With three Homeruns, Seido High School Baseball Team consecutively closed the gap by five runs.
The score on the field became 11:7.
All of Yakushi High School Baseball Team's previous efforts now seemed like a joke. Although they had defeated Inashiro, once a powerhouse team was prepared, the gap in strength between the two sides was still very obvious.
Even though Seido High School Baseball still had some unstable factors and couldn't be 100% sure of victory, looking at the current situation, Yakushi High School Baseball Team's hope of turning the tables was already minuscule.
In the stands, the die-hard supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team were as proud as peacocks. They had already begun to fan their colorful tails.
"Yakushi is performing quite well!"
"Exactly, especially their hitters, their offensive firepower is very strong."
They didn't mock Yakushi; instead, they praised them. Only such a performance could show their confidence and magnanimity. Even if Yakushi High School Baseball Team was strong, so what? Wasn't it still their Seido High School Baseball Team that was leading by four runs and about to win the game?
Yakushi still had a long way to go.
It wasn't just the fans in the stands who were shocked. There were also many scouts from other baseball teams who had specifically come to watch the Seido and Yakushi game. Their hearts were like riding a roller coaster, almost jumping out from the excitement.
To be honest, most people might not be able to handle this kind of excitement. The strength displayed by both teams was enough to make everyone tremble with fear. Thinking from another perspective, if their own team encountered Seido or Yakushi, what would be the final result? Just thinking about it made them feel cold all over, and they didn't want to continue thinking about it at all.
No chance.
If it were their team, whether in offense or defense, they would probably be completely suppressed. Seido was a powerhouse, and Yakushi was a dark horse that could challenge powerhouses. If their strength hadn't reached the level of a powerhouse, they simply wouldn't be qualified to play against these two teams.
Especially Seido High School Baseball Team, the offensive strength they displayed was particularly astonishing. Sanada's pitching, looking at the entire Tokyo, was among the few formidable pitchers you could count on your fingers.
And everyone had already heard rumors that Sanada's pitching had even attracted the attention of professional baseball scouts. Just this point alone was something they couldn't even dream of achieving.
But now, even this pitcher, one of the few in Tokyo capable of attracting professional scouts' attention, was being utterly crushed without any resistance against Seido High School Baseball Team. In the entire seventh inning, Seido High School Baseball Team scored a total of three Homeruns and two hits, amounting to five runs.
Was this even something a human could do?
Those who specifically came to observe the game dared not think deeply about it. The deeper they thought, the more they felt their team's chances of winning and advancing were slim.
At the same time, they also felt fortunate that heaven had allowed Inashiro, Seido, and Yakushi to meet early. Let them fight to the death. Only then could other teams find a glimmer of hope. Otherwise, if the three teams weren't in the same group, would anyone else even have a chance?
The coaches of both baseball teams, however, appeared very calm.
Kataoka did not become complacent or underestimate his opponent just because his team held an overwhelming advantage. Todoroki Raizo also did not become disheartened or furious because of the four-run deficit. He didn't even stand up, just sat on the bench, resting his chin on his hand. He seemed to not care at all.
The most excited person was Nitta. As the producer of the program and the person in charge of the live broadcast, seeing the magnificent offense of Seido High School Baseball Team, his heart finally settled down.
As a fan of Seido, although he couldn't completely relax, he could certainly breathe a huge sigh of relief. Seido High School Baseball Team now held an overwhelming advantage; as long as no major unexpected events occurred, winning the game should be no problem.
As the program producer, having witnessed the formidable hitting power of Seido High School Baseball Team, especially Zhang Han's third Homerun and Seido's three distinctive Homeruns in the seventh inning, Nitta could be completely at ease.
He had reason to believe that this game would definitely be hailed as a classic. Especially for fans who loved hitting, this was simply a feast. The brilliance of this game was bound to be remembered by many.
The game continued, but the subsequent hitters were not as miraculous as before. Sakai was quickly dealt with. This also served as a good reminder to the players of Seido High School Baseball Team. None of those guys from Yakushi High School Baseball Team, including Sanada who had just given up three Homeruns, had given up on the game. They were still looking for an opportunity, eyeing them like tigers.
Three outs, change of offense and defense.
