Chapter 13: The Reversal

"STRIKE!"

"STRIKE!!"

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"

Two Outs, with runners on first and third!

Kawakami, who replaced Sawamura as the third batter for the team, couldn't continue the offensive momentum for Seidou High's baseball team.

He was struck Out by Hanayama!

This result didn't surprise Seidou's players too much.

Kawakami's pitching skills are fine, but when it comes to hitting, he's really not at the top of Seidou's team.

This also served as a wake-up call for Coach Kataoka and Coach Ochiai.

Because the game had started off so smoothly, they had overlooked this matter.

There was no problem with Kawakami replacing Sawamura as the pitcher.

It's normal to change pitchers based on the needs of the team.

But having Kawakami replace Sawamura's spot as the third batter was a bit problematic.

Seidou's strongest offensive points are in their first four batters.

Suddenly inserting Kawakami into that spot greatly diminished Seidou's offensive capability.

"Need to be more careful next time!"

Kataoka muttered thoughtfully.

Ochiai, hearing this, stroked his chin.

He hadn't considered this situation before.

It should have been obvious, though.

Sawamura is not only the core of Seidou's defense but also the core of their offense. Removing him from such a crucial spot would undoubtedly have a huge impact on Seidou's offense.

Why hadn't they noticed something so obvious before?

Now, they shifted their focus back to the pitcher's mound, watching the pitcher in action.

Ochiai thought, 'Could it be that the opponent planned this all along?'

If that's the case, even though they're leading by 10 points, they can't afford to be careless.

In the stands...

Fujio, the senior reporter of Baseball Kingdom Magazine, had a thoughtful expression.

He hadn't noticed before, but it now seemed that Seidou High's baseball team had been outplayed.

'The opponent's moves were clearly premeditated.'

Everything, from Sawamura's departure to the other pitchers stepping in, seemed carefully planned.

'Was this really the case?'

'If it was, then the person who devised this strategy for Minori Shigeru really knew how to read people's minds.'

'They had even predicted Seidou's pitching substitutions...'

"Very good, very good!"

In Minori Shigeru's dugout...

Despite the 10-point deficit, Coach Miwara showed no sign of discouragement. Instead, he smiled in satisfaction.

She encouraged her players, "In the first inning, we gave up seven runs. In the second inning, only two. In this inning, we only allowed one run. We're getting more and more used to the game atmosphere. Keep going, let's fight to catch up!"

The players, who had been downhearted, felt a little better after hearing this.

Indeed, their efforts were starting to pay off.

As long as they kept going, they were sure they'd find a breakthrough.

"Yes!"

"Now that Seidou's pitcher isn't Sawamura, although their strength is still considerable, they're not completely unbeatable."

At this point, Coach Miwara's expression turned particularly excited.

"Don't hold back! Let's show them everything we've practiced in the shadows! Let's show these so-called elite schools that public schools aren't to be taken lightly!"

A group of teenagers, naturally, couldn't resist such a challenge.

Students from public schools have always held a certain inferiority against elite private schools.

The inferiority is ingrained, what can they do, the difference is huge.

So if they have a chance to teach the elites a lesson, they'll certainly take it.

"Let's go!"

"Let these privileged kids from elite schools see that they aren't invincible!"

In that instant, it seemed like they'd forgotten about the terror of trailing by 10 runs in the third inning.

The first batter from Minori Shigeru stepped into the Batter's Box and immediately assumed a bunt position.

"Are they really trying to bunt now?"

"Is Minori Shigeru really that foolish?"

Seidou's players watched this, completely stunned.

They really couldn't figure out what the opponent was trying to do.

Behind the plate, Miyuki felt a little headache coming on.

'It looked like Minori Shigeru had already started their moves.'

He was different from the others on Seidou's team. The others just suspected the opponent might be pulling something, but deep down, they didn't want to believe that Minori Shigeru would go this far, using such a large point difference to set a trap for Seidou.

Even in a do-or-die situation, no one would go that far to stab someone in the back.

Miyuki, however, knew too well how Minori Shigeru worked—no, more specifically, how Hanayama thought.

There was nothing Hanayama wouldn't dare to do!

Knowing full well that without Sawamura, they had no chance of scoring, Hanayama was more than willing to take a risk.

