In this game, His Majesty was noisier than usual on the bench, but Inajitsu also fully demonstrated the depth of a powerhouse.
While preserving their ace, they made full use of the pitchers on the bench, much like Seidou had done last year.
Even Akamatsu got some playing time!!
Although Coach Kunimoto knew full well how unstable first-years could be, he was not a rigid man!
Last summer's Koshien champions and runners-up had both been teams that relied primarily on relievers.
Most importantly, first-years on both teams had become decisive factors in their games!
That made Coach Kunimoto begin taking these unstable first-year factors more seriously!
Instability meant they could be crushed by pressure, but it also meant they could rebound or erupt under pressure!!
Akamatsu Shinji!
This young man had thoroughly entered Coach Kunimoto's field of vision!
He did not just have nerves of steel; he was calm as well!
Unlike Sawamura, his nerves of steel seemed to come from remaining unshaken even after thoroughly thinking things through!
Sawamura was partly fearless because he was a newborn calf unafraid of tigers, and partly because of his idiocy and his own Fighting Spirit against strong opponents!!
A mature and calm personality like Akamatsu's was more likely to win Coach Kunimoto's favor!
He received more time on the field!
To Hakuryu, Akamatsu was not yet the kind of pitcher they could not crack, but he at least bought time and made it harder for Hakuryu to deal with the other pitchers!
On top of that, Hakuryu did not have the kind of terrifying batter who could destroy a pitcher with a single blow!
Their lineup also struggled to link together, so they had a hard time in this game!!
Mima truly was terrifying. Even Inajitsu's relief pitchers had no answer for