Even though Yuuki was applying heavy pressure, Narumiya Mei didn't give up.
With his breaking ball becoming less effective, he quickly reassessed the situation and noticed something crucial.
The Seido High School batters were extremely wary of his forkball. They had clearly studied it in depth.
For Narumiya Mei, this wasn't good news.
But it wasn't entirely bad either.
Because they were so focused on the forkball, Seido's batters couldn't fully cover the entire strike zone.
A person's attention is limited.
When you concentrate too much on one thing, you inevitably neglect others.
This wasn't speculation. It was basic logic.
It was like taking a language exam and suddenly being given a big English question. That would be fine.
But what if it were a huge math problem? Or physics? Or chemistry? Or geometry?
Wouldn't your mind go blank?
Narumiya Mei conveyed this realization to Harada with a brief look.
Harada understood immediately.
This might be their best option right now.
He gave the signal.
Narumiya Mei didn't even bother nodding.
The moment he saw it, he threw the pitch almost instinctively.
The ball flew in fast, reaching the plate in the blink of an eye. Then, just as it entered the strike zone, it shifted.
The ball slid sharply to the side.
"Slider!"
"At this moment?!"
Those with sharp eyes felt their hearts jolt.
Before they could even voice their surprise, the confrontation was already underway.
Yuuki Tetsuya didn't hesitate.
He swung hard.
"Ping!"
The bat met the ball solidly, sending it soaring.
The baseball traced a clean arc through the air and dropped into a gap in Inashiro's defense.
Inashiro Industrial's fielders were all elite players from a powerhouse school. The instant the ball was hit, they reacted.
But they couldn't stop it.
The ball was simply too fast.
By the time they adjusted their positions, it had already passed them.
"Beautiful!"
"A hit! Yuuki Tetsuya gets on base!"
The commentator was ecstatic.
If he had wings, he felt like he could fly.
The game he was calling today was destined to cause a huge stir.
The overlord of West Tokyo, Inashiro Industrial, nearly untouchable in recent years, now looked like they were about to be stepped on.
On one side was a fallen powerhouse that hadn't reached Koshien in years.
On the other was the reigning king, almost monopolizing West Tokyo's Koshien spots.
If their positions truly reversed, it would shake the entire region. If he had known this would happen, the game might have been broadcast live.
It was that important. And the process was that exciting.
What a pity.
Before the game, almost no one expected Seido High School to win.
Partly because their opponent was too strong. Inashiro's dominance over the years was obvious to everyone.
And partly because Seido had been dragged into a grueling battle with Ichidai Third High School in the quarterfinals, consuming enormous stamina.
Could they really hold up in the semifinals?
It was a realistic concern no one could avoid.
That was why so many so-called experts weren't optimistic about Seido defeating Inashiro.
If Inashiro won, no matter how exciting the game was, it wouldn't generate much buzz.
An overlord continuing its reign simply wasn't as exciting as a dark horse rising.
That was why attention on this match had been relatively low.
But who could have imagined this outcome?
The final result was already beyond everyone's expectations.
And the process itself was classic enough to be remembered for years.
One out. Runner on second.
"Sixth batter, shortstop, Zhang Han."
The batter stepping in now was Zhang Han, the man who had already taken Narumiya Mei deep once.
"Zhang Han! Zhang Han!!"
"Seido! Seido!!"
To his surprise, Zhang Han faintly heard people cheering his name. Since joining Seido, this was the first time fans had called out to him directly. It showed just how much impact that home run had made. And how much they were anticipating his next swing.
He didn't need much.
Just one hit.
If he could drive in another hit, the lead would expand to three runs.
The significance of that was enormous. In baseball, blowing a one-run lead was common.
Even a two-run lead could be overturned. But once the gap reached three runs, comebacks became rare.
That was why Seido's supporters were holding their breath, hoping Zhang Han would deliver again.
"Stop dreaming!"
On the mound, Narumiya Mei had been briefly shaken by Yuuki's hit, falling into momentary confusion.
Why had his carefully planned strategy failed?
He couldn't figure it out.
But the moment Zhang Han stepped into the box, he had no time to dwell on it. Narumiya Mei's eyes turned red, locking onto Zhang Han like a raging bull.
"What, are you going to bite me?"
Zhang Han shot back without backing down.
It was true that he had used a bit of trickery earlier to lure Narumiya into throwing a straight ball.
But that home run wasn't just strategy.
It was strength.
And intelligence was part of strength.
The two stared at each other, neither willing to yield.
Only when their eyes began to ache did they finally look away.
Narumiya Mei let go completely.
No matter what pitch he threw now, he had to get Zhang Han out.
No more fixation on fastballs.
Harada silently praised Narumiya Mei's resolve. Competition really was the fastest way to grow.
In such a short time, Narumiya Mei's mentality had transformed.
Yes, Yuuki had gotten a hit and advanced to second.
But if they could deal with the next batter, the situation wouldn't spiral out of control.
And when it came to getting Zhang Han out, Inashiro's pitcher-catcher duo still had some confidence. Although Zhang Han's reputation was now approaching that of Azuma Kiyokuni and Yuuki…
His overall strength hadn't quite reached their level yet.
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