Chris reaching second base was another heavy blow for the freshmen.
The players who had originally belonged to the first string were now on the field one after another, forming a complete hitting cycle starting from the fourth batter position.
Zhang Han, Chris, Masuko Toru, Miyauchi.
Even setting aside Kawakami's bat, the four first string players were linked together in the order, forming a terrifying hitting lineup. Once that lineup started to ignite, nobody could predict what kind of damage it would do.
In the freshman dugout, the faces of the substitute players were grim. The players out on the field didn't look much better. The game had barely started, and the pressure was already enough to make them restless. Their eyes didn't dare leave the field for a second, afraid they wouldn't have time to react when the ball was hit.
Toujou on the mound, after being hit by both Zhang Han and Chris, was clearly struggling. The fact that he had twice managed to recover his form from a slump before showed that his mental fortitude was already very strong. But no matter how strong his mental fortitude, Toujou was still a freshman, and he had his limits.
Just like now.
Something in his condition wasn't right.
"This game is a real test for the freshmen."
The fans watching outside the field shook their heads.
When several first string players gathered together in a single lineup, the audience had already sensed that the game's direction was spiraling out of the freshmen's control. If things continued like this, the freshman pitchers probably wouldn't be able to hold on.
"No way. Coach Kataoka has always been this strict."
"I thought that with the early training and the selection process, the freshmen actually had a chance this year. Seems I was naive. How could Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff go easy on anyone?"
"You can't say that. The coaches already gave the freshmen a chance. Whether they can perform is up to them. I actually think this selection system is much better than the old approach. The senior team starting at minus ten puts both sides on the same level. It's clear at a glance who comes out on top."
"To aim for national championships, you need this kind of environment."
As staunch supporters of Seido, even when Coach Kataoka's methods felt strict, as long as the team's performance was strong and the players' morale was positive, the supporters had no reason to complain. Their demands were simple: win games, don't cross the line, and the rest could be accepted.
The game continued.
Next up was Masuko, batting sixth. According to the original plan, he was supposed to bat fourth. But after Zhang Han and Chris both moved into the lineup ahead of him, he had slid down to sixth. Masuko had a good mindset and was genuinely convinced by Zhang Han and Chris's ability. He said nothing and accepted the arrangement without complaint.
Now he stood in the batter's box, fully focused on Toujou, and immediately noticed something wrong. The pitcher wasn't focused. He kept glancing behind him.
Masuko, who had originally intended to swing for distance, adjusted his grip and choked up on the bat.
When a pitcher loses focus, the quality of the pitch drops. That was undeniably a good opportunity for the batter. But it cut both ways. A pitcher who wasn't locked in could throw anything, and swinging hard at a low-quality pitch could easily produce an accidental pop-up. That would waste an opportunity and embarrass the senior team both.
Masuko didn't talk much as a rule, but he cared deeply about the team's honor and his seniors' honor. He wouldn't allow himself to make that kind of mistake. He wouldn't let down Chris, who was already on base in front of him, and he wouldn't let down the batters behind him. He wanted to connect the lineup and help the senior team close the gap.
"Whoosh!"
The ball floated into the inside corner. Masuko waited, let it travel, stepped out at the right moment, and drove it.
"Ping!"
The ball flew along the foul line, over Kanemaru's head, and landed behind him.
"Good hit!"
Isashiki Jun's smile was enormous.
"That's how a first string main batter does it."
Chris took the opportunity to score, making it 4:1 for the senior team. Masuko reached second.
Seido's hitting lineup, built around the second string core and several first string players, had connected and was now producing. Miyauchi, up next, and the strong third and second-year players that followed all showed sharp hitting ability, putting the ball in play and pushing runs across in succession.
This continued until Toujou finally broke completely and threw a ball with nothing on it. It was hit right at the second baseman. Kominato Haruichi ran over, fielded it cleanly, and threw to first.
The freshman team had survived the inning.
Toujou had only lasted one inning in the entire welcome match, and he had been overwhelmed. His pitch count in that single inning had exceeded thirty, approaching forty. The sweat hadn't stopped since Zhang Han's home run.
This pitcher, who had reached the national championship in middle school and finished runner-up, ended his welcome match debut in misery.
With that performance, even if his daily training results were strong, Coach Kataoka would not promote him to the first string. In other words, being pulled from the game was effectively a declaration that Toujou would not be getting a first string promotion before summer.
After returning to the dugout, Toujou draped a towel over his head and didn't say a word.
Score: 7:1.
Or rather, negative 3:1.
Ever since Coach Kataoka announced that rule, Zhang Han's team had needed just one inning to largely turn the situation around.
They were now only four points behind the freshman team. Compared to the initial eleven-point deficit, a gap that had made some people genuinely wonder if the senior team might lose, the seniors' performance had already done more than enough to put the freshmen on notice.
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