zhou Hao's swing had problems this ti.
Crack!
The bat made contact with the ball, and Zhou Hao thought it would fly out.
But he didn't expect that the ball carried so much force.
Even though he positioned his bat correctly, the ball's powerful impact nearly knocked the bat out of his hands. The angle he had set up was ruined.
The rebounding ball was snatched by Matsuyama's shortstop, who then threw it to first base.
Smack!
"Out!"
One out, no runners on base.
Whether it was the players in the dugout or the Seidou first-string mbers watching from the stands, everyone sighed.
What a sha!
He was just this close to getting his second hit of the ga.
Only Coach Kataoka, still standing in the umpire's position, stared thoughtfully at Zhou Hao as he walked back to the dugout.
Zhou Hao's bat had been forced off-angle by the power of the pitch.
But what if it hadn't?
Recalling Zhou Hao's first at-bat, where he cleanly drove the ball into the field, Kataoka's eyes—hidden behind his sunglasses—turned deep and sharp.
That might have been another base hit.
This kid might be even more talented than he originally thought.
"What a pity. Our team isn't lacking in batters right now. He'll have to stay in the second string a little longer to build a strong foundation."
Just like Zhou Hao's talent, his weaknesses were also obvious.
Compared to the other Seidou players, his fundantals were too weak.
The ga continued. Fourth inning, fifth inning…
It wasn't until the end of the fifth inning that the real climax of the match began.
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