"The opponent did it on purpose?"
Miyuki's speculation was difficult for the Seido High School Baseball Team teammates to accept.
"Are you suffering from persecution paranoia, kid? Why would Osaka Kiryuu just give us an out for free?" Isashiki Jun asked, blowing his little beard.
"Maybe there is a reason," Tanaka Kakuei said after thinking more deeply. However, even he did not truly believe Miyuki's theory. "But I don't think Osaka Kiryuu High School would do that."
Intentionally sacrificing a batter would only make sense if it led to a more favorable offensive situation in the next inning. But Seido already had two outs. If that batter had managed to get a hit, the lineup would have cycled to Masaoka, Osaka Kiryuu High School's Fourth batter.
There didn't seem to be any reason for Osaka Kiryuu to deliberately give up that opportunity.
Moreover, such tactics were generally adopted by smaller teams. Those teams usually had only a few outstanding players, so they hoped to concentrate them together in the batting order. To achieve that, they would create opportunities deliberately.
But Osaka Kiryuu was different.
They were a famous Cosmic Team. There wasn't a single weak batter in their lineup. Especially at the Third batter position, even compared to their Fourth batter, there wasn't much difference.
How could such a player be intentionally sacrificed?
"Haha, you're overthinking it! This can only be attributed to Hidezawa's pitching!" Azuma Kiyokuni said with a laugh, stroking his big belly.
"You also think I'm overthinking it?"
Miyuki suddenly turned to Zhang Han, and everyone's gaze followed, landing on him.
Zhang Han looked at his teammates with an innocent expression.
He had tried so hard to keep a low profile, yet these troublesome guys still dragged him into the spotlight.
In truth, this wasn't strange.
Previously, people didn't pay much attention to Zhang Han because his status wasn't high enough. His opinions naturally wouldn't be taken too seriously.
But now things were different.
Zhang Han had hit three Homeruns and scored eleven runs. That performance placed him first among all players participating in Koshien this year.
It hadn't been too obvious during the West Tokyo Tournament, but at Koshien Stadium, Zhang Han had already become a force of nature.
He was now one of the most watched players in the tournament.
His status within the baseball team was completely different from before.
Because he had performed well, everyone was willing to trust him and listen to his opinion.
"Whether the opponent did it on purpose or if they have other intentions, I don't know," Zhang Han said calmly under their gaze.
"I only know that our current task is to score as much as possible and relieve pressure on Hidezawa-senpai."
"Well said!"
These words resonated deeply with the seniors.
Although they hadn't expressed it before, they had been feeling somewhat stifled.
Seido High School Baseball Team was currently suppressing Osaka Kiryuu, and almost everyone was praising Hidezawa.
It was as if everything was solely his credit.
But to be fair, hadn't he already given up four runs?
Although four runs weren't a disastrous number in a game like this, it wasn't insignificant either. Why was all the glory going to Hidezawa? What about the batters who had scored six runs?
Of course, they wouldn't openly voice such small emotions. After the game, once they calmed down, they would likely laugh it off.
But at this moment, such thoughts were natural.
Zhang Han had grasped this subtle feeling and shifted their focus.
They needed to score more runs to support Hidezawa.
Moreover, as far as this game was concerned, the outcome ultimately depended on which team's hitting lineup was stronger.
This was a hitting battle.
The result would be determined by offensive strength.
With overwhelming momentum, Seido's batters stepped up.
Facing them, Komochi on the pitcher's mound remained composed.
He had already recovered from his earlier poor state and was now able to fully utilize his strength. The Ace of the Cosmic Team, once he focused seriously, was formidable.
At this point, Komochi no longer underestimated Seido.
He clearly understood what kind of opponents stood before him.
These were opponents capable of overturning the game and defeating them. If he was careless, Osaka Kiryuu might stumble.
Komochi no longer concealed his new decisive pitch. Centering his strategy around it, he smoothly dealt with Hidezawa and Yamada.
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
Two outs, no one on base.
His state now was almost identical to Hidezawa's earlier condition.
Both seemed to have activated an unstoppable mode, cutting down everything in their path.
If there was any difference, it was that Hidezawa relied more on momentum and pitching velocity, while Komochi relied on his solid foundation and refined strength.
Komochi had always been one of the top pitchers in the country, even if he wasn't as famous as certain others.
Those pitchers were often the absolute cores of their teams, with strategies built entirely around them. Their individual performances directly determined wins or losses, giving them more opportunities to shine and greater fame.
In contrast, Osaka Kiryuu's lineup was so outstanding overall that Komochi had fewer chances to stand alone in the spotlight.
His fame might not match some others, but his strength was universally acknowledged.
He was one of the top pitchers in the country.
That was before developing his new Breaking ball.
After mastering the Forkball, even among the nation's elite pitchers, Komochi ranked near the top.
With such a pitcher going all out, even Hidezawa and Yamada struggled to get hits.
"Fourth batter, Third Baseman, Azuma Kiyokuni."
It was Azuma Kiyokuni's turn.
This matchup was highly anticipated.
Azuma had already hit four Homeruns in this Koshien Tournament. Although he hadn't scored as many runs as Zhang Han, in terms of raw power and hits, he surpassed him.
He was an undisputed monster.
Many considered him the top candidate for strongest hitter at this Koshien.
Although there were other contenders, so far, none had shown more dominance.
His level was clearly above Hidezawa and Yamada as a batter.
Now, Komochi, armed with his new decisive pitch, faced Azuma Kiyokuni, known as a monster.
The outcome of their second confrontation would, to a great extent, determine the future direction of this game.
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