In the fifth inning, both teams created excellent opportunities and put runners on base.
However, in the end, neither side managed to score.
Coach Kataoka was left somewhat speechless by this outcome. But that was baseball. While strength was important, luck also played an equally crucial role.
At one point, Seido High School had the bases loaded, yet they still failed to score. In such a situation, there was nothing he could do.
Although no runs were added, the inning was not without gains.
Up to this point, Seido High School had accumulated a total of ten effective hits or times on base. Their batting order had nearly completed its fourth rotation. In the process, they had greatly increased the pitch count of Hosen High School's ace, Baldy.
Even though only five innings had passed, Baldy's pitch count was already approaching one hundred. At this rate, it was impossible for him to last through the full nine innings.
Even pitchers known for exceptional stamina rarely exceeded one hundred fifty pitches at Koshien. Usually, they topped out around that number. As long as Seido continued attacking at the same pace, Coach Kataoka had every reason to believe that breaking through Hosen's pitching was only a matter of time.
Of course, Seido's situation was not much better.
Although Hidezawa had not allowed Hosen High School to score a single run so far, he had already given up five or six hits. It was only through the cooperation of his teammates that those hits had not turned into runs.
His pitch count had already exceeded eighty.
Koshien truly lived up to its reputation as a brutal battlefield for pitchers, mercilessly draining their stamina.
Coach Kataoka had originally intended for Hidezawa to pitch the entire game.
But he could not.
With the score at three to zero, Seido High School held a clear advantage. In this situation, they had to consider the next game.
The Koshien tournament, like the regional qualifiers, followed a knockout format.
Lose once, and everything ends.
Under such circumstances, the teams that advanced would only become stronger.
Considering the challenges of the upcoming matches, rotating pitchers became inevitable.
Moreover, this was something only the leading team would consider. A trailing team would never think about conserving stamina.
When the game was on the verge of being lost, the only priority was victory. Without winning, there would be no future.
In the top of the sixth inning, Seido High School Baseball Team went on offense.
Miyuki was the first to step into the batter's box. He was not satisfied with a mere three-run lead. He was well aware of Coach Kataoka's plan to have Tanba replace Hidezawa on the mound.
As a teammate, he understood the decision.
But as a catcher, he had to consider the risks.
Tanba appeared strong on the surface, but inwardly he was extremely meticulous. How would he perform in his first appearance on the Koshien stage? Would he be nervous? No one knew.
In this situation, Miyuki naturally wanted to score more runs to ease Tanba's burden.
The idea was good.
The reality was harsh.
This was not an at-bat with Zhang Han backing him up. Relying solely on his own strength against Hosen's ace made the difficulty increase dramatically.
In the end, he hit an infield grounder.
Miyuki sprinted desperately toward first base, but the outcome could not be changed.
"Pop!"
The ball reached first base before he did.
"Out!"
Miyuki was retired, and the leadoff batter Tanaka met the same fate, also hitting an infield grounder.
Three outs.
Sides exchanged.
Hosen High School's Baldy truly lived up to his reputation as the ace of a perennial Koshien contender. Despite having thrown over one hundred pitches, he showed no signs of fatigue.
His pitches even seemed more powerful than before.
"This is insane. How is this possible?"
The Seido players discussed it quietly among themselves.
Although they had been mentally prepared, they could not help but complain when faced with reality.
Hosen High School's vitality was terrifying.
That resilience alone posed a serious threat to Seido.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Seido changed pitchers, and Tanba took the mound.
Standing over 1.8 meters tall, armed with a sharp fastball and a high-breaking curveball, Tanba's raw ability was not comparable to Hidezawa's, but it was far from weak.
This was precisely why Seido sent him in at such a critical moment.
Even if it was a rotation, this was still the opening game. Seido would never send in someone unreliable. Although Coach Kataoka and the coaching staff were uneasy, they still entrusted Tanba with the mound.
To let the ace rest, a pitching change was unavoidable.
If possible, Coach Kataoka would have preferred to make the change later or with a larger lead.
But under the Koshien format, the further a team advanced, the stronger their opponents would become. He could not be certain that another opportunity would present itself.
Perhaps this was the only chance.
Coach Kataoka steeled himself and made the decision.
At first, Tanba did not disappoint.
However, his nerves quickly caught up to him.
He gave up a double to Hosen's third batter, then walked the fourth.
One out.
Runners on first and second.
Immediately afterward, Hosen's fifth batter crushed a long hit, sending both runners home.
The score narrowed to three to two.
Seido's hard-earned lead vanished in an instant.
Tanba had been on the mound for less than three minutes before being hit hard.
Coach Kataoka could only bitterly admit that Seido's earlier dominance had been entirely supported by their pitcher.
It was Hidezawa who had suppressed Hosen. Without him, even if the batters could score, Seido could not maintain a lead. Reluctantly, Hidezawa was sent back to the mound, and Tanba moved to the outfield.
Even so, it could not completely stop the bleeding.
"Ping!"
The batter on second base was driven straight home.
The score was tied at three to three.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Seido High School Baseball Team, which had led for most of the game, saw the score tied due to Coach Kataoka's decision.
At that moment, the two to three thousand Hosen supporters erupted in excitement, as if celebrating a festival.
Even the most optimistic among them had never imagined seeing such a scene.
Seido High School, which had been suppressing them throughout the game, was now tied.
Both teams were back at the same starting line.
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