"It went through!"
Miyuki Kazuya hit a two-run timely single, extending the lead to three runs.
Given the vast disparity in strength between the two teams, even if all the gods and buddhas blessed Nioh Gakusha, as long as no accident occurred, such as a meteor suddenly falling and hitting all the regulars of the Seido High School Baseball Team, the outcome of this game was already without suspense.
Nioh Gakusha's Director was extremely anxious.
He had staked almost all of his future on this game, and losing was already difficult for him to accept. What was even harder to endure was the possibility of a large-margin defeat. Such a loss would not only affect his position at Nioh Gakusha, but also his future career. If Nioh Gakusha lost too badly, finding his next job would become a serious problem.
At this moment, he paced anxiously in the dugout, constantly giving instructions to the players on the field.
However, hoping that this group of good-for-nothings would suddenly turn the game around was already unrealistic. He had long since given up on that fantasy.
Now, he only hoped these idiots would not lose too badly and drag him down with them.
Unfortunately, the surging passion within Nioh Gakusha had already been completely extinguished by Seido High School's heavy blows.
Before the game, they were full of ambition. They believed that since they had made it to the finals, even if they lost, they would not lose too badly.
Now, reality had slapped them awake.
The gap between them and Seido was unimaginably vast.
Kawauchi, the pitcher who had been regarded as the team's hope, would inevitably give up hits and runs against other teams. But throughout those games, Nioh Gakusha had always maintained the initiative.
Especially Kawauchi himself. No one had ever truly countered his decisive pitching.
But against Seido High School, everything was different.
At first, Seido's batters had clearly been unfamiliar with Kawauchi's pitches and appeared flustered. However, after a brief period of observation, they quickly grasped the subtleties of his pitching.
And they found a way to counter it.
This was not particularly shocking on its own. There were other teams that were good at observation.
Just like Sensen, whom Nioh Gakusha had faced in the semifinals. That seemingly formidable Director had also quickly discovered the intricacies of Kawauchi's pitching and analyzed a countermeasure.
Whether that method was truly effective, Nioh Gakusha was never certain.
But in Sensen's hands, it had clearly been useless.
The result of that game had already explained everything.
Even if the method itself worked, Sensen's players simply did not meet the requirements to use it effectively.
Seido High School was different.
Their most frightening trait was not only that they found a way to counter Kawauchi, but that they had batters capable of executing it.
Azuma Kiyokuni.
Yuuki.
Miyuki.
They all hit the ball.
Not only those three. Even Zhang Han, whom they intentionally walked, was likely capable of hitting as well.
This was not an exaggeration.
After all, even Isashiki Jun, considered the weakest hitter on Seido's lineup, had made contact. Although he did not record a hit, he still put the ball in play.
Under such circumstances, what hope did Nioh Gakusha have left?
Although their Director was furious and frustrated by the team's lack of resistance, the outcome was already beyond salvation.
They could only give their all and leave no regrets in their final high school game.
After that, Kawauchi seemed to regain some momentum, securing two consecutive outs. He completed the inning's defense without allowing any additional runs.
On the other side, Seido High School's Ace, Hidezawa, looked more and more like a monster. He struck out two batters cleanly and induced a flyout, sending the opponent down three up and three down.
In the third inning, Kawauchi gave up two more runs and left three runners stranded on base.
The total score became five to zero.
Because both pitchers worked efficiently, the pace of the game was extremely fast.
In just over twenty minutes, three innings had already passed.
Many fans who arrived late had not even had time to sit down before a vague sense of unease crept into their hearts.
In Seido High School's dugout, Coach Kataoka frowned slightly as he continuously observed Zhang Han beside him.
This was the Summer Tournament final. Even though victory already seemed decided, the other players of the Seido High School Baseball Team were like fierce wolves. They would never lower their guard until the final out.
In contrast, Zhang Han had once again entered his Zen-like state.
In his previous at-bat, he had hit a fly ball that was caught by Nioh Gakusha.
Once the team gained an overwhelming advantage, this boy always seemed particularly unmotivated.
Normally, this did not have much impact on the team. Whenever Zhang Han entered this state, the game was usually already settled.
But for his personal record, and for Seido's overall reputation, this was a flaw.
A flaw that needed to be corrected.
Playing baseball in high school would influence Zhang Han's reputation, but at this stage, it was not a major issue. As long as the team trusted him, nothing else truly mattered.
However, once he entered professional baseball, this flaw would directly affect his personal statistics. If his statistics did not improve, it would influence his position and standing.
And that would ultimately affect his income.
Coach Kataoka understood this very clearly.
Although he had not led the team back to Koshien in recent years, he had cultivated many professional baseball players. He was very familiar with these realities and did not shy away from thinking about them.
It seemed there was an opportunity to have a proper talk with Zhang Han.
Coach Kataoka silently noted it.
The game continued.
In the fourth inning, the Seido High School Baseball Team finally lost patience with Kawauchi.
After two full rounds of adjustment, they had completely adapted to his pitching.
Then, they launched a fierce offensive and scored two runs in quick succession.
Nioh Gakusha's Director was forced to make a pitching change.
If he did not, he had no idea how many more runs they would concede.
But even after the change, it did nothing to stop Seido's momentum.
In the fourth inning alone, Seido scored a total of five runs.
The scoreboard now read a terrifying 10 to 0.
In the fifth inning, when Seido High School came up to bat again, they scored two more runs.
Zhang Han stepped up and once again hit a fly ball.
His swing looked flawless. Everyone could tell how skilled he was.
He simply lacked a bit of luck, repeatedly sending the ball into the air.
Coach Kataoka's brow tightened even further.
With the score now 12 to 0, the game entered the bottom of the fifth inning.
Everyone knew that this match would undoubtedly shock the entire country.
"Good grief," someone exclaimed softly. "The Seido High School Baseball Team might actually break a historical record today."
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