The second game of the Tokyo Spring Tournament semifinals.
The match between Seido High School Baseball Team and Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team had already reached its end.
Top of the seventh inning, two outs, no runners on base. The score on the field was 12:3, with Seido High School Baseball Team leading their opponent by a full nine runs. According to the rules of the game, as long as they maintained this score and got the last out, they could end the game in seven innings.
Whether viewed from the score or from the performance of both sides, Seido High School Baseball Team firmly held the initiative of the game.
Strictly speaking, throughout the entire game, Seido did not give Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team any chance to perform. This was like a crushing victory where the strength difference was vast.
But the truth was not so.
Anyone who truly watched this game, especially those who understood baseball, could see that Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team was not as vulnerable as they appeared. They actually showed a very high level of skill in this game.
Especially in the early stages, Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team not only scored the first run but also tied the score with Seido by the third inning.
To be able to tie with Seido High School Baseball Team, known as the National First Batting Line, even if only for three innings, was very shocking. This fully demonstrated that Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team was indeed worthy of being last year's East Tokyo runner-up and a semifinalist in the Spring Tournament. Although luck played a part, they indeed possessed sufficient skill and strength.
As for why the game turned out this way, why the score difference was so large, that could only be attributed to the strength of Seido High School Baseball Team, especially their offensive power.
Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team successively replaced three pitchers who all seemed quite good. However, without exception, all these pitchers were crushed by the hitters of Seido High School Baseball Team. Even though the game reached the seventh inning, Seido High School Baseball Team's hitting only occurred for six innings. This meant they averaged two runs per inning.
Six innings, twelve runs. Three pitchers, all crushed.
What kind of offensive power was this? Who could stop it?
After winning this game, Seido High School Baseball Team would likely make a big splash at the Kanto Tournament. Just imagining that scene was incredibly exciting. Using a powerful weapon like Seido High School Baseball Team against teams from their own region was inevitably a bit cruel.
Many fans in Tokyo felt a bit uneasy watching it. But if they were to go to the Kanto Tournament and bully teams from other regions, they would be delighted.
Now they only hoped that the teams representing Tokyo in the Kanto Tournament did not meet each other prematurely. They would not be able to handle it.
Just as the supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team were lost in thought, the showdown on the field concluded.
The last batter for Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team was their sixth batter. The fourth and fifth batters before him had already been retired.
Even Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team's two strongest hitters were somewhat at a loss when facing Tanba's high breaking Curveball. Although they had seen this pitch through videotapes, seeing it did not mean they could handle it.
In fact, the feeling of truly facing Tanba's pitch was completely different from what they saw on videotapes.
When the baseball suddenly dropped from such a high point, what they had to hit was no longer a straight line, but a vertical line.
The two strongest had been retired, so the sixth batter should have been an easy out. However, the sixth batter showed great tenacity. Even if he couldn't hit the baseball in front of him, he tried his best to foul it off.
Just keep fighting.
The batter was unwilling for the game to end like this. He would try his best until the very last moment.
"Whoosh..."
The white ball whistled in, and the batter tried to foul it off, but this time the baseball did not drop. The baseball went straight past the bat and landed precisely in Miyuki Kazuya's glove.
"Pop!"
"Strike!!!"
"Struck out!!!"
"Game over! The Tokyo Spring Tournament semifinals, the game between Seido High School Baseball Team and Koudai Affiliated High School Baseball Team, ended with a final score of 12:3. The winner is Seido High School Baseball Team!!!"
At this moment, countless fans in the stands stood up to celebrate. The fans of Seido High School Baseball Team were particularly excited.
"It's not that serious, is it? Isn't winning against such an opponent a given?" one neutral fan said, puzzled.
Given the dominance of Seido High School Baseball Team and the overall flow of this game, there was no suspense that Seido High School Baseball Team would ultimately win. They already knew this by the end of the third inning. Why were the fans of Seido High School Baseball Team acting so excited?
His friend next to him couldn't help but roll his eyes. He hated watching games with people who didn't understand anything.
"The Spring Tournament has two meanings: one is to get a seed spot for the Summer Tournament by reaching the top sixteen. The other is to participate in the Kanto Tournament by reaching the finals. After this game, Seido has achieved both goals. Of course they should celebrate."
As for the championship, for an ordinary baseball team, it might still have some appeal. After all, even a small mosquito was still meat. However, for a powerhouse like Seido High School Baseball Team, the appeal of the Spring Tournament championship was almost nonexistent.
Do you know what a "chicken rib" is? Flavorless to eat, a shame to discard. This was probably the true feeling of a powerhouse like Seido towards the Spring Tournament championship.
If it weren't for Tokyo Television broadcasting and increasing the school's recognition, perhaps one of the two teams in the finals would have forfeited the game.
In previous years, it was not uncommon for both teams to send their substitutes to play in the finals.
Especially for the two teams about to participate in the finals, their reason for conserving strength was very sufficient. No choice, who made them meet their two arch-rivals from West Tokyo in the finals?
Seido High School Baseball Team and Ichidai Third High School Baseball Team.
After celebrating, the Seido teammates specifically ran to the front of the stands and bowed deeply to the fans who came to cheer for them.
"Thank you!!!"
"We'll be at the finals too!"
"Let's win the championship in one go!!!"
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Note: And that's a wrap on Volume Three! This Volume was the last one without major involvement of Sawamura and Furuya. From the next one they will be involved quite heavily. Hope you like the book to stick around.
The Freshmen Welcome Match just ended in Patreon head over to read ahead.