Before long, Kanzaki Ryou struck out Seihou High School's second batter and immediately faced their fearsome third hitter, Seguchi Masato.
Whoosh!
"Strike!"
Seguchi swung hard and missed, but Miyuki's heart tightened instantly.
That swing was terrifying.
Seguchi's upper body was massive, muscles bulging beneath his uniform. According to the scouting report, he was a pure power hitter—a complete blind swinger. He barely selected pitches. If he swung and missed, that was it. But if he made contact…
It was either a long hit or a home run.
Against a batter like that, throwing anything sweet was suicide.
Second pitch—low and away, a slider just outside the strike zone.
Whoosh!
Kanzaki Ryou released the ball without hesitation.
Seguchi Masato swung with all his strength.
Bang!
The bat met the ball.
"So heavy!"
A violent tremor shot through Seguchi's palms.
"Ha!"
Relying on brute force, he sent the ball screaming toward the stands.
The sharp crack echoed through the stadium, and Miyuki's heart skipped a beat.
"Foul ball!"
Whew!
Both Miyuki and Kanzaki let out quiet breaths.
That was close—far too close.
Even with a tricky pitch and a velocity pushing 150 km/h, Seguchi still managed to drive it that far. If the angle had been just a little better, it would've cleared the fence.
Two strikes.
The situation favored Seidou.
Miyuki tossed the ball back, thought for a moment, then decisively gave the sign.
Since the opponent swung at everything—
Now was the time for a ball.
Whoosh!
Kanzaki Ryou delivered a pitch that didn't look obviously outside.
Just as expected, Seguchi didn't hesitate.
Pop!
"Strike three!"
The ball sailed harmlessly into Miyuki's mitt.
Seguchi Masato struck out.
Three consecutive strikeouts against Seihou's top batters instantly ignited Seidou's cheering section.
After returning to the dugout, Kanzaki Ryou and Miyuki exchanged a crisp high-five.
Next—it was their turn to attack.
Bottom of the First Inning
Shida Shota was struck out cleanly by Seihou's ace, Nakae Yuta, in just three pitches.
Kominato Ryosuke grounded out on the second pitch.
Yuki swung through the first pitch, fouled the second, and—just like Seguchi earlier—was fooled by a ball on the third.
Three up, three down.
After striking out Seidou's top three batters, Nakae Yuta smiled faintly and glanced toward Omae Yoichi's spot in the dugout.
"…What's that supposed to mean?" Kanzaki Ryou asked, turning to Miyuki. "A provocation?"
"Cough… looks like it," Miyuki replied helplessly.
It seemed Kanzaki Ryou possessed a natural talent for attracting hostility.
Only the first inning—and the opposing ace was already responding tit-for-tat.
"Tch. Childish," Kanzaki Ryou muttered.
Miyuki's mouth twitched.
Right, as if you weren't provoking Osaka Kiryu's ace last game.
Second to Fourth Innings
The game continued in a suffocating stalemate.
In the second inning, Kanzaki Ryou faced Seihou's cleanup hitter, Hyuga Haruka, for the first time.
The radar gun flashed—153 km/h.
Before Hyuga could adjust, he was quickly retired.
The fifth and sixth batters followed suit.
The first-year battery continued suppressing Seihou's dangerous lineup, drawing waves of admiration from the stands.
Yet Seidou's offense fared no better.
Azuma Kiyokuni struck out.
Kanzaki Ryou chased an outside cutter, sending a high fly ball that was easily caught.
Isashiki Jun roared with his swing—and roared again as he walked back to the dugout, struck out.
By the end of the fourth inning—
0 : 0.
Neither side had yielded an inch.
Top of the Fifth Inning
Kanzaki Ryou faced Hyuga Haruka for the second time.
This time—
Bang!
On the very first pitch, Hyuga connected with a two-seam fastball, sending it into left field.
A clean hit.
Seihou's cheering section exploded. Drums thundered, gongs clanged, and the noise shook the stadium.
Whoosh!
"Strike!"
"Strike!"
Bang!
"Caught!"
"Out!"
The fifth batter was retired, and much of the excitement immediately died down.
Seidou's side came alive again.
So what if someone gets on base?
As long as the next batters are stopped, it doesn't matter.
They trusted Kanzaki Ryou.
But then—
Bang!
The sixth batter also made contact with a two-seam fastball.
The hit wasn't strong, but the placement was perfect.
Hyuga Haruka advanced to second base, while the batter reached first.
One out.
Runners on first and second.
Kanzaki Ryou rolled his shoulder and glanced at Miyuki.
Though his pitch count wasn't high, he had maintained speeds above 150 km/h almost every pitch.
Fatigue was beginning to surface.
Miyuki noticed immediately.
Starting next inning… no—
Starting now, the changeup has to come out.
They exchanged a brief, wordless nod.
Then they focused on the next batter.
Whoosh!
A slider headed toward the outside corner—
And suddenly, a bat was laid flat in front of Miyuki's eyes.
At the same time, Hyuga Haruka took off from second, sprinting toward third!
Bunt! Hit-and-run!
They were sacrificing an out to push the runner to third.
Bang!
The ball trickled toward the space between first and second.
Kominato Ryosuke charged in, scooped it up, and fired to first base.
From his position, throwing to third would've been too late.
"Safe!"
The umpire's call rang out.
The seventh batter was retired—
But Hyuga Haruka stood safely on third base.
Sacrifice successful.
Kanzaki Ryou felt it clearly now.
Seihou was desperate to score.
With the game locked at 0:0, a single run could decide everything.
I can't let them score.
Kanzaki Ryou nodded sharply toward Miyuki.
He couldn't wait for the next inning.
He had to crush Seihou's offense right now.
Sensing his ace's resolve, Miyuki nodded back and raised his glove.
First—
A straight ball to seize control.
Whoosh!
Kanzaki Ryou unleashed a 151 km/h fastball, jammed viciously into the outside corner—
And the real crisis began.