Chapter 19: Ripping Them Apart!!!

The score gap was narrowed to six points, and the members of the Seidou High School Baseball Team could no longer maintain the calmness they had earlier.

The scene before them was something they absolutely could not accept.

Kawakami, with a dusty and disheveled look, returned to the Seidou High School Baseball Team's dugout.

Earlier, he had already made a mistake once, and now he had made another one.

In one game, two mistakes in a row—this was something absolutely intolerable in the Seidou High School Baseball Team.

Coach Kataoka's face was cold.

The moment Kawakami saw that face, he felt like the entire world had frozen over.

He braced himself for the storm!

That way, he could prepare himself to feel a little better.

What he feared most was when Coach Kataoka didn't say anything and just took him out of the game.

Spending more time in the Seidou High School Baseball Team, one would definitely have such a feeling.

Getting scolded and punished by Coach Kataoka wasn't the worst.

Coach Kataoka was very busy, so if he still found the time to scold or punish you, it meant he still valued your ability.

But if he didn't even scold or punish you anymore, it meant you no longer held any position in his mind.

Kawakami felt that his mistakes weren't that severe, but a scolding was unavoidable.

"Just because of one ball that happened to be hit, you completely lost your composure. Did your three years of hard work for nothing?"

Kawakami lowered his head and didn't dare say a word.

"Luckily, in the end, you saved yourself with your defense!"

Looking at Kawakami in front of him, thinking about his position in the team, Coach Kataoka's tone softened a little.

"Still, the same rule—if the score gap narrows to within six points, you're off the field!"

"YES SIR!"

Kawakami felt like he had narrowly escaped death.

He excitedly looked at Coach Kataoka and responded loudly.

On the side, Sawamura had one arm resting on the chair, supporting his head.

He looked thoughtful.

Coach Kataoka had really changed a lot, very different from his previous impression.

Perhaps it was because their achievements weren't as high in the past, so Coach Kataoka bore a heavier burden back then.

That was why he was so strict!

Now that the team was on the right track, Coach Kataoka unconsciously showed a bit of tenderness.

Just like with Kawakami, the only pitcher in the third year.

Coach Kataoka was noticeably more lenient than before.

"Bring the score back!"

At the beginning of the bottom of the 7th inning, Coach Kataoka gave a strict order to his disciples.

No matter what, they must defeat the opponent and recover the lost points.

They couldn't just stand by and watch a public school show off in front of them.

Kominato and Miyuki immediately stood up, seriously responding.

On the other side, at the Minori Shigeru High School dugout.

In stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere at Seidou High School, Minori Shigeru, trailing by six points, was now vibrant and full of energy.

It was unbelievable!

In fact, they had already given up on winning earlier.

What a joke! The opponent wasn't some unknown grassroots team; it was the National Champions, King Seidou!

How could they possibly catch up and recover the score from King Seidou?

'Stop dreaming, it was absolutely impossible!'

So, before, even though they didn't give up on the game, they had already given up on catching up with the score.

If it wasn't for Coach Miwara and Hanayama insisting, they might have even given up on the game...

But the facts proved that as long as the boys were determined, luck wouldn't be so bad.

Just like them, no one ever expected that in the 6th inning, they would suddenly recover three points.

If the situation continued to develop like this, in the remaining three innings, couldn't they recover another nine points?

Now, the gap between them and the Seidou High School Baseball Team was only six points.

Even if Seidou recovered one or two points in the process of chasing the score, it wouldn't matter.

'There was hope, really, there was hope!'

They also knew that this hope was pretty ridiculous and couldn't stand up to scrutiny.

To give a simple example, so far, only two or three people have been able to get a hit.

How many more chances would they have to bat?

Thinking like this, even if Kawakami still couldn't handle Hanayama and the others, Minori Shigeru definitely couldn't catch up with the score in the remaining three innings.

Not to mention, Seidou High School would also attack!

But now, the players are lost in their dreams, completely unaware of these problems.

They were wildly excited, letting the passion burn inside them.

Defeat the King Seidou!

Their minds were filled with this thrilling emotion, and they couldn't think of anything else.

On this point, Coach Miwara and Hanayama naturally understood.

The boys' mental state was very abnormal.

But they didn't plan to intervene.

The opponent was King Seidou, and this was Minori Shigeru's only chance.

For the past two years, they had been waiting for this moment to come.

Now that it had come, how could they give up?

"Although the score gap is larger than we expected, everything is going according to plan! In fact, this score gap is even more favorable to us!"

