"Ball!"
"Ball!"
"Ball!"
"Ball!"
"Walk!"
With two outs and a runner on first base, Nakata Hisashi, who had been pitching steadily just moments earlier, threw four consecutive balls and issued a walk. The sudden loss of control stunned the stadium. The fans in the stands immediately responded with a chorus of boos, clearly unable to accept such a turn of events at this crucial moment.
"This trash!" Matsumoto Takahiro's usually composed and gentle expression twisted uncontrollably.
Tanaka. Hidezawa. Yamada.
If they could have just retired one of those three batters, Osaka Kiryuu would have ended the inning right there. Even if it was not perfect, their original plan of controlled pitcher rotation could still have been carried out smoothly. Instead, they had not only allowed a free base but also rotated the lineup back to Azuma Kiyokuni. The situation had suddenly become dangerous. Even Matsumoto himself could no longer predict the outcome with certainty.
Many fans echoed similar frustrations. "I thought Nakata was really strong in the first two innings. I didn't expect him to collapse like this." Their disappointment was evident, but not everyone saw the situation so simply.
Fujio from Baseball Kingdom Magazine observed with a calmer eye. From his perspective, Nakata's pitching had not suddenly deteriorated. In fact, the quality of his pitches remained solid. The issue lay elsewhere.
Both Tanaka and Hidezawa had attacked the very first pitch they saw. That was not coincidence. It was preparation. They had studied Nakata's tendencies and anticipated where he preferred to place his opening pitch. Acting decisively, they swung without hesitation and were rewarded.
However, even that strategy carried risk. Seido was likely gambling based on informed speculation rather than certainty. They did not have complete confidence. They simply trusted their analysis and committed fully. Fortunately for them, the gamble paid off.
From Nakata's perspective, the psychological impact was severe. Once might be coincidence. Twice suggested that his patterns had been deciphered. If he believed Seido had seen through his approach, how could he continue pitching boldly into the strike zone? Doubt crept in, and hesitation followed.
What appeared to be an accidental breakdown actually had inevitability. The mental pressure accumulated rapidly, and Nakata was the one who collapsed under it.
Matsumoto did not hesitate.
"Substitution!"
From the moment Nakata issued the walk, Matsumoto had already made up his mind. Prestigious schools might appear enviable from the outside, but few understood the ruthless competition within them. Too many talented players waited for opportunities. If one faltered, another stepped in. Directors of powerhouse programs rarely tolerated extended mistakes.
Seido faced similar internal competition, but today it was Osaka Kiryuu making the decisive move.
Komochi, their ace, took the mound.
This substitution surprised Seido's players. They had initially assumed Osaka Kiryuu would strictly follow a pitcher rotation strategy, allowing each pitcher to throw a set number of innings before switching. Bringing in the ace so early suggested a shift in approach.
Perhaps Osaka Kiryuu had abandoned gradual rotation in favor of a direct confrontation. After all, their overall strength was superior. In a straightforward duel, they likely held the advantage.
Azuma Kiyokuni stepped into the batter's box facing this new reality. Two outs. Runners on first and second. The pressure was immense.
Komochi's first pitch was sharp and decisive. It targeted Azuma's known weakness without hesitation. Unlike Nakata, who had displayed subtle caution during his earlier attempts, Komochi showed no doubt. He believed firmly that this pitch would trouble Azuma.
Azuma saw it clearly and swung powerfully.
The bat cut through the air with force.
But it missed.
The ball settled into the catcher's mitt.
"Strike!"
Komochi felt his confidence rise. Seido had improved tremendously over the past two months, but weaknesses did not vanish overnight. If a hitter could easily conquer a known vulnerability, it would not be called a weakness in the first place.
He returned to the same location.
Again.
Azuma tried to adjust but managed only to foul the second pitch away.
"Foul ball!"
Two strikes.
Pressure mounted.
Azuma's expression grew serious. He understood the challenge. Even knowing the pitch location, handling it cleanly was difficult. He had worked to improve against that specific weakness, but the results were inconsistent. The swing required was awkward, and mishits often resulted in shallow fly balls.
He exhaled sharply.
Komochi was deliberately targeting him, exploiting his weakness without mercy. It was logical strategy, but it still irritated him.
However, two months had passed.
He was no longer the same hitter.
Azuma subtly stepped back half a step in the batter's box. The adjustment was small but meaningful. By shifting his stance, the problematic pitch was effectively relocated by more than twenty centimeters relative to his swing path. It was no longer perfectly aligned with his weakest zone.
He might not be completely comfortable, but he was no longer helpless.
The next pitch came.
Azuma swung decisively.
"Ping!"
The sound was clean.
The ball shot into the gap between the shortstop and the second baseman, traveling dozens of meters before landing and bouncing into the outfield.
"Safe!"
Azuma sprinted to first base without hesitation.
Yamada, originally on first, advanced aggressively to third.
Hidezawa, who had started the play on second, rounded third at full speed and crossed home plate before the throw could even approach.
The scoreboard changed again.
Four to three.
The deficit shrank to a single run.
Seido High School had clawed its way back.
The tension that had dominated the early innings shifted once more. What began as a one sided suppression had transformed into a fierce hitting battle. The momentum was no longer firmly in Osaka Kiryuu's hands, and the outcome of the game had become far less certain.
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