"Strike, batter out! Three outs, side change!"
"The final pitch, and the best one—a five-seam fastball, the pride of the ace pitcher. Seido High's golden battery strikes out Ugumori's cleanup hitter, Seiichi Umiya!!!"
"Haha, well done, Eijun!"
"Ace-sama, you're amazing, truly amazing!"
"This is it! Damn it, you guys are so cool!"
"Miyuki, Eijun!"
"The Ace of Diamond, unstoppable!"
"Keep dominating like this, golden battery! This is the kind of power a championship team's pitcher and catcher should have!"
"Seido! Seido! Seido!"
A head-to-head showdown, and he lost?
Seiichi Umiya stood frozen for a few seconds, his bat still in the follow-through position, before slowly lowering it.
As he watched Eijun jog back toward the dugout, a complex mix of emotions flashed in his eyes—admiration, respect, and an unquenchable fire.
Even though he had lost this battle.
The ga wasn't over yet.
As long as there was still ti.
"I won't give up!"
Umiya's gaze grew even more determined as he walked off the field with steady steps.
"Nice pitch, Eijun."
As they left the field, Miyuki approached Eijun with a smile, tapping his mitt against Eijun's.
"That guy really gave it his all. He wasn't easy to deal with," Eijun said, glancing back at Ugumori's dugout, a hint of wariness in his eyes.
"Yeah, but thankfully, he's the only one on that team we really need to worry about. Now that we've taken him down, the ga is in our hands," Miyuki said firmly.
"Right."
Eijun nodded in agreent.
Winning the head-to-head battle against Umiya was a significant mont for Seido High, especially with Ugumori still holding the lead.
This out.
Would completely shift the montum of the ga.
Now, it was ti for Seido High to take control.
"Bottom of the sixth inning, Seido High's offense. Seventh batter, center fielder, Tojo."
"Stay focused, aim for that vertical slider, and attack aggressively."
In the dugout, Coach Kataoka gave a subtle signal with his fingers.
In the batter's box, Tojo adjusted his cap calmly, his expression steady.
Riding the montum from their defense, Seido High's offense in the bottom of the sixth was poised to take control, just as Miyuki had predicted.
Even though Umiya's spirit remained unshaken.
On the surface, it might still seem like Ugumori High holds the advantage.
However, after Eijun took the mound, the montum began to shift subtly, especially after Eijun struck out Umiya in the top of the inning.
The timing now favored Seido High.
Umiya, eager to regain control, inadvertently fell into Seido's trap.
"Whoosh"
"Bang"
"Thud"
"Foul!"
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Ball!"
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Strike!"
Still relying on slow curveballs to steal strikes.
Umiya appeared to be steadily controlling Seido's batting lineup at his own pace.
But it was clear that when it ca to the decisive mont, Umiya was starting to get impatient.
"Whoosh"
The deciding pitch.
A powerful curveball.
"Bang!"
Tojo, who had been waiting for this, seized the opportunity.
A textbook swing, guided by Coach Ochiai's teachings.
"Whoosh"
Under Umiya's stunned gaze.
The ball was pulled to left field.
Tojo successfully reached first base, and with his hit, Seido High reignited their offense in the sixth inning.
The lead was only by one run.
It was only the sixth inning; Seido had no reason to rush.
Following Coach Kataoka's instructions, eighth batter Shoji chose to bunt.
"Whoosh"
"Snap"
"Out"
A textbook sacrifice bunt, leaving Ugumori High with no chance to stop it.
Shoji's out.
Allowed Tojo to advance to second base.
One out, runner on second.
"Ninth batter, right fielder, Shirasu."
In Seido's lineup, the least typical lower-order hitter, possessing the strength of a cleanup hitter.
The reliable and steady batter, Kenjirou Shirasu.
With keen perception, refined technique, solid power, excellent timing, and decisive judgnt.
"Whoosh"
"Bang!"
Swinging at the first pitch.
In his third at-bat, Shirasu left no room for Umiya to counter.
Seizing the mont when Ugumori High's defense showed signs of wavering.
A swift, powerful swing.
The ball ricocheted off first base, just out of reach for Ugumori's first baseman, Inubushi, who could only watch as it bounced away.
It landed in right field.
Tojo, who had taken off early, seized the opportunity.
He rounded third base.
As Ugumori's right fielder scrambled to retrieve the ball.
And hurled it toward ho plate.
In this razor-sharp battle.
Lady Luck smiled on Seido High.
"Safe!!!"
A perfect slide avoided the catcher's tag, though Ugumori's catcher's skills were admittedly lacking.
Seido High scored another run.
Completely erasing the four-run deficit from the top of the fourth inning.
4 to 4.
The ga was back to square one.
And thanks to the throw ho.
Shirasu, who should have only reached first, took advantage of the gap and advanced to second base.
Still one out, runner on second.
The relentless offensive pressure.
Seido High's continuous onslaught was starting to weigh heavily on Ugumori High.
"First batter, shortstop, Kuramochi."
With Seido High launching a full counterattack, Umiya faced Seido's lineup for the fourth ti.
The grit and determination of Ugumori High's players.
Kept them fighting on the field.
But they couldn't withstand the waves of Seido's relentless assault.
In the first three innings, the unfamiliar pitch trajectories and the disruptive power curveballs.
Were now completely neutralized.
As if in retaliation.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Seido High mirrored Ugumori's four-run top of the fourth.
In this inning, they tied the ga.
Seido High not only erased the deficit but also extended their lead by three runs.
Facing such a fierce and relentless offensive.
Ugumori High's defense crumbled layer by layer.
7 to 4.
Seido High had effectively taken control of the entire ga.
Even though Ugumori's players refused to give up, trying to dig deep and unleash their hidden potential, hoping to recreate the miraculous cobacks they had in the past.
United in spirit.
Unyielding in determination.
The players of Ugumori High.
Even in the face of overwhelming odds, their refusal to surrender.
Earned them the respect and admiration of everyone.
But unfortunately.
Against the full strength of Seido High, and under the terrifying dominance of their ace pitcher, Eijun Sawamura, there was little room for resistance. Step by step, they could only watch as they were pushed closer to defeat.
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