Returning to the dugout, Sanada looked at Todoroki Raizo, a hint of apology in his eyes.
"I'm sorry!"
If he hadn't stubbornly insisted on confronting Seido High School Baseball Team's strong hitters, he should have given up one or two fewer runs. Now that he had given up a full five runs, the difficulty for Yakushi High School Baseball Team to turn the tables had increased by more than tenfold.
"It's not your fault! Aggressive pitching and confronting every hitter was our strategy from the start. Even if something went wrong, you don't need to take the blame for me, your coach. Besides, I never believed this would be the final score of the game. Right, you brats?"
Forced by Todoroki Raizo's gaze, everyone in Yakushi nodded hurriedly. Of course, they would not be reconciled to failure like this; no matter how difficult it was, they would certainly launch a counterattack.
"Very good! These are the disciples I, Todoroki Raizo, have trained."
Todoroki Raizo looked at the young men in front of him with satisfaction.
"Just pretend the game has just begun, and continue to enjoy it! Swing the bat however you want, don't worry about my feelings, and don't hold back..."
"Yes..."
The players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team's fighting spirit soared even higher.
In the dugout of Seido High School Baseball Team, the teammates also felt Yakushi's determination to fight to the end. They respected this very much. However, it was precisely because of this that the teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team realized even more clearly that the game was far from over. Their game against Yakushi would continue.
In the eighth inning, Yakushi High School Baseball Team was on offense.
Their hitters changed their style, or rather, they reverted to their original style. They were no longer as cautious as before; instead, they actively swung their bats as soon as they had an opportunity. This subtly put pressure on the pitcher.
This tactic was undeniably clever. It should be noted that Seido High School Baseball Team's Ace, Tanba, had a very significant weakness: he easily collapsed under pressure.
But this time, Tanba's performance surprised everyone.
He strongly dealt with all three hitters from Yakushi High School Baseball Team, giving them no chance to counterattack. Once Yakushi's hitters opened up the inside, no longer sticking close to the edge of the strike zone, Tanba's Killer Curveball was also unleashed.
When he threw that high breaking ball, all the players of Yakushi High School Baseball Team looked dumbfounded. They couldn't hit it at all.
Harada, the captain of Inashiro Industrial, who had specifically come to watch the game, said to his teammate beside him.
"Although Tanba's thunder has been completely stolen by Zhang Han, as long as he can pitch this high breaking ball at will, he is one of the top pitchers in Tokyo."
Just relying on one breaking ball could keep him among the top pitchers in Tokyo. From this, one could see how terrifying Tanba's Curveball truly was.
And this was also the most puzzling point for the Inashiro players. Since Yakushi High School Baseball Team had already discovered Tanba's weakness before, why didn't they continue to attack it? Perhaps they could have easily broken down Tanba.
Now, they had released Tanba's best high breaking ball. As a result, their hitters not only couldn't get a hit, but it became very difficult to even touch the ball. Ultimately, they essentially gave Seido three outs for free.
The players of Inashiro High School Baseball Team did not know that Miyuki, who was in the catcher position at this time, also had a fire burning in his heart. He had finally come up with a way to break Yakushi's rogue stance, but these guys from Yakushi High School Baseball Team were uncooperative. They actually gave up? Wasn't that infuriating?
But no matter how angry he was inside, Miyuki could do nothing about it and ultimately had to swallow his frustration.
He always had a fire burning in his heart. How to describe this feeling? It was like preparing for an exam, having already memorized and practiced everything you needed, only to find out the next day it was an English exam instead of a math exam. It was probably that feeling.
Three outs, change of offense and defense.
Manager Ota rubbed his hands excitedly, full of praise for Tanba's performance.
"When things are going well, our Tanba is still very reliable."
First, scoring five runs in one go, followed by a clean three up, three down. For Seido High School Baseball Team, this was undoubtedly a very ideal situation. However, after hearing Ota's words, Kataoka's face did not show much joy.
Could he only perform so freely when things were going smoothly? What about when things were going against them?
The game continued, moving to the bottom of the eighth inning.
Before Sanada went up to pitch, Todoroki Raizo suddenly grabbed his hand and asked.
"Is your stamina okay?"
So far, Sanada's pitch count was quite high. Although he had only pitched four or five innings, Seido High School Baseball Team had gotten many hits, which indirectly increased his pitch count.
