In the bottom of the fifth inning, Nioh Gakusha came up to bat.
In the stands, the supporters of the Seido High School Baseball Team were openly gloating.
"I never thought the difference would be this huge."
"Twelve to zero, and Nioh Gakusha still hasn't scored a single run."
"Not only that, they haven't even gotten a hit yet."
"This is insane. Absolutely insane."
If the game ended like this, how many historical records would be broken, and what kind of sensation would it cause?
Originally, Seido High School was already considered extremely strong. Their consecutive victories over Ichidai Third High School and Inashiro Industrial had caused a major stir. By the time the finals arrived, everyone expected Seido to play well, and no one would have been surprised if they won.
What no one expected was such a one-sided massacre.
Once the game was over and the online media reported it, the impact would be enormous. Even the fans sitting in the stadium could not imagine how crazy the reaction would be afterward.
"Hidezawa! Hidezawa!!"
Despite knowing that an incredible scene was about to unfold, Seido's supporters continued to cheer loudly. They were eager, impatient, and completely intoxicated by the moment.
Victory was right in front of them.
Just a little longer.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the fourth batter of Nioh Gakusha was the first to step into the batter's box.
His eyes never left the pitcher's mound.
He stared at the man standing there, his heart filled with disbelief.
It was him.
This pitcher had completely sealed Nioh Gakusha's offense, not allowing a single hit so far. The gap between the two sides felt like an unbridgeable chasm.
Even if the fourth batter did not want to admit it, deep down, he already knew the truth.
They were finished.
But it should not have ended like this.
For the past three years, they had trained through wind, snow, and scorching sun. They did not believe their efforts were less than anyone else's. They did not believe their baseball journey should end here.
Especially not in such a humiliating way.
They did not dare hope for a run anymore.
Even a single hit would be enough.
Nioh Gakusha was a long-established prestigious school. Its pride would not allow them to walk away without at least touching the ball.
No matter what, they had to hit it.
Miyuki, squatting behind the plate, was extremely sharp. The more crucial the moment, the better he performed. This situation was no exception.
His eyes moved constantly, carefully observing the batter.
The batter's presence was strong. His fighting spirit was fierce. Although the pressure was enormous, he had not lost confidence. As long as the ball entered the strike zone, he would swing.
Good.
Batters like this were easier to deal with than overly selective ones.
Come on. Throw it here.
After seeing Miyuki's sign, Hidezawa on the mound showed no reaction.
That silence itself meant agreement.
Throughout the Summer Tournament, the two had built strong chemistry. If Hidezawa agreed with Miyuki's pitch selection, he would not nod or gesture. He would simply pitch.
If he disagreed, he would shake his head slightly, and they would reconsider.
Earlier in the tournament, Hidezawa had shaken his head quite often.
Now, it was rare to see.
Especially after the previous game, Hidezawa had clearly matured. His understanding of baseball had reached a higher level. It was also then that he realized something.
This junior he had once paid little attention to actually possessed considerable ability.
Miyuki's pitch calls were reasonable and appropriate in most situations. Maybe not always perfect, but highly suitable.
From that point on, Hidezawa's attitude toward Miyuki's game-calling changed completely. He almost never objected anymore.
This was a classic case of knowing one's mistake and correcting it, but refusing to admit it. Correcting the mistake was fine. Forcing Hidezawa to openly admit it to Miyuki would be more painful than losing a game.
"Swish!"
Following Miyuki's call, Hidezawa released the ball.
The fourth batter of Nioh Gakusha saw the white ball coming toward him and tightened his grip on the bat.
The timing was perfect.
He swung.
"Ping…"
The sound of contact was crisp and clean, pleasant to the ear.
But there was no smile on the batter's face.
Almost the instant the bat struck the ball, he knew it was not right.
The ball felt heavy.
That meant the sweet spot had not been hit. Otherwise, the recoil would not have felt like this.
The white ball flew high into the air after leaving the bat. The height was impressive, but the distance was lacking.
Zhang Han, positioned at shortstop, retreated seven or eight steps and settled under it.
"Thwack!"
The ball landed cleanly in his glove.
Zhang Han raised his glove high.
Out.
The umpire announced the call.
With that, Seido High School Baseball Team needed only two more outs to end the game.
On the other side, the players of Nioh Gakusha looked completely drained of color.
Jingu Stadium.
For high school players, it was one of the two largest stadiums they would ever play in, capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators.
And here, in such a magnificent venue, they were about to reach their end.
If they had simply lost, that would have been one thing.
But losing like this was far worse.
As the game continued, the second out came quickly.
It was another pop fly, this time hit straight above the third baseman.
For a moment, the Nioh Gakusha batter thought it was a good hit. If the ball dropped past the third baseman, it could turn into a long hit.
But the third baseman, who looked heavy and bulky, moved with surprising agility. Like a charging wild boar, he leaped and intercepted the ball.
"Thwack!"
"Out!"
Two outs. Bases empty.
"Strike!"
"Ping!"
"Foul!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
Under the stunned gaze of the entire stadium, Hidezawa left no room for miracles.
With an overwhelming strikeout, he secured the final out of the game.
In this match, the Seido High School Baseball Team created multiple miracles. They became the only team in the past two decades to win a final by mercy rule in five innings.
And it was a no-hit, no-run game.
Even that was not the most astonishing part.
The most astonishing thing was that the Seido High School Baseball Team set a record in this game that was unprecedented and likely to remain unmatched for a very long time.
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