"Oh my god!"
"That guy actually stopped it!"
"Who is he?"
"Seido High School's first-year rookie catcher, Miyuki Kazuya."
Like a bolt from the blue, Miyuki Kazuya and Hidezawa together shut down Musashi High School's offense.
At that moment, the entire stadium, the stands, both dugouts, even the scouts all erupted. It was too cool.
Compared to Zhang Han's explosive debut, Miyuki's entrance wasn't as direct, but it was easily one of the coolest moments in the entire tournament.
"Miyuki!"
"Seido, go for it!!"
The clearest summary of this scene came from Fujio, the senior reporter from Monthly Baseball Kingdom. Like everyone else, he fixed his gaze on Miyuki.
Ever since Chris was injured, Seido had been facing the biggest crisis in years. Chris might have been only a second-year, but he had long been Seido's true main catcher. By the Spring Tournament, he had already become the team's actual leader. In terms of importance, he surpassed even Azuma and Hidezawa.
Losing such a core player was like having a pillar collapse.
Replacing that in two months? Almost impossible.
Before the game, Fujio had thought what everyone else thought: even with Seido's powerful batting lineup centered on Azuma Kiyokuni, making it all the way to Koshien would be difficult. Even if the other two powerhouse teams didn't block them, Seido's odds were still low. Those two rival schools had complete, flawless rosters, strong pitchers, airtight defense, reliable hitters.
How was Seido supposed to win?
Even if their batting lineup was better than the other two, their chances were slim.
But after watching this game, Fujio's thoughts changed dramatically.
Rookie catcher Miyuki Kazuya had perfectly stepped into the void Chris left. He had already unified the team. Even his coordination with the pitcher had become seamless. He didn't need a full game, that play at home plate said everything.
This player had sharp strategic instincts and enough skill to compete at a high level.
Having Zhang Han meant having Seido's future. His power marked him as the potential leader of Seido's next generation.
And having Miyuki meant plugging Seido's single greatest weakness.
To put it bluntly, Miyuki was a savior for Seido.
Normally, losing the team's true leader just two months before the Summer Tournament would spell doom. Elimination would only be a matter of time.
But now, Miyuki had stepped into the leadership role to some degree. Seido's odds were still low, but they were no longer hopeless. This Seido team truly had the qualifications to fight for Koshien.
Around Fujio, the earlier noisy discussions had gone silent. All the scouts were quietly observing Miyuki.
It wasn't just Fujio they all felt the same thing, Seido was still dangerous.
"It still seems like Seido is superior," someone muttered.
The others didn't like hearing it, but they couldn't deny it. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if Seido's recent track record was unimpressive, the foundation of a powerhouse was still there.
"It's hard to say," someone insisted. "Musashi's pitcher isn't easy to deal with either."
That was true. Whether by luck or by skill, Kuriyama had so far avoided the worst damage from Yamada, Azuma, Yuuki, and the rest. His performance was impressive.
At this point, whether Seido could win was still uncertain.
Top of the fourth inning. Seido on offense.
First up was Zhang Han.
Facing him for the second time, Musashi's pitcher-catcher duo was clearly more cautious. They didn't throw anything in the sweet spot. Every pitch was tricky, making it hard to swing.
Zhang Han intended to wait for a fastball. But pitch after pitch came, and still no fastball in the zone.
Soon the count reached full.
Two strikes, three balls.
It wasn't that Musashi never threw fastballs, they just never threw one into the strike zone. Zhang Han would never swing blindly at those.
In Seido's dugout, his teammates began booing loudly. They weren't booing Zhang Han, they were booing Musashi's battery.
Trying to shame them. How could they be scared of a first-year?
Don't tell me it wasn't working, Kuriyama on the mound really began to look rattled. The next pitch came straight toward the strike zone.
"Good!"
Zhang Han saw the ball coming. Even though he recognized it as a curveball, at full count he had no choice. He prepared to swing.
A full count pressured both sides. If he let a good pitch go, he'd strike out immediately.
Just as Zhang Han moved, a sudden image flashed in his vision. The ball dropped sharply right before entering the strike zone. He barely stopped himself in time.
The baseball slammed into the dirt before the plate, bounced hard, then landed in the catcher's glove.
"Ball!"
"Walk!"
Zhang Han, batting sixth, drew a walk.
It didn't score a run, but the message it sent was enormous:
Musashi High School had chickened out. They didn't dare face Seido head-on.
In Seido's dugout, the players nearly exploded with excitement.
"Excellent decision!"
"Musashi totally folded!"
"Isashiki Jun, don't lose to the junior!"
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