Double play.
What a breathtaking sequence on the baseball field.
The supporters of Osaka Kiryuu High School Baseball Team could hardly believe their eyes. Against an opponent as formidable as Seido, their team had executed such a clean and decisive defensive play.
Both teams on the field were top-tier powerhouses. It was extremely difficult to expect obvious mistakes from either side. Precisely because mistakes were so rare, spectacular defensive moments were also scarce.
There were no last-second rescues, no desperate sacrifices, no heroic scenes of cutting through thousands to take the enemy general's head.
Instead, the two teams were like evenly matched martial arts masters competing in internal energy. On the inside, the struggle was ferocious. On the outside, very little appeared dramatic. Many supporters in the stands could not grasp the subtleties of what was unfolding.
They only felt that the game was progressing quickly.
In reality, time had not passed slowly at all. The game had only reached the bottom of the seventh inning, yet nearly two hours had already gone by.
One hour and fifty-seven minutes.
Under the scorching temperature of thirty-four degrees Celsius, the two sides had engaged in a duel of skill and endurance.
Now, at last, they had witnessed a dazzling defensive highlight.
It was not that Seido High School Baseball Team had made a mistake. It was that Osaka Kiryuu was simply too strong.
"It's going to be very difficult for Seido in this game."
A reporter from Baseball Weekly scribbled quickly in his notebook.
His judgment echoed that of most people present.
With a four-run deficit, if Seido could score one or two runs in this inning, even just one, they would still have a chance.
But now, with two outs, their hopes had grown faint.
Only the eighth and ninth innings remained. Two offensive opportunities. A four-run gap. Osaka Kiryuu had just changed pitchers.
Objectively speaking, the probability of Seido catching up and overturning the game was very low.
It was not exaggeration. It was analysis.
What a pity.
Zhang Han had broken the freshman Homerun record at Koshien in this game. He had also set a new scoring record. Azuma Kiyokuni had hit his fifth Homerun. Though still short of the all-time record, that achievement alone was enough to stand out.
Many others had also performed exceptionally. Ace Hidezawa had fought fiercely before being replaced. Tanaka Kakuei had dragged down Osaka's Ace. Yuuki Tetsuya remained quiet but carried immense destructive power. Miyuki Kazuya, still a newcomer, displayed calm skill and tremendous potential.
Seido High School Baseball Team was undoubtedly a constellation of stars.
If their opponent had not been Osaka Kiryuu, the top powerhouse in the nation known as the Cosmic Team, perhaps Seido could have gone further.
But reality did not care about hypotheticals.
"Ping!"
Facing Tachi Hiromi, who seemed almost demonic in his intensity, Yamada rushed his swing.
The ball flew high before descending in front of Masaoka at First Base.
Masaoka took two steps forward and calmly caught it in his glove.
"Snap!"
"Out!"
Three outs.
Change of offense and defense.
The Seido players returned to the dugout, fully aware that the situation was dire.
They gathered around Kataoka.
At such a moment, they needed direction.
"Baseball is not basketball or football," Kataoka began steadily. "There is no time limit. Even in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, theoretically you can still come back from a deficit of a dozen or even a hundred runs. As long as the opponent hasn't recorded the final out, anything is possible."
He did not dwell on the four-run gap.
He understood that staring at the scoreboard would only breed despair.
Instead, he redirected their focus.
"Let's handle what we can handle. First, hold this inning. Then we still have two offensive opportunities."
His tone was firm but not heavy.
He did not allow sorrow to linger. He steered them toward action.
The players absorbed his words.
They had scored six runs in one inning earlier. They had broken two pitchers in that surge.
If they could do it once, they could do it again.
Osaka Kiryuu was strong, but Seido had already proven they could fight.
The burden on their shoulders seemed lighter now.
In truth, Seido had already exceeded expectations by reaching this stage of Koshien. Winning would be glorious. Losing would not be shameful.
Against the Cosmic Team, defeat would not invite ridicule.
Freed from suffocating pressure, Seido's players responded well.
They secured two quick outs.
Though Osaka Kiryuu managed to place a runner on Third Base, Seido did not yield a run immediately.
Two outs. Runner on Third Base.
In Osaka Kiryuu's dugout, Matsumoto Takahiro maintained his composed smile. His fingers tapped lightly against his arm.
He knew the game was approaching its decisive stage.
If Seido's batting order were different at this moment, he would be less concerned.
But it was not ideal for them.
Still, he could not fully relax.
What a stubborn opponent.
Even with a four-run lead, one could not feel secure.
"Find a way to get another run," he signaled.
The Osaka batter nodded and assumed a bunt stance.
With two outs, what was the intention?
Seido's infielders were puzzled but could not ignore it.
Zhang Han and Tanaka moved forward instinctively.
Infield in.
Tanba inhaled deeply and delivered the pitch.
At the last moment, the batter pulled his bat back, then swung.
Not merely a fake bunt.
A hit-and-run.
The runner on Third broke immediately toward Home.
Since contact had been made, stopping the run would be nearly impossible unless the ball was fielded instantly.
Seido could only try to retire the batter.
The ball dropped behind the drawn-in infielders.
Zhang Han reacted fastest. He chased it down after one bounce and secured it.
But by the time he stood and threw to Yuuki at First Base, it was too late.
A white blur crossed the bag just before the ball reached Yuuki's glove.
"Safe!"
The First Base umpire made the call decisively.
The run counted.
Osaka Kiryuu extended their lead from four runs to five.
13–8.
A collective sigh rippled through the stands.
For many, this felt decisive.
Seido had played brilliantly, but Osaka Kiryuu was simply better.
"Not necessarily."
A few voices disagreed.
"The gap is too large," someone argued. "Six outs left. The core batters may only come up once. Even with a Homerun, five runs are impossible."
Five runs.
It felt like a mountain.
"They only get six outs if they stop hitting," Fujio countered. "If they string together hits, the core lineup could bat again."
He did not claim Seido would overturn the game.
But he knew one thing.
Those three core batters were not the type to surrender quietly.
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