Kataoka nodded in satisfaction. A hit off the opposing Ace's extraordinary pitch was enough to suppress Inajitsu's momentum to some extent.
Matsumoto Takumi scratched his neck, giving Harada Masatoshi a helpless wry smile. In a head-on confrontation, they had lost, and this guy had gotten on base.
Harada Masatoshi pouted. He had nothing to say about that pitch; he could only blame Kanzaki Ryou for being too good a hitter. There was nothing he could do about it.
Focus on the next batter—Harada Masatoshi gave Matsumoto Takumi a look.
At this moment, Shida Shota had already stepped into the batter's box.
"Strike!"
"Bang!"
"Foul!"
"Bang!"
"It's a hit!"
After three pitches, Shida Shota hit the baseball behind Second Base. The center fielder, Carlos, came up to meet it, and with his incredibly fast footwork, he scooped up the ball and threw it to Second, getting Kanzaki Ryou out.
"Damn it!"
Kanzaki Ryou grumbled as he left the field. He had worked so hard to get on base, only to be killed off immediately. That Carlos was really something; couldn't he run a little slower?
He hated it!
One out, runner on First Base.
Next, Kominato Ryosuke stepped up to bat. Inajitsu's defense all moved closer, clearly knowing that Kominato Ryosuke did not have the ability for long hits, especially against a top pitcher like Matsumoto Takumi.
Kominato Ryosuke smiled, not taking the opponent's movements seriously. He glanced at Shida Shota on First Base. His task was not to get on base, but to advance the runner. As long as he could get Shida Shota to Second, his mission would be complete.
Matsumoto Takumi and Harada Masatoshi exchanged glances, confirming the pitch. Against this pink-haired player who was very good at selecting pitches, they also dared not be careless.
When Matsumoto Takumi threw the ball, Kominato Ryosuke smiled and extended his bat.
Bang!
The baseball bounced towards Third Base.
Bunt!
At this time, Shida Shota had already run several meters.
Inajitsu's third baseman, Yoshizawa Hideaki, quickly stopped the ball and threw it to Second, but it was a step too late; Shida Shota slid in safely.
Yoshizawa Hideaki was very decisive, turning and throwing the ball to First Base with very smooth motion.
Slap!
Kominato Ryosuke was still a little short of getting on base.
Kominato Ryosuke smiled helplessly and walked off the field. Although it was a pity he couldn't get on base, Shida Shota reaching Second was enough. Now it was up to Yuki Tetsuya to see if he could continue the offense.
At this point, with two outs and a runner on Second, Yuki Tetsuya stepped into the batter's box. Facing the current situation, Yuki Tetsuya's expression was very serious. Shida Shota had gotten to Second with great difficulty. If he were to be retired here, this inning would end, and Seidou would once again come up empty.
"Yuki!!"
"Hit it out, come on!"
"We believe in you!"
"You must get on base!!"
In the stands, a burst of noise erupted as soon as Yuki stepped into the batter's box. Clearly, Seidou fans had high hopes for Yuki Tetsuya.
And Inajitsu was not to be outdone. What if there was a runner on Second? What if it was the third batter? As long as they could retire Yuki Tetsuya here, it would not only crush Seidou's scoring opportunity but also dampen the opponent's morale.
Harada Masatoshi and Matsumoto Takumi exchanged glances. Both knew that at this moment, they had to be in their best condition. After all, Azuma Kiyokuni was behind Yuki Tetsuya. They had to retire him head-on!
"Strike!"
"Bang! Foul!"
As the head-on confrontation began, Matsumoto Takumi threw a high-speed slider and a straight ball, getting two strikes. Inajitsu immediately gained the advantage, only one strike away from successfully retiring Yuki Tetsuya.
In the Seidou dugout, the teammates couldn't help but worry for Yuki Tetsuya.
On Inajitsu's side, everyone, led by Narumiya Mei, became excited.
"Only one more pitch!" Narumiya Mei shouted.
Just then, Yuki Tetsuya on the field swung his bat again.
Boom!!
The sound of the bat swinging was like a clap of thunder. Harada Masatoshi, in the catcher's position, felt his heart drop.
Bang!
The bat in Yuki Tetsuya's hand heavily struck the flying baseball.
The white ball instantly flew out like a cannonball, smashing into the fence.
"It's a hit!!"
"Yuki!"
"Seidou!!"
"Oh, oh!"
Seidou's supporters stood up, offering cheers and applause to Yuki.
Facing a powerful hitter like Yuki Tetsuya, Inajitsu's outfield defense had already retreated to the back, but they were truly helpless against this pitch.
Shida Shota quickly returned to home plate, while Yuki Tetsuya advanced to Second.
The tense game finally saw a turning point. Seidou led 1:0, while Inajitsu still had to face a runner on Second. The next batter was Azuma Kiyokuni!
"Hehehe!"
Azuma Kiyokuni grinned like a villain, deliberately swinging his bat twice in a showy manner. Harada Masatoshi felt a headache coming on at the sight.
In Inajitsu's dugout, their Director with the receding hairline was pacing anxiously. Now they were not only down by one run, with a runner on Second, but also had to face Azuma Kiyokuni. How did Inajitsu suddenly find themselves in such a crisis?
If the opponent were another school, he wouldn't be so anxious, but Seidou was different. This one run could very well decide the outcome of the game.
"Coach?" The Director turned to look at Coach Kunimoto.
Unlike the anxious Director, Coach Kunimoto maintained a poker face, and no one could read anything from his expression.
"What's the rush? It's just the beginning," Coach Kunimoto said in a deep voice.
This Coach had also seen big occasions, so why was he so uncomposed today? What if he passed this emotion on to the players?
Feeling the accusation in Coach Kunimoto's tone, the Director silently retreated to the side and stopped talking.
Seeing this, Coach Kunimoto looked at the pitcher's mound again. The current situation was indeed very dangerous; one wrong move and they would continue to give up runs, but he believed in Matsumoto Takumi, and he believed in his players.
On the pitcher's mound, Matsumoto Takumi took several deep breaths before getting ready to pitch. Harada Masatoshi also gave the signal at the right time.
Soon, Matsumoto Takumi threw the ball.
Azuma Kiyokuni swung his bat decisively this time.
Bang!
Damn it!
Azuma Kiyokuni cursed under his breath, dropped his bat, and started to sprint. The baseball bounced on the ground and rolled directly towards Matsumoto Takumi, who, having just regained his balance after pitching, quickly picked up the ball and threw it to First Base.
Slap!
Out!
The third inning ended.
Azuma Kiyokuni and Yuki Tetsuya exchanged helpless glances, then walked off the field.
Retiring Azuma Kiyokuni with one pitch, Matsumoto Takumi immediately received praise and cheers from the Inajitsu audience. Amidst continuous applause, Matsumoto Takumi and Harada Masatoshi ran together and high-fived.
"Well done!" Harada Masatoshi said.
"You too."
Although they gave up a run, being able to hold the situation and prevent Seidou from expanding their lead was already very difficult.