"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"Smack!"
"Nice shot!"
"Call out!"
"Ping!"
"Outside the boundary!"
"Smack!"
"Nice shot!"
"One more goal!"
"One more goal!"
"One more goal!"
"Please, Sudou!"
" Kawakami!"
"Ah Xian!"
Supporters on both sides were shouting and unleashing their passion.
"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"Ping!"
"Got it!"
"Pfft! Smack!"
The ball bounced off its landing point and was caught by Oni-san, who quickly dove to catch it. He then threw the ball with his glove, and Kuramochi jumped up behind him to catch it, passing it directly to first base.
Finally, it was the turn of the ironclad infield defense to make their presence felt!
The moment the fifth batter, Sudou, hit the bat, everyone started running the bases, but Seidou was all focused on the batter.
If the batter reaches home plate after two outs and fails to reach first base, resulting in three outs, the run is invalid.
Moreover, first base only needs to throw to the Force Out to allow other batters to tack out.
"Smack!"
"Puff!"
"Out!"
"Yoshi!"
Upon hearing the decision to eliminate them, all the Seidou players on the field and in the bench ran towards home plate to celebrate their victory with Kawakami.
"The match is over!"
Almost simultaneously, the referee announced the end of the match!
This brought an end to the Death Struggle that had lasted for more than an hour.
At first base, only Sudo, who had just finished diving for base, remained, lying on the ground Sudou.
Whether it was Tensawa, who relied on his speed to run back to home plate but had his run declared invalid by the umpire, Tenzawa, who reached Hirata, or the players on the bench leaning on the railing, they were all sobbing uncontrollably.
Only Hirobi Tate, sitting in front of the bench, looked up at the sky.
We lost!!!
Our the Last Summer! It's over!
But I have no regrets!
"The real..." Insiders and people are often meticulous, and Hirobi Tate is no exception.
After calming himself down, he was the first to walk onto the court!
"Line up!" Coach Matsumoto said slowly to the players who were still crying.
"14 to 7!!!"
In the top of the Ninth Inning, Kawakami, having secured the final out, ended the match with a Slider.
Seidou High School!!!
They eliminated last year's runner-up and finalist, Osaka Toin High School... and advanced to the Semifinals!!!
"A super-strong batting lineup that takes fourteen runs from the ace fourth batter, Hirobi Tate, who has received professional attention."
This has, to some extent, proven that they are the strongest lineup this summer!
Tomorrow they will face another top contender for the title, Seibou High School!!!
Seidou High School, which has entered Koshien after six years of hard work, has completed the revival of its prestigious status!
Their summer isn't over yet!
"14 to 8! Seidou High School wins!"
present! "
Thank you for your guidance!
"Clap clap clap clap clap clap!"
As the two teams of over forty teenagers shook hands, enthusiastic applause erupted in the arena.
Today's match is widely recognized as the first major clash between heavyweight powerhouses this year.
"Good job, guys!" Hirobi Tate spoke first as Captain Tetsu and Hirobi Tate shook hands.
Captain Tetsu's eyes widened suddenly!
Then Hirobi Tate found Sendou and, as if to accommodate Sendou's left-handedness, extended her left hand.
"I lost this time!"
But that's enough for me!
Just like the LINE message said, this was a great game!
I have no regrets!
This might be the last time we two meet in a match!
...(pauses briefly!)
You too, you're so dry!
Now that you've beaten us, let's take the top spot in one fell swoop!
Losing to the strongest team in the summer is not unacceptable!
"If it were you! I could do it!" During their handshake, Hirobi Tate spoke at a unusually long time!
(As for whether this might be the last time they meet in a game, Hirobi Tate knows that if Sendou graduates and goes pro, he will most likely be scouted by Major League Soccer.)
Major League is not something he can consider at this stage. As for Major League scouts, Diamond A had mentioned at the beginning that Major League scouts would come to Koshien to observe players.
Sendou's understanding is that he and Hirobi Tate were talking about not continuing to play baseball after graduating from high school.
"Really!"
Why does everyone put so much pressure on me?! (As if this guy even knows what pressure is.)
Baseball is a nine-person sport!
"It's best not to have too many expectations of me!" After saying that, Sendou turned around and was about to go back.
"Um... don't worry about it!"
This guy has always been like this!
Don't have any expectations of me; you can understand it as me doing my best!
