Sawamura strikes out Hakumatsu.
The scene at Koshien Stadium was incredibly intense. After that, he struck Out two more batters.
Despite the efforts of the players from Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team, including their new pitcher, Morishita, their performance was admirable.
However, the scales of victory inevitably began to tip in favor of the Seidou High School baseball team.
This was something that couldn't be helped.
Even though both teams' pitchers were performing admirably, compared to the overwhelming presence of Sawamura Eijun, Morishita from Osaka Kiryu clearly lacked in ability by a wide margin.
Up to this point, the Osaka Kiryu High School baseball team had not conceded any more runs.
It seemed impressive at first glance!
But this was primarily thanks to the efforts of the other players from Osaka Kiryu High School, who were working hard.
This was due to the active coordination of their fielders, as well as the hellish training that their Coach, Matsumoto, had put them through.
As a result, these players displayed unyielding resolve, like steel and concrete.
In this game, they were able to perform with such resilience.
In terms of the pitchers' performances, although Morishita did well, it was clearly unrealistic to compare him to Sawamura.
Just how big is the gap between the two?
You don't need an expert to analyze this. Even an average person, by simply observing how each pitcher handles a crisis, could easily determine who is stronger.
Before this, although Morishita successfully dealt with all the players from Seidou High School, except for Sawamura, it was clear that he struggled while doing so.
Moreover, he was greatly assisted by his teammates during the process.
In contrast, Sawamura was much more relaxed.
Because none of the players from Osaka Kiryu High School had figured out the intricacies of his pitching.
So up until now, he remained at ease.
He could easily handle the batting lineup from Osaka Kiryu High School.
When he faced the batters from Osaka Kiryu, it felt like an adult playing with a group of children.
He was incredibly relaxed.
Although both sides had similar outcomes, their states were starkly different, showcasing the gap between them.
Putting Sawamura aside, Osaka Kiryu High School is also one of the top baseball teams in the nation.
They had fallen behind due to a lack of strong pitchers, but their team has never lacked good hitters.
Once Sawamura was removed, the remaining batting lineup from Seidou High School could easily compete with that of Osaka Kiryu High School.
With the same conditions, the difference in their states directly reflected their power gap.
Even though the temporary result wasn't much different, one side had already given their all and was being cautious, while the other was only showing a small part of their true abilities without fully unleashing their strength.
Is there still a need to explain the gap between them?
It's not something that can be described with just a simple word.
The gap between them is enormous.
In this situation, it was inevitable that the situation would tilt toward Seidou High School's side.
This isn't about outside spectators being biased; it's a fact.
When it came to offense, although the other players from Seidou High School hadn't yet shown much, based on their matchups with the opponents, it was only a matter of time before they secured hits and scores.
On the other hand, the situation for Osaka Kiryu High School wasn't as optimistic. Up until now, they hadn't even broken through the first line of defense from Seidou High School.
Forget who is standing behind Sawamura, the impenetrable defense of a legendary team like Seidou High School.
Up until now, they hadn't even been able to break through Sawamura's magical breaking balls.
Just dealing with the Magic ball that they couldn't even fathom had already put them in a difficult spot.
Not to mention, the truly terrifying pitches from the "Great Demon King" had yet to even appear.
And the impenetrable defense of Seidou High School hadn't come onto the field yet.
Although the game had just started, it already looked like it wouldn't be easy for Osaka Kiryu High School to break through the defense of Seidou High School.
By the 4th inning, it seemed to confirm the spectators' predictions.
Seidou High School's baseball team suddenly launched an explosive offensive, like a raging storm, with no prior warning.
At the top of the 4th inning, Seidou High School began their attack.
The first to step into the Batter's Box was none other than Sawamura.
The moment he stepped up to the plate, the entire Koshien stadium seemed to be filled with an electric, frenzied atmosphere.
As the most famous star player in the country, even if Sawamura just waved his hand on the field, it could stir up the response of tens of thousands of people.
Now that he was standing in the Batter's Box, the first-year pitcher from Osaka Kiryu High School didn't seem like someone who would shrink away.
This meant that the audience was about to witness the moment the Great Demon King would break yet another record.
Just imagining that scene made many people tremble with excitement.
It was so thrilling!
Although Sawamura Eijun had already broken several records up to this point, and countless people had seen him break them, compared to the millions of baseball fans across the nation, only a few were lucky enough to witness it live.
Most people never had the honor of seeing that historic moment where Sawamura broke a record.
And now, the fortunate fans in the stands were about to witness the Great Demon King breaking another record.
How could they not be excited?
They were extremely excited—beyond words!
"Come on, kid!"
"Throw that ball!"
"This is your chance!"
"Don't disappoint us!"
"Do your role right!!"
The chants from the stands were deafening.
Everyone was desperate to see the Great Demon King break another record in this game, and the spectators had already lost all sense of control.
They were ecstatic!
This pressure was unintentionally exerting a massive burden on the players from Osaka Kiryu High School.
What should they do?
It seemed like they had no other choice. Sometimes, the power of the audience and the fans is truly limitless.
They could even directly influence their idols' actions.
Now, the first-year pitcher from Osaka Kiryu, Morishita, was facing this terrifying pressure.
Under such intense pressure, he seemed incredibly weak.
In fact, he had already become somewhat insignificant.
If most players in the country were standing in his shoes, they probably wouldn't know what to do other than to fight desperately.
In this situation, whether they wanted to or not, they could only brace themselves and face it.
The audience was ecstatic, and the Seidou High School players were also filled with excitement.
Even though Sawamura had already broken several records before, many of those records weren't particularly significant.
But a home run was different.
The so-called "perfect" Sawamura Eijun still had to prove himself.
Some armchair experts had previously raised doubts about his batting.
This time, after breaking the record, those annoying critics should be silenced.
They would clearly see just how terrifying the Great Demon King, Sawamura Eijun, truly was.
In front of the eyes of fifty or sixty thousand spectators, Morishita threw the baseball.
The baseball was severely off the strike zone!
This moment left everyone in the stands completely stunned.
They were confused.
Did they misjudge him?
The young man they had thought was so determined didn't seem to have the spirit they imagined.
...