Chapter 82: No Matter What!

The Hoshiryu High School baseball team earned the respect of all the spectators on site with their own strength.

In the past, people always believed that the fame of the Hoshiryu High School baseball team was mainly due to Sawamura.

If it weren't for the widely known name of the "Demon King" Sawamura, who would remember the so-called "Golden Generation of Nagano"?

In fact, before Sawamura became famous, the so-called "Golden Generation of Nagano" was a joke.

When Sawamura became famous, they, as his former opponents, also gained some attention.

In fact, many reporters who couldn't interview Sawamura specifically sought out these players for interviews.

Their names began to be remembered by the public from that point on.

Out of the 9 key players on the Hoshiryu High School team, at least 8 of them were nationally recognized stars.

Among these 8 star players, while it can't be said to be 100%, at least 80% of their fame came from riding on Sawamura's coattails.

Otherwise, relying only on their own abilities, becoming a national-level star player wouldn't have been that easy.

Whether out of admiration or jealousy, the skepticism toward Hoshiryu High School's star players has always been loud.

Without Sawamura, how could they claim to be a "Golden Generation"?

Now, two teams are facing off directly.

The nationwide powerhouse, the Seidou High School baseball team, is undoubtedly the best test for them.

To be able to compete equally with such a team and not fall behind,

Even without Sawamura on the pitcher's mound,

The Hoshiryu High School baseball team's players have already earned the respect of everyone present.

They showed through their actions that they had the ability to achieve everything they had,

And they didn't just ride on Sawamura's fame.

Now, back to the game.

The baseball that was hit flew high into the air.

Tsuchihara seemed especially excited.

He had already thrown aside his bat.

He ran towards first base with all his might.

Although his speed wasn't fast, the ball had been hit so far.

The straight-line distance had even exceeded 80 meters.

In this situation, as long as the ball landed, it was almost guaranteed that he would make it to base.

With a bit of luck, he might even make it to second base.

All the spectators thought that the Hoshiryu High School team had really lucked out.

Before the Seidou High School players even reacted, they had already gotten a long hit!

The baseball seemed to be about to fall to the ground.

If it landed, Hoshiryu High School's chances of scoring would undoubtedly increase.

At this critical moment, a swift figure rushed out.

He slid across the ground like a bulldozer, half-squatting,

His mitt is perfectly positioned underneath the ball, catching it in his mitt.

The figure leaped up after catching the ball, holding up his mitt high,

Inside the mitt, the baseball quietly lay.

"WOAHHHHHH!!"

The spectators in the stands were ecstatic.

"Perfect play, so beautiful!"

"That player must've run at least ten meters, right? How could he judge the distance so accurately?"

"Who is this guy?"

"He looks familiar. Let me check... I think his name is Shiratsu."

"Shiratsu? Who is that?"

Even after playing at Koshien for three consecutive tournaments with a high-profile team like Seidou, many Seidou fans couldn't recall Shiratsu's name.

It couldn't be helped; he was such an inconspicuous player.

Some players on Seidou had been with the team for half a year, and still couldn't recall Shiratsu's full name.

This just goes to show how remarkably low his presence was.

Though his presence was low, his skill in baseball was certainly not lacking.

In both offense and defense, he was quite skilled.

In the past, Sawamura had filled in as an outfielder, and his presence was very strong.

With his experience, sharp vision, and natural flexibility,

Even in the outfield, Sawamura could shine brightly.

But now, comparing him to the two outfielders on Seidou High School's team,

Shiratsu and Toujou,

In some ways, they had already surpassed Sawamura.

In today's game, Sawamura's contribution in the outfield was fairly average.

There weren't any particularly stunning moments.

On the other hand, Shiratsu and Toujou frequently performed very strikingly.

His impact in the outfield seemed less significant now.

This wasn't because Sawamura's skills had declined.

In fact, his skills had definitely improved, even in the outfield.

It's just that his improvement, compared to the dedicated Shiratsu and Toujou,

Wasn't as noticeable!

"Fortunately, I'm not a full-time outfielder. If I had to compete with those two for the position, I really wouldn't be sure I could beat them."

Shiratsu's catch of Tsuchihara's hit was even more meaningful than Furuya's direct strikeout of Tsuchihara.

The outcome of this confrontation clearly told everyone that Seidou High School's strength didn't depend on any one person.

It was their overall team strength!

Even if the pitcher's ball was hit, it didn't mean the opponent could relax.

They still had to face Seidou High School's second layer of defense—

The players are responsible for fielding.

With two Outs and no one on base,

Seidou High School's team had firmly taken control of the game.

They hadn't given Hoshiryu High School much of a chance.

Now, with two Outs, just one more would secure the situation for Seidou.

At this moment, Masamoto, who stood in the Batter's Box, hoped to use the same strategy again.

Previously, he had worked for four balls.

This time, he was also entangled with several pitches, quickly reaching a full count.