"But he only says such capricious things to people he knows well!" Just after Sendou turned around, Captain Tetsu stretched out his right hand, making a gesture as if raising his hand and placing it next to his face. (This gesture was the same one Captain Tetsu made during the finals when he told Tanba to let Kawakami pat his head.)
" Tetsu-san! When did you become a manager?"
"How come he's just like my manager!" Sendou, having his weakness exposed by Captain Tetsu, turned around and arrogantly called for Captain Tetsu to go back.
"I do know! That guy's personality!" Hirobi Tate acknowledged what Captain Tetsu said about Sendou's independent and unconventional character.
"Well then, goodbye Ghana!" Captain Tetsu said, and then followed.
"What a perfect combination!" Hirobi Tate sighed inwardly as she watched the two figures disappear into the distance.
"I have no regrets... That's how it is!" After turning around, Hirobi Tate seemed to be emphasizing something to herself, but she couldn't hold back her expression anymore... Although she looked terrible when she cried.
" Kan! Don't cry!"
"When you're playing professionally, you have to do your best!"
"You've done well enough!"
"You younger generation need to work harder next year!"
In the support section, the audience offered comfort and blessings to the Kiryu players who were supporting each other.
"You saved me again today, Sendou!" the coach said gently as Sendou and the others reunited with Coach Kataoka.
"I just did my best, that's all!" Sendou replied with a smile.
After the two groups met, they arrived at the support area for Nail.
"Thank you so much for your support today!!" Coach Kataoka said first, bowing.
"Thank you very much!" Then came Captain Tetsu, who was the team leader.
"Thank you!!!" came the unanimous thanks from the others. ( Sendou and Furuya continued lip-syncing.)
"Nice game! Let's take the top spot!"
"I'll be back tomorrow! Until the very end!"
" Tetsu-san!"
" Kataoka-san!"
" Sendou-kun!"
" Miyuki-kun!"
" Furuya-kun!"
" Monster Prince!"
"Genius hitter!"
"Is our opponent Seidou?"
"That strong string really needs to be watched out for!"
They actually managed to get fourteen points from that guy Hirobi Tate!
That's incredible!
" Sendou Akira and Yuuki Tetsuya... huh?"
"I never expected there would be two Seidou fighters at the Shuzo level! That's too unfair!"
"Last year there was another monster, the Azuma Kiyokuni!"
Although I haven't watched his matches, he was the third pick after all!
This shows he's a pretty formidable hitter; Seidou wasn't weak last year either!
Representing Inajitsu! What kind of competition zone has West Tokyo become in recent years?
"Unfortunately, my luck with the fortune slip is not good!"
"It doesn't really matter, does it? They have four pitchers after all, and there are only a few innings today, just the amount they usually practice!"
I'll be full of energy tomorrow too!
"Moreover, the infield and outfield configurations are simply perfect, or rather, luxurious."
Fortunately, the pitchers weren't that formidable.
"There is absolutely no opportunity for us to take advantage of this situation, or rather, we have an opportunity to take advantage of it!"
In the stands, the players from Seibou High School, Seido's opponents Seidou, were also discussing the matter amongst themselves.
They felt immense pressure from the batting lineup on the court.
Especially the West Bond ace, who was already showing signs of fatigue from pitching consecutively.
Last year, Akashi Katsuya Koshien alongside Shirako, or even more highly regarded than Narumiya Mei, would not have been able to pitch this summer if he hadn't been injured, and Saibon wouldn't be in this situation.
In previous years, fatigue would occur, so it's normal for both sides to lose ten or eight points in the Koshien tournament.
After all, pitchers like Narumiya Mei are still an anomaly. He pitched so many games, all of them fierce battles, and even managed to drag the series to 14 innings against the Kyoma in the final.
If Narumiya Mei manages his stamina well, shutting out the Kyoma and taking the game in nine innings wouldn't be difficult.
The key is that the opponent doesn't have the fatigue from consecutive pitches, which makes things difficult for WestBang.
Just like in today's game, such a large point difference is more or less due to the impact of Hirobi Tate Kage's consecutive shots.
Afterwards, they began eating lunch. There were two more matches in the afternoon, which would ultimately determine the opponent in the final.
Except for a few who stayed to watch the match, the rest of the Seidou went back to rest.
In the afternoon matches, Hakuryu Hakuryuu High School from Gunma and Kyoma Daifuji Maki from Hokkaido defeated their opponents and advanced to the Semifinals.