Letting the teammates see them change the situation step by step would undoubtedly excite these idiots.

It would make their enthusiasm soar.

From this perspective, it wasn't a bad thing.

Now the key issue was how to stop Seidou High School's attack.

"You've thrown 120 pitches. Are you really okay?"

Coach Miwara looked worriedly at the Ace pitcher's shoulder.

Hanayama touched his shoulder with his left hand, a mysterious smile on his face.

"It's rested enough!"

In the bottom of the 7th inning, the first batter to stand was Kominato.

Before going up, he had promised Coach Kataoka that he would score.

This wasn't just bragging!

Kominato had pretty much figured out the opponent's pitching by now.

He was confident he could hit the ball out!

And now, it was the core lineup starting from him.

Although the core lineup had been slightly affected by Kawakami replacing Sawamura, in some ways, it still had reliable teammates!

Haruichi firmly believed they could completely crush the opponent in this inning.

Perhaps it was because of his strong confidence, a fighting spirit ignited within him.

This fighting spirit was boiling, as if it was about to melt everything around him.

On the pitcher's mound, Minori Shigeru's Ace Hanayama looked at the figure radiating powerful momentum and secretly smiled.

'These guys, are they monsters?'

He hadn't faced anyone in two years. He wasn't out of practice or absent from baseball.

He thought he was like those Aces who endured hardships.

He hadn't left the game, but his skills were on par with those who had been active.

But this game shattered that illusion.

In two and a half years, instead of widening the gap, Hanayama felt like he couldn't keep up with the others anymore!

He was falling behind the times!

'No, that wasn't it!'

Hadn't he just easily solved Seidou's batters before?

'That feeling!'

To deal with the strong opponent in front of him, Hanayama found the same feeling he had when he faced Kuramochi.

His eyes seemed to shoot out flames.

But his actions formed a sharp contrast to his eyes.

Full of fighting spirit, yet his actions remained calm!

The Seidou High School Baseball Team's dugout.

Sawamura shook his head with emotion.

Minori Shigeru, Hanayama Kuzan.

Honestly, he had never seen or heard of this guy before.

'But he is really impressive...'

Before the game, he and Nori-senpai's pitching abilities were about the same.

Don't look at what Miyuki said about him in middle school.

Actually, that was of no use.

In terms of real strength, he should've been on par with Kawakami at the start.

But now, this guy had already touched the threshold of top players.

Although he didn't yet have the skills of a national top pitcher, just touching the threshold meant it was only a matter of time before he made it.

Such progress in just one game!

If this team continued playing like this, their growth rate would be astonishing.

Don't look at how they didn't pose much threat to Seidou High School now.

But if they kept playing, and if Seidou didn't meet them until the semifinals or finals…

Dealing with such an opponent wouldn't be so easy.

"This is your misfortune, but our good luck."

On the field.

Paak!

The baseball was hit and flew high into the air.

At the Batter's Box.

Kominato's face turned grim.

It was completely different from his usual demeanor.

He had thought he could hit the ball, but in the end, he was tricked.

It turned into a pop fly!

Snap!

"OUT!"

The ball fell and was caught by Minori Shigeru's second baseman.

One Out, no one on base.

Next, another fishing pitch made Kawakami hit a ground ball to the infield.

Snap!

"OUT!!"

Three balls, two Outs.

As the game neared its end, Minori Shigeru's Ace pitcher seemed to suddenly awaken.

He became unstoppable!

Kominato, Miyuki!

Both were star players nationwide.

It should be easy for them to take care of the opponent.

But strangely, both star players were Out one after another.

One hit a high fly, and the other hit straight into the first baseman's mitt.

Paak!

"OUT!!!"

Three Outs, all three up, all three down.

This brilliant sequence of actions left the audience in shock.

The opponent's pitch count had already reached nearly 130.

Despite only throwing six innings, Seidou's players had been entangled with him, and Seidou had gotten a lot of hits.

Naturally, Hanayama's pitch count had risen.

In the 7th inning, both pitchers performed excellently.

In the end, neither team was able to score.

This game with a huge skill gap dragged on into the 8th inning.

The king, Seidou High School Baseball Team, had only scored seven points in the first inning.

In the remaining innings, they were actually trailing by one point.

The dignity of the King was completely lost.

And by the time the 8th inning arrived, the score remained 11-5.

However, the Seidou players looked very unfriendly.

It felt like they were about to rip their opponents apart.

In fact, the team was truly planning to do just that.

They were going to rip Minori Shigeru apart!

…