After Kenta's home run, Shoto's fifth batter, Daigo, stepped into the batter's box. Once again, after observing a few pitches, Daigo chose a curveball on a 2-2 count and easily sent it to left field, managing to reach second base.
With a runner on second and no outs, Sora, the sixth batter, stepped into the box with a calm mind. The young pitcher didn't have to wait long, as on the third pitch of the at-bat, Kaito delivered a perfect changeup, and Sora didn't waste the opportunity.
WOOSH
DONG
The ball was hit deep into center field, allowing Sora to reach second base comfortably and giving Daigo enough time to reach home plate and score Shoto's fifth run. With the seventh batter stepping into the box, the situation remained the same, a runner on second and no outs.
Shoto's seventh batter, Tomo, managed to reach base via a walk, a sign that the composure and control of Seiryu's ace were already being affected by the five runs on the scoreboard. With runners on first and second and no outs, Shoto's eighth batter, Hisashi, stepped into the batter's box.
Kaito didn't seem ready to give up yet. In the first three pitches, two landed in the strike zone, putting Hisashi in a tough position in the count. As a result, Hisashi didn't have the same opportunity as his teammates to carefully select the pitch he wanted to hit.
On the next pitch of the at-bat, Kaito delivered a fastball inside the zone. And even though Hisashi knew what was coming, hitting a 140 km/h fastball is no easy task.
WOOSH
DING
Hisashi only managed weak contact, grounding the ball toward Seiryu's shortstop. The boy knew it was unlikely he would make it to first base, but he ran with everything he had anyway. Continue your journey on empire
Unfortunately for Hisashi, Seiryu's infielders were also elite players, even if they hadn't yet had the opportunity to demonstrate it in the game. With ease, Seiryu's shortstop quickly fielded the ground ball and wasted no time throwing it toward second base.
PAH
"Out!"
"Next time, I hope you come back stronger." - Shun murmured as he walked back to his dugout, waiting for Seiryu's new pitcher to take the mound. Although Shun didn't know when he would face Kaito again, he was certain that the next time could only happen in high school. And since the two teams were from different prefectures, the most likely stage for their next showdown was none other than the grandest stage of Japanese baseball. The legendary High School tournament, Koshien.
Shun calmly watched as a new pitcher from Seiryu climbed the mound and began throwing warm-up pitches. The pitcher had a youthful face and a slim build. He wasn't very tall, likely due to his age. Shimizu glanced at the roster list she carried and quickly found out that this pitcher was a second-year student. However, Shun couldn't do much with that information.
He had never seen this pitcher play before and had no idea what kind of pitches he would face. Despite this, Shun remained calm. He was confident that no matter who stood on the mound, he could have a solid at-bat, even without the training center's tools, thanks to his numerous skills. After all, that was why he trained every day.
The umpire signaled for Shun to return to the box and resume the game. Shun quickly complied, stepping back into the batter's box and locking eyes with the young pitcher on the mound. Shun understood very well that all the pressure of this moment rested on Seiryu's new pitcher, and he planned to exploit it.
With a 5-0 lead, two outs, and runners on first and third, Seiryu's battery had to face one of the most dangerous hitters in the entire Kanto tournament, and possibly the best contact hitter in the competition. As such, they needed to take a cautious approach but also had to eliminate Shun here to end the inning without giving up more runs.
Seiryu's catcher called for a fastball on the low outside corner. He hoped Shun would either let the pitch go or make weak ground contact to end the inning. Seiryu's pitcher threw the ball exactly as requested, surprising the catcher, who hadn't expected such precision on the first pitch in a high-pressure situation. The call was good, and the pitch was even better, but unfortunately, the batter in the box was Shun.
WOOSH
DONG
Shun had no trouble identifying the fastball and swung his bat without hesitation. Although he knew it was important to see the pitcher's other offerings, Shun was more focused on crushing the new pitcher's confidence right away. The ball soared toward right field, bouncing in fair territory before rolling deep into foul territory. The right fielder sprinted after the ball.
By the time the right fielder retrieved the ball, Shun was already approaching second base. The runner from third had long since crossed home plate, and Takeya, who had been on first, was rounding third and sprinting toward home.
The right fielder hurled the ball with all his strength toward home plate. Seeing this, Shun didn't stop at second base and continued running toward third.
PAH
The ball reached Seiryu's catcher's glove, but just as he turned to tag the runner, he saw Takeya already sliding, his hands reaching for home plate.
"Safe!" – The umpire called, spreading his arms wide.