The audience could tell that the two teams in the afternoon were weaker overall.
However, the Kyoma also have four pitchers, so their fighting power will not be reduced.
"Tomorrow's matches are Seidou vs. Saibang, Kyoma vs. Hakuryu, right?"
The game between the White Dragons and the Kyoma will most likely be won by the Kyoma. Both of them have very good coaches and their pitching lineup is really good!
However, the match between Seidou and Saibang was indeed the main event, a match that could be considered a preview of the finals.
The still-burning Saibang pitcher, and the presence of Sano Shuzo.
Facing the Seidou Batting Lineup batting lineup, which, despite having a weaker pitching roster, still possesses a strong lineup including Sendou Akira and Yuuki Tetsuya, a pair that neither of them knows well, Sano is the strongest batting lineup in the country.
It's impossible to tell who will win or lose.
If Saibon wins, it's hard to say who will be the champion this year!
However, if Seidou wins, I don't think Hakuryu has a chance against them. If Seido faces the Kyoma, who also doesn't have fatigue from consecutive Seidou, they have at least a 60-70% chance of winning!
"After all, their offensive lineup is a bit weak!" Mine Fujio commented on the winning teams of today's four matches.
"Who does Mine-senpai hope will win this year's competition?" Owada Akiko asked curiously.
" Seidou!"
Regardless of what we have been focusing on in recent years, we have the opportunity to obtain first-hand information.
Whether it's a resurrected powerhouse winning its first championship, it's all in our favor!
Moreover, after following them for so many years, it's rare that they have the strength and opportunity to win this time. Plus, we've watched them win all the way, so of course we want these kids to win!
After watching the Inajitsu game, if both teams are at their peak physical condition, the strongest team this year is undoubtedly Inajitsu. (This is without considering pitcher fatigue.)
Having narrowly escaped defeat several times to win against Seidou, I really hope they keep winning! Mine Fujio answered without hesitation.
"That's true!"
Only those of us who have watched them grow up know just how difficult their journey has been.
"Let's go back!"
Today's Koshien tournament has come to an end.
Coach Matsumoto did not reveal Seidou during the interview, especially the cooperation between Sendou and Captain Tetsu.
Coach Matsumoto hopes that his opponents in the Semifinals or even the finals will be caught off guard by this tactic, so that Seidou can win the championship.
Just like Hirobi Tate said, if you lose to the strongest team, no one will think your team is bad.
However, Coach Matsumoto also revealed to the media that Seidou Batting Lineup is even more terrifying than what you see, and that you will understand in the end.
This old fox is simply trying to elevate Seidou to boost Kiryu's morale, not wanting others to look down on Seidou.
They're trying to set traps for Seidou's rivals again!
Coach Matsumoto also revealed that he has applied to the school to take all the Baseball Club players to see the Koshien end.
The excuse was that they wanted the new team to remember the team that defeated them so they could get revenge next year.
(Actually, while that was one of the purposes, the other two were to make it easier for this old fox to finally unravel the mystery, to elevate Kiryu's difficult situation, to explain some of his strange commands in the eyes of outsiders, and to show off his status as a famous general, so as to make it easier for next year's recruitment... [The real Admissions Office!])
Of course, according to this old fox's idea, these two days' leave would be deducted from the new team's vacation time.
Because only he knew the hidden purpose, while on the surface everything was for the sake of the contestants, he achieved multiple goals at once.
The school could not go against the wishes of this meritorious coach.
The Seidou members, who watched Coach Matsumoto's smiling interview that evening, felt a chill run down their spines after Sendou quipped out all his thoughts.
They secretly cursed the old fox and openly cursed the Sendou, saying they were the same kind of people.
Of course, that's all in the future.
Back at the hotel, the Seidou athletes began to take a break.
Even if the athletes aren't tired, they are still asked to rest and adjust to their best condition!
Having already made it to the Semifinals, the next matches are the real focus. Since we've come this far, we definitely want to take home the Victory Banner.
So, the War Council was held in the evening again.
And they no longer have time to practice at the borrowed court.
Rest should be the top priority.
Sendou's rest naturally consists of cola, bananas, and snacks.
Jun-san's bananas have arrived, and we have plenty of snacks.
There were plenty of snacks, and the meal was satisfying... no, that's not right.
It's not that they're full of water and food... that's not right either.
It should be said that they ate and drank, caused trouble, and then watched the show.