When the game reached the seventh inning, Coach Kataoka hesitated.
Tanba should be close to his limit.
His breathing rhythm was completely messed up, and the sweat on his forehead hadn't stopped.
Summarizing Tanba's performance in the first six innings, aside from giving up three runs in the first inning due to a surprise attack, the remaining innings were quite good.
Even when Shonan Gakuen had runners on base, he was able to calmly respond and work with Chris to get outs.
As a result, from the second inning until now, Seido High School Baseball Team has not given up another run.
The score on the field was 7:3, with Seido High School Baseball Team leading their opponent by a full four runs. With only three innings left in the game, this score difference was not small. If it weren't for Shonan Gakuen's players, who at this moment were like bloodthirsty warriors, stubbornly refusing to give up.
Seido High School Baseball Team could even declare the game over early.
But it was also at this time that Tanba's pitch count had exceeded seventy, and his exhaustion was evident on his face.
The reason Kataoka hesitated was because of the fighting spirit on Tanba's face.
Coach Kataoka had never seen that kind of fighting spirit before.
If he were to pull Tanba out of the game at this moment, would it dampen Tanba's enthusiasm?
Tanba's personality was very sensitive, and it was very possible for a small matter to affect his state and mood.
Although for the past year, Coach Kataoka had been pushing him, even directly scolding him…
He hoped he would improve after experiencing setbacks.
But old habits die hard.
Although Tanba had grown somewhat compared to before, his overall personality hadn't changed much.
Coach Kataoka's hesitation was also noticed by Tanba.
He actively walked up to his coach, staring at Kataoka without avoiding his gaze.
"I can still pitch. Please let me finish this game."
The teammates in the dugout all widened their eyes.
They almost suspected that the Senior Tanba standing in front of them at this moment was possessed by something unclean?
You know, based on their understanding of Senior Tanba, Tanba would never say such a thing.
Koichiro Tanba's personality carried a hint of weakness.
This might be related to his long-term role as an Ace substitute during his junior high school days.
An Ace has the demeanor of an Ace.
If the Ace in a team is particularly reliable, the presence of the substitute becomes blurred. Because of the blurred presence, the entire person's personality will also be greatly affected.
For example, substitutes often get used to relying on the Ace and do not actively compete for opportunities to perform.
Tanba used to be like that.
This time, however, he went against his usual behavior and volunteered.
Coach Kataoka looked at Tanba's serious eyes, staring at the number one on his uniform.
"Alright! You are the Ace of the team right now, don't forget that."
All the previous urging had not shown any significant improvement in Tanba.
Coach Kataoka decided to change his strategy this time.
He wanted to try trusting Tanba once, and just let this guy go wild on the field. He wanted to see if this guy could give him a surprise, just as he said.
Before going on the field, Chris walked up to Tanba and punched Tanba's chest with the hand wearing a glove.
He didn't say anything, but the encouragement was clearly expressed.
Zhang Han felt many people looking at him.
Coach Kataoka and the coaches had not told the teammates about Zhang Han's situation.
As a result, many teammates in the team thought that Zhang Han would be put on the field at this time.
The most crucial moment for the outcome of the game, of course, should be given to the team's true Ace.
Unexpectedly, this time Coach Kataoka gave this opportunity to Tanba.
Not only the other players, but even Tanba was looking at Zhang Han with a provocative gaze, which made Zhang Han smile bitterly in his heart.
He could indeed come in as a substitute.
However, according to what Coach Kataoka and the coaches had discussed before, unless it was a matter of life and death, they would not easily put Zhang Han on the pitcher's mound.
Zhang Han's strength was undoubtedly great.
But if the team became dependent on his pitching, what if he couldn't pitch in a crucial situation? Wouldn't the team fall into an irreversible situation?
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, it would be difficult for Zhang Han to get a chance to pitch.
But the other teammates didn't know this! They were still worried that Zhang Han had other thoughts?
Zhang Han felt a little touched in his heart.
"Go for it, Senior!"
He expressed his attitude with his actions.
Seeing that Zhang Han was not affected by this matter, many teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team breathed a sigh of relief.
"Go on the field!"
"Get them out one by one."
"Get the first out first!!"
The teammates chattered, saying all sorts of things.
But their morale was consistent.
They had confidence and determination to win this game.
However, the subsequent development of the game left the teammates of Seido High School Baseball Team dumbfounded.
At first, Tanba got two outs in a row, performing very well.
Two outs, no one on base.
At this point, he only needed to get one more out to successfully close out this inning.
Tanba didn't feel the physical fatigue.
He had never been so excited as he was now; his cooperation with Chris made him feel as if his pitching was guided by some mysterious force.
His original one hundred percent pitching could now unleash one hundred and twenty percent of its power.
Tanba's judgment was still good.
He knew very well that his opponent today was definitely not weak; even compared to their arch-rivals in the same district, they each had their strengths.
Facing an opponent of this caliber, it was the first time Tanba felt so easy to get outs.
"Definitely!"
Tanba's three years at Seido High School Baseball Team were also a result of his efforts step by step. Tanba believed that his strength had definitely improved; although he didn't feel it clearly himself, from the results, he had definitely improved.
So he was confident that he would be able to last until the end of this game.
"Whoosh!"
With this confidence, he threw an incredibly confident pitch against Shonan Gakuen's First Batter.
At the batter's box, Akai, who was standing at the batter's box for the fourth time, looked at the flying baseball and suddenly felt his eyes light up.
The speed of this pitch was slower than before!
"Ping!"
Looking at the direction the baseball was flying, Akai decisively swung the bat in his hand, and the white ball flew over Yuuki's head into the outfield.
Akai took advantage of this pitch to run to Second Base in one go.
After that, Shonan Gakuen's Second Batter and Third Batter successively got hits.
After a full five innings, Shonan finally scored again.
"Safe!"
Akai returned to home plate, and the score on the field became 7:4.
This wasn't over yet…
Immediately after, Kurokawa hit a two-run super long hit, helping the team narrow the score difference to only one run.
The Fifth Batter who came up next was their pitcher, Aoki.
This guy continued his hitting streak, also getting a hit.
With Seido High School Baseball Team completely unprepared, Shonan Gakuen launched a fierce offensive.
In just a few minutes, they actually tied the score.
7:7!
Two outs, runner on Second Base.
In the stands, those die-hard supporters of Seido High School Baseball Team were completely stunned at this moment.
Especially a few fans who had just been distracted, when they came back to their senses, the situation on the field had changed dramatically.
They really wanted to ask a question.
"What just happened?"
In just three or four minutes, the hard-earned lead of Seido High School Baseball Team had vanished?
In the dugout.
Ochiai, who had been silent, suddenly stood up.
"This can't go on!"
If this continued, the game really could be overturned.
However, Coach Kataoka seemed not to have listened to his blunt advice.
His eyes remained on Tanba, with a complex gaze.
************************************
Upto 50 Chapters In Advance At: P@treon/Vividreader123