Chapter 77: Not Without Depth

Sometimes, reality is just so frustrating.

The same goes for baseball.

You clearly have everything planned, but things often don't go as expected.

A moment ago, Sawamura was silently cheering for Asou-senpai's moment of light.

But now, in this second, his eyes were nearly popping out of his head.

At the most critical moment in the game, when mistakes should absolutely not happen…

Asou made a mistake!

The guys from the Dream Team wouldn't let such an obvious error slide.

Bill, who had been stationed at second base, rushed out immediately.

He ran like a streak of lightning, crossing third base in an instant, and heading straight for home plate.

The catcher, Miyuki, painfully shut his eyes.

The outcome had already become quite clear, and nothing could change it at this point.

From the moment the ball hit the ground, the result was already apparent.

"SAFE!!!!"

With Bill stamping his foot on the home plate, the Dream Team secured a crucial point.

The score was now tied at 1:1.

All of the efforts of the Seidou High School baseball team in the first seven innings had evaporated in an instant.

Both teams were now back at the starting line.

But that's not all!

Mike, who had hit the ball, had already started running as the ball flew through the air. Asou failed to catch the ball, and as it bounced off the ground, Mike was already reaching first base.

Mike, full of energy, relying on his height and speed, dashed across second base in a blink.

He was now heading for third base!

The third base wasn't even his target. Given his current situation, Mike believed he had a chance to reach home plate.

When the baseball was mishandled and hit out of the outfielder's mitt, it was as if it had passed through them.

The path ahead was clear!

By the time the outfielder regained his composure and retrieved the ball to throw it back, quite a bit of time would have passed.

Not to mention, the distance was long, so the throwback to home plate would take even more time.

In Mike's eyes, it was possible to run home directly from here.

And it was definitely worth the risk!

After their previous encounters, they had fully realized the strength of Sawamura.

Frankly speaking, even though the Dream Team's players were outstanding, getting a point off Sawamura was no easy task.

They had worked hard to get this opportunity, and if they missed it…

Who knew when they'd get another chance?

Under these circumstances, the best choice was to seize the moment and score.

Just as Mike reached third base, he received the signal to pause from his base coach.

Mike trusted his base coach's abilities.

He stopped and turned to look behind him.

Whrroosh!!

A pass that seemed like a laser beam flew from the outfield, crossing more than 80 meters!

Toujou Hideaki, the center fielder, covered up for the error, and threw the ball with his everything straight to home plate!

"So Fast!"

"For such a long distance, to throw this fast!!!"

"Why is he not a pitcher!!"

"The players of Seidou weren't without depth after all."

SNAP!

Miyuki, the catcher, caught the ball smoothly.

Then, with a cold look, he fixed his eyes on Mike, who was standing at third base.

The Dream Team appeared to be a team focused on individual skills.

But once they actually faced off, you would realize…

The trust and bonds between them were absolutely not inferior to those of Seidou High School.

'Truly a great team!'

The more they played against them, the more Miyuki felt the charm of the Dream Team.

At this point, Miyuki couldn't help but praise them.

Seidou High School had made a mistake, but it was just a brief moment.

So much had happened in this brief instant.

It caught even the Seidou High School captain off guard.

One Out, with a runner on third base.

After giving up a run, Seidou High School's crisis was far from over.

In fact, the situation had become even more pressing.

With a runner on third base, it was undeniably easier to score compared to having a runner on second base.

Not to mention, the Dream Team still had two Outs.

This meant they had more options for how to approach the next steps.

In the outfield, Asou's stomach twisted with regret.

Most people at the scene probably thought his error was due to nerves.

But that wasn't the case at all.

When he went to catch the ball, he originally thought that after flying for dozens of meters, the ball would have lost all its speed.

But that wasn't the case. Even after traveling that far, the ball still had considerable force.

The moment the ball touched his mitt, it felt like catching a live creature.

The ball bounced around in his mitt, and before Asou could react, it shot out of his mitt…

Although Asou felt the responsibility for this mistake wasn't entirely his own, he couldn't deny that the consequences were due to his carelessness. If he had been mentally prepared before catching the ball, he might not have caught the ball, but at least he could have blocked it and prevented it from flying past him.

Had it not been for Toujou's covering up for him, who knows what would have happened. Seidou High School might have lost more than just that one Run.

Asou felt deeply ashamed. If there had been a crack in the field, he would have wanted to hide in it.

Once everything settled down, he apologized to Sawamura with a face full of shame.

Asou could tell that Sawamura's pitch had been carefully planned. The purpose was clearly to make Mike hit a fly high.

Though the process had a few hiccups, in the end, Sawamura succeeded.

But despite the pitcher managing to make the opponent hit a fly high, Asou couldn't catch it.

The responsibility for that run was undoubtedly on his shoulders.

"It's okay! Just a bunch of kids. Let them enjoy their moment."

Sawamura's face was full of a smile that could make anyone feel refreshed.

He was always confident about overcoming opponents.

His optimism spread to all of Seidou High School's teammates.

They all believed that as long as they followed Sawamura, victory would surely be theirs.

They trusted in that belief, unwaveringly.

However, the players of the Dream Team weren't planning to comply with Seidou's teammates' expectations.

Having tied the game, they were now thinking about how to take the lead.

Looking at the current situation, the Dream Team had a good chance of taking the lead.

After all, their runner was already on third base, and there were still two Outs.

One Out, with a runner on third base!

For the Dream Team, such a scoring opportunity is truly rare.

In previous matches, the Seidou High School Baseball Team had surprised and amazed them too many times.

Unknowingly, the players from the Dream Team had already begun to regard the Seidou Baseball Team as opponents of the same caliber.

When playing against such opponents, no scoring opportunity should be missed.

Let alone an opportunity as great as this one!

In the dugout, Coach Walter kept stroking his chin, which was his habitual gesture.

This proved that he was deep in thought.

With one Out and a runner on third, the offensive side holds absolute control.

They have many tactical options, and quite a few players have the ability to score.

'In this case, selecting an unexpected tactic would undoubtedly be very helpful.'

On the other hand, on the defensive side,

The Seidou Baseball Team could only gamble, relying on one or two possible outcomes.

Only by doing this would they have a chance to defend successfully.

Otherwise, it would be very difficult for them to keep the score from increasing.

This isn't just a contest of skill but also a mental battle.

What should they choose?

After some thought, Walter decisively signaled to the players on the field.

Upon receiving the signal, Allen in the Batter's Box immediately assumed a bunt stance.

This was a clear indication that they were forcing a score.

…