"Don't worry, no problem."
Sanada showed a mouthful of white teeth, a brilliant smile on his face. Todoroki Raizo was infected by this smile and nodded along. He believed that Sanada in this state would definitely bring him a great surprise.
In fact, Sanada did not disappoint Todoroki Raizo's expectations.
Facing Tanba, who was standing far from the inside, Sanada still forcefully threw an inside pitch. In Tanba's view, such a pitch was very close to the center. He swung his bat without hesitation, but in the end, hit nothing. The white ball passed through the bat's obstruction and accurately drilled into the catcher's glove.
"Strike!"
"Strike!!"
"Strike!!!"
"Strikeout..."
Tanba was dealt with just like that. The teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team were also helpless about this. Among their team's three pitchers, only Zhang Han's hitting ability was outstanding. The remaining two pitchers, judging solely by their offensive capabilities, were probably not as good as the hitters in the second team.
One out, no one on base.
At this time, it was Kuramochi's turn to hit. Facing the suddenly approaching ball, Kuramochi barely swung his bat and could only manage to hit a pop fly. The pop fly was caught by Yakushi's second baseman.
"Pop!"
"Out!!"
Facing Seido High School Baseball Team's relentless pressure, Yakushi High School Baseball Team's response was very timely. Especially their Ace pitcher Sanada, who secured two consecutive outs, immediately stabilizing the situation.
Two outs, no one on base.
Yakushi High School Baseball Team only needed to get the last out to get their offensive opportunity in the ninth inning. That would also be Yakushi High School Baseball Team's last and best chance. That inning would be the turn of Sanada, Raichi, and Akiba and Mishima behind them. So far, all of Yakushi High School Baseball Team's runs had been related to them. Presumably, in the last inning, they would definitely launch a fierce counterattack.
And it was at this moment that Yakushi High School Baseball Team encountered an opponent like a devil.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Ryosuke."
Kominato stepped into the batter's box, facing the dejected Kuramochi. He didn't listen to Kuramochi's advice, only giving him one sentence.
"You are too kind!"
Leaving Kuramochi completely puzzled. He was a little confused about what his senior meant. But he soon understood.
Facing Sanada's outside pitch, Kominato Ryosuke completely ignored it; all his attention was on the inside pitch. Moreover, his stance was different from other hitters; he didn't retreat as much. This way, the inside pitch still had some power.
Sanada, who relied on the inside pitch as his lifeline, found it difficult to deal with Kominato like this. His outside pitch was good for bluffing, but relying on it to get Kominato out seemed unrealistic. Ultimately, he still had to rely on the inside pitch, and the inside pitch was exactly the ball Kominato Ryosuke was waiting for.
Wasn't this just delivering it to the opponent?
After weighing the pros and cons, Sanada finally gritted his teeth and threw to the inside. There was a very important reason why he did this: Kominato's current stance made him feel like he saw an opportunity. Although it would be difficult to strike him out, it should be possible to force Kominato Ryosuke to hit an infield grounder. Sanada still had some confidence in this.
Kominato Ryosuke's reaction was almost exactly as Sanada had expected. He smiled and poked the ball out, and the white ball bounced on the infield. Everything was exactly as Sanada had envisioned.
The only thing that exceeded Sanada's calculation was the direction Kominato Ryosuke aimed for. He hit the ball towards Third Base.
Raichi Todoroki leaped up, ready to catch the bouncing ball. But for some reason, his glove was about half a meter away from the baseball; neither touched the other. As a result, the ball bounced and skipped past the third baseman and rebounded behind Third Base.
Although the distance wasn't far, the position was too clever. By the time Yakushi High School Baseball Team's outfielder came to cover, Kominato Ryosuke had already run to Second Base.
Two outs, runner on Second Base.
"Third batter, outfielder, Zhang Han."
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Zhang Han stepped into the batter's box for the fifth time.
Kuramochi slapped his thigh in annoyance in the dugout. As expected of Ryosuke-senpai, he was a bit too kind. How could he have forgotten that Yakushi High School Baseball Team had a huge defensive weakness? Raichi Todoroki, who was omnipotent at hitting, was a weakling when it came to defense.
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