Ping!

"FOUL!!"

Boom!

"BALL!!"

The count was now two Strikes and three Balls.

Looking at Masamoto's towering figure, it was clear that this guy was big and strong, not lacking in hitting power.

With his ability, he had the requirement to face Furuya head-on.

Miyuki was sure that if Masamoto chose to confront Furuya directly,

He had a good chance of hitting the ball.

But this guy, instead of facing Furuya directly, had stuck to him like a stubborn piece of gum, not letting go.

No matter what, he wasn't planning to face Furuya cleanly.

The reason for this wasn't entirely selfish but was also considering the overall benefit to their team.

Hoshiryu High School was in a tough spot, especially now that Seidou High School's players had already secured two outs.

Their situation was even worse.

In this case, if Hoshiryu High School still had a chance,

It was to hold onto Furuya tightly, not letting go,

Dragging him down to create an opportunity for the next player.

This way, while the odds of a comeback were still slim,

At least there was a chance.

Even though Seidou High School could always switch pitchers,

Would the new pitcher immediately perform consistently?

That too was a question!

Even if it wasn't much of a problem for Sawamura.

But Hoshiryu High School didn't have any other choice.

At this moment, they could only gamble.

Catcher Miyuki, with his sharp eyes, saw right through Masamoto's intentions.

He narrowed his eyes and signaled Furuya.

Roaar!

Furuya obeyed and threw the ball.

It was a perfect pitch!

Masamoto, in the Batter's Box, looked stunned.

Although the ball was a little low, overall it should have been a good pitch.

Such a pitch, even if he wanted to foul it off, wouldn't be easy.

It seemed Seidou High School had completely seen through his intentions.

That's why they had thrown this pitch without hesitation.

Their purpose was simple and easy to guess.

They wanted to force him into a direct confrontation.

They didn't want him to keep stalling!

In that brief moment, Masamoto's mind raced with countless thoughts.

At this critical moment, he didn't lack guts.

When he realized Seidou High School's battery duo was determined to make him confront them head-on,

He knew he couldn't keep avoiding it!

He swung his bat fiercely at the oncoming ball.

Just as his bat was about to hit the baseball, it suddenly dropped.

'A forkball!'

Seeing this, Masamoto's eyes filled with despair.

He had never expected that they would pull such a trick on him at this moment.

Their initial purpose wasn't to make him face them directly,

But to trick him into swinging!

He had fallen for it!

Realizing this, Masamoto fully understood that he had been tricked.

The ball bounced off the home plate and into Miyuki's mitt.

Boom!

"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!!"

Furuya's strikeout count for the day had surpassed 10.

Although Seidou had given up two points in the process,

His performance still impressed everyone.

Incredible!

Absolutely incredible!

Back in the dugout, even Sawamura couldn't help but give them a thumbs up.

"Great trick play!"

Although Sawamura hadn't seen the final pitch clearly from his position,

He could guess what happened!

Masamoto must have fallen for it!

Otherwise, with his ability, he wouldn't have missed that pitch.

Even though Furuya's pitches still looked sharp,

His speed had slowed.

He was now throwing around 155 km/h,

With balls over 158 km/h becoming rare.

Given his ability,

Masamoto should have been able to hit the ball.

And yet Miyuki had made him swing and miss.

That was a true skill!

"Half the job's done. The next attack is the key!"

Miyuki didn't let success make him complacent.

He was very aware of their current position.

The crisis for Seidou High School wasn't fully resolved yet.

There were still many challenges ahead.

Although they had successfully suppressed Hoshiryu High School's offense in the top of the sixth inning,

And prevented them from scoring,

It wasn't enough to secure victory.

They needed to score themselves!

In the bottom of the sixth inning, it was Seidou High School's turn to bat.

Having firmly grasped control of the game after their defensive performance,

They now had to add to their score to widen the gap.

If they could score in this inning,

They would nearly lock in the win.

With no major surprises, Sawamura would likely not need to pitch again today.

But to do that, they had to score.

Seidou's first batter, just like Oda before him, had an important mission.

His ability to reach base would directly influence their strategy for the rest of the game.

Standing in this crucial position, the pressure was immense.

Fortunately, Kuramochi was not Oda.

Just this pressure wouldn't be enough to crush him.

And as he stood there now, ready to face Nanami Haruka's pitch,

He was full of ambition.

He couldn't wait to swing his bat and redeem himself.

For others, Kuramochi's past struggles might have been trivial.

But for him, it was something he could never accept.

Now, as a third-year student, he had faced the opponent twice without ever hitting the ball out.

For Kuramochi, that was shameful.

As Seidou's offensive engine, he felt he had failed in his mission.

Now, as he stood in the Batter's Box for the third time,

He was ready to make it count.

He had to hit that ball!

No matter what!

…

T/N: No one wants to give up easily, especially with the throne in sight!

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