Azuma Kiyokuni just hit a home run!
The game totally flipped around.
With two guys crossing the plate, now it's 2-0.
Seidō was up by two.
The players in the dugout were going wild.
Maybe they weren't feeling it at the start, but now they knew how big Azuma's home run was.
Meanwhile, over at the Akikawa dugout, it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
They've really turned things around in the last year or so.
They were even doing pretty well in big tournaments
When they played against the top teams, they could put up a fight.
Even if they lost, they didn't think they were that far behind.
But right now, it felt like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on them.
They were freezing.
They'd worked so hard, but the gap was still this huge?
Clap clap!
The assistant coach, who'd been taking notes, stood up. He clapped to get everyone's attention, and then he spoke calmy.
"Don't worry about it, what's done is done. Focus on the next batter."
Next up was Kadota Masaaki, batting fifth.
He's usually pretty quiet, not really one to stand out.
But ever since he played that practice game with Takumi on the Second String, it was like this senior unlocked some kind of cheat code; his batting average just went through the roof.
Seidō always puts their best players out there, that's just how they roll.
So Kadota, who used to be on the bench, got moved up to batting fifth.
Of course, there's a bit more to it: he was always one of the strongest hitters, but for whatever reason, he wasn't a starter.
Now that he's playing, it's not just his batting that's gotten better; his defense has really improved too.
That's why Kataoka Tesshin gave him a key spot.
Kadota was giving it his all.
But when he swung as hard as he could and connected, the ball went right into the first baseman's glove.
Snap!
"Out!!"
Three outs; time to switch sides.
Now it was the bottom of the first inning.
Even though Kadota got caught, Kataoka wasn't upset.
He was still pretty happy with how the team was hitting overall.
Even the way Kadota went for it, swinging with everything he had, that was good to see.
Even if it didn't work out this time, Kataoka understood.
The players went out on defense, and Takumi was out there too.
He was playing the outfield, which is a little easier when it comes to defense.
The starting pitcher was their ace Yoshida.
That senior always kept it real, and his pitching was just as decisive.
Whoosh!
The first Akikawa batter saw the ball coming and swung right away.
Ping!
The second the bat hit the ball, the batter's face paled.
The pitch was way stronger than he thought.
Felt like the bat might fly right out of his hand.
So, yeah, the ball didn't go very far.
The fielder of Seidō almost effortlessly intercepted the ball.
After catching it, the fielder threw it to first base.
Snap!
"Out!!"
Snap!
"Out!!!"
The first two Akikawa batters were out, just like that.
They faced three pitches from Yoshida total.
"You're in the zone today, Yoshida-senpai!" one player exclaimed excitedly.
"Get 'em out with one pitch, don't give 'em a chance!!" another cheered enthusiastically.
The Seidō players were hyped seeing their Ace doing so well.
He's the kind of guy who likes the attention.
When he's pitching well, the more his teammates cheer him on, the more pumped he gets.
Plus, his pitching is already fast and heavy.
His pitches were very difficult to hit, let alone hit far.
Kataoka putting Takumi in the outfield was really just to get him used to the game.
He wasn't expecting him to do much out there.
Two outs, no one on base.
Now it was the third Akikawa batter's turn.
Seeing how things were going, the third batter was starting to feel the pressure.
The more they played against Seidō, the more they realized the difference between them.
In the last two games, they were in control the whole time, and their Ace, You Shunshin, hadn't even given up a run.
But now, in the first inning, they were already down by two.
"I gotta do something, or this game's gonna be a disaster," he muttered nervously.
He gritted his teeth, watching the ball like a hawk.
When the ball got close, the batter swung with everything he had.
"Get outta here!" he yelled fiercely.
Ping!
The ball went flying straight towards Seidō's third base.
"I got it!" Azuma called out confidently.
Azuma, at third base, saw the ball go over his head and jumped up like a spring.
He tried to jump up and grab it.
But the ball was way too high, like a meter above his glove.
No matter how hard he tried, he could only watch it fly right past him.
"Damn it, It got through!!" he cursed in frustration.
Unlike his anger, the Akikawa players suddenly looked like they saw a glimmer of hope.
This one hit wouldn't win them the game, or even guarantee a score, but they were still hoping.
This was their shot!
Even their assistant coach stood up, ready to cheer with everyone else.
Everyone's eyes were glued to the ball, waiting to see it land and bounce.
But what they were hoping for didn't happen.
The ball just dropped right into a glove.
Snap!
"Out!!"
Everyone on the Akikawa side was stunned.
They stared at that glove and the person holding it, like they couldn't believe it.
They were all thinking, "Why was he even there?"
It wasn't just them; even the Seidō players were surprised.
Why was he there?