If it didn't work, the worst-case scenario was that the score would look a little ugly, with no real loss.

But if it worked... then they would have a chance to turn the game around.

And now, without a doubt, Hanayama had set his sights on just that.

Miyuki's task now was to crush Hanayama's rising ambition before it could take root.

Of course, this wasn't an easy task.

But Miyuki had confidence he could handle it.

Once on the field, he quickly gave Kawakami a signal, calming his partner's emotions.

'There's no need to worry about their strange tactics. Just focus on throwing the ball right here. Don't think about anything else, just trust your teammates behind you.'

Let Kawakami throw without overthinking things.

That way, he would be more likely to keep his rhythm.

Kawakami nodded and then threw the pitch.

Whoosh!

Kawakami's pitch, in contrast to the two monstrous underclassmen on his team, was entirely different in style.

Those two, when they pitched, the opponents could immediately feel the terror.

Kawakami's pitches didn't have that same overwhelming presence.

But they were incredibly practical.

He could control the edges of the strike zone with precision, and his pitch speed and movement were tightly controlled.

It wasn't hard to hit these balls, but hitting them well was another story.

Minori Shigeru's first batter had started with a bunt.

Miyuki didn't even care.

He didn't think the opponent would actually bunt. Even if they did, so what?

He trusted his teammates enough to think that if Minori Shigeru wanted to bunt, it would basically hand them an out.

Miyuki would almost want to give them an award for that—if not a medal, at least a flower.

As expected, Minori Shigeru's first batter was indeed trying to bunt to deceive the pitcher.

As the ball came in, he decisively pulled his bat back and then swung again!

The reason they were trying a bunt was to restrict Kawakami's pitch.

But that wasn't going to be easy.

The ball came in, sticking close to the strike zone, then broke right before reaching the batter.

'A breaking ball!'

This pitch caught Minori Shigeru's batter by surprise.

He had thought it would definitely be a fastball, so he swung as if it was a fastball.

But the pitch was a breaking ball.

At that point, there was no way he could hit the ball cleanly.

Ping!

The ball was hit, but it flew directly into the gap!

It was a lucky break!

The batter, who had been about to give up, now had a glimmer of hope.

Baseball—sometimes, luck is just as important as skill.

He sprinted to first base, afraid he might miss this golden opportunity.

"Hah!"

At that moment, a swift figure suddenly darted forward.

It wasn't his usual position, but he was the first to reach the ball.

It was Kanemaru, Seidou's main third baseman.

He grabbed the ball and threw it directly to first base.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

The entire sequence of actions was so swift it seemed like they had rehearsed it countless times, and now it was being showcased.

Minori Shigeru's batter stood stunned, eyes wide.

Seidou wasn't just strong because of their pitchers.

Every position on their team seemed to be particularly reliable!

One Out, no runners on base!

Kawakami gave Kanemaru a thumbs up.

Although the play was a bit of a fluke, if Kanemaru hadn't intervened, he might have given up a hit.

Kanemaru smiled shyly.

He looked indifferent on the surface, but inside, he was incredibly proud.

In the stands...

Takatsu, who had just been dropped from the first team, watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.

They say you can't catch up once you fall behind.

When he first joined Seidou High's baseball team, he didn't think Kanemaru was any better than him.

But in just over a year, the gap between them had grown so large.

Though Kanemaru wasn't as good at hitting, his progress in other areas was incredibly obvious.

He couldn't help but admit it.

Clenching his fist tightly, he silently vowed to himself that he wouldn't give up.

He would work harder and eventually win back his spot.

On the other side, Kawakami managed to secure the second Out.

No harm, no foul. Two Outs, no runners on base.

Now, the batter from Minori Shigeru was their third batter, Tekuno.

He was another player to watch out for.

To deal with him, Miyuki had put some thought into it.

But in the end, the result wasn't as expected.

Everything seemed to be destined. Kawakami's third pitch was hit.

Ping!

Seeing the ball fly into the defensive gap, Miyuki's face darkened.

The worst-case scenario had come true.

Before Hanayama's turn at bat, he really didn't want anyone to get on base.

But sometimes fate works in mysterious ways. The more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen.

Two Outs, runner on first!

Now, it was Hanayama's turn.

...