The pitcher from Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team chose to intentionally Walk Sawamura.
Even for the supporters of the Seidou High School baseball team and the die-hard fans of Sawamura, they had become accustomed to seeing their star being Walked.
But at this moment, they couldn't help but let out a chorus of boos.
It couldn't be helped.
Previously, the Osaka Kiryu High School baseball team had shown such a strong spirit.
It made them feel that the team would certainly choose to face Sawamura head-on in a direct showdown.
Especially considering that the pitcher from Osaka Kiryu High School was a first-year rookie who didn't know the meaning of "fear."
He had a chance to challenge the Demon King, fight, and win, earning fame in one fell swoop.
The opportunity was right in front of him.
Why would he give it up?
The reason the spectators were so eager was, of course not just that.
There was another important reason—they were about to witness their star break a record.
They were about to witness the birth of a new record.
In this situation, they naturally hoped the pitcher from Osaka Kiryu High School would show more courage.
They hoped he would directly face Sawamura in battle.
Only in such a case could Sawamura possibly hit a home run and break his own record.
The new record was about to be set!
But unexpectedly, the Osaka Kiryu High School pitcher backed down at this very moment?
Isn't that infuriating?
The blow to the fans in the stands was so great that they were seething with anger.
Had it been before, if the opponent had chosen to avoid a showdown with Sawamura, they definitely wouldn't have been this angry—in fact, they might have felt smug.
After all, the opponent had shown wisdom by retreating upon realizing how great the gap in strength between them and the Demon King Sawamura was.
What a good thing!
They naturally had reason to be excited.
Though they lost the chance to watch Sawamura's batting performance up close, seeing the opponent voluntarily back down gave them mental satisfaction.
But now, they weren't satisfied at all!
In fact, they were absolutely furious.
If not for the law, they'd probably storm the field and take down the pitcher from Osaka Kiryu High School themselves.
This guy was so disappointing!
Why couldn't he show some guts and face Sawamura head-on?
Osaka Kiryu High School's baseball team had backed down.
The fans in the stands were furious to the point that they nearly drowned the pitcher with spit.
But this wasn't the end—it was just the beginning.
The showdown on the field was still ongoing.
After Sawamura got on base, it was now Miyuki's turn to bat for Seidou High School's baseball team.
The majority of Seidou's team was furious about the current situation.
But there were exceptions.
For example, Miyuki felt pretty good about it.
In the past, whenever it was Sawamura's turn to bat, he often hit home runs.
By the time it was Miyuki's turn, the bases were usually empty.
This made Miyuki very uncomfortable.
He preferred when there were players on base. It made hitting more exciting.
With the bat in hand, getting a hit would naturally lead to a score.
That feeling was truly exhilarating.
In the past, Sawamura had cleared the bases, so no matter how well Miyuki performed, unless he hit a home run, at most it would just be a double.
How could that motivate him?
Now, this situation was much better!
Though Sawamura had been intentionally Walked and Seidou's team lost a stable scoring point, Miyuki wasn't bothered.
He even thought this was a great opportunity.
An opportunity where he could get a hit and even score directly. Although Sawamura's start-up speed wasn't the fastest and his agility on the base wasn't on the level of Kuramochi, once he gave it his all running, his speed was still pretty good.
Even though he was at first base now, Miyuki believed that as long as he managed to hit a solid shot, with Sawamura's speed, there was a good chance he could make it back to home plate to score.
'Come on, kid!'
'Let's play this well.'
'Don't be a coward now!'
Miyuki excitedly watched the pitcher's mound, showing no condemnation for the pitcher's earlier fearful behavior, even offering a hint of encouragement.
"This guy is terrifying!"
Miyuki's gaze made Morishita, the pitcher, feel a little embarrassed.
He felt goosebumps all over his body.
It was like being watched by some evil entity.
People always said that Seidou's star players weren't only Sawamura.
Another player was equally formidable.
That was the man known as the best catcher in high school—Miyuki Kazuya.
Not only could he form a great complement with Sawamura when it came to pitch calling, but he also exuded immense pressure during batting.
Morishita now felt that pressure.
It felt like no matter what he did, he couldn't escape Miyuki's batting.
How could such a dangerous guy exist?
Morishita couldn't understand it.
Even when he faced Sawamura, he had never felt such an eerie feeling.
What was it about Miyuki that gave him such strong pressure?
Like a fishbone stuck in his throat, he couldn't let it go.
At this point, Morishita, with no hesitation, made a decision he had never considered before.
After walking Sawamura and with a runner on first base, with no Outs,
"BALL!"
"BALL!!"
"BALL!!!"
"BALL FOUR!!"
"Walk To Base!!"
Morishita chose to intentionally Walk Miyuki Kazuya.
Seeing this, the Seidou team members were stunned.
Back-to-back Walks!
The Osaka Kiryu High School players had completely let go now.
They didn't care about these players anymore, but focused all their attention on Sawamura and Miyuki.
They didn't even try to face those two, intending to get Outs on the other players.
Though a first-year rookie, you'd think he'd show some fearlessness, right?
Didn't he face both Sawamura and Miyuki head-on during the first round?
Why did his attitude make a complete 180 now?
He directly avoided a confrontation.
"Are these Osaka Kiryu players being too presumptuous?" murmured Owada Akiko from Baseball Kingdom Magazine.
On the surface, it seemed that Seidou's most threatening players were definitely the Great Demon King Sawamura and his partner, the Hero Miyuki.
As for the other players on Seidou, while strong, they clearly weren't on the same level as these two.
Theoretically, if they completely avoided Sawamura and Miyuki and focused on dealing with the other Seidou batters, it shouldn't have been that difficult.
But now, things were clearly different.
The current showdown had just begun.
Up until now, the Osaka Kiryu High School players hadn't gotten a single Out.
The situation on the field had turned into no outs with runners on first and second.
In this situation, the chances of Osaka Kiryu giving up runs were very high.
Seidou's players didn't even need to face them directly.
Using tactics to advance the runners and score was certainly a viable option.
Previously, Seidou's players had done this often and were quite skilled at it.
No matter how you looked at it, Seidou's chances of scoring were still very high.
Was it really worth it for Osaka Kiryu High School to perform such an embarrassing act?
Fujio, standing next to Akiko, disagreed with her opinion.
"It's not that simple."
Osaka Kiryu High School wasn't just a grassroots team.
They were one of the top baseball powerhouses in the country.
Although they had been quiet for almost a year due to a gap in their players, it couldn't be denied that their strength was still top-tier.
They couldn't be underestimated.
Especially their foundation, which was still much stronger than Seidou's, even if you compared them.
Matsumoto, the Coach, while less famous than Seidou's Kataoka right now, was just as well-known in the circle and equally capable.
The situation in front of them was very unfavorable for Osaka Kiryu High School.
No one knew this better than themselves.
But knowing the severe consequences, the Osaka Kiryu players still made this decision without hesitation.
What did this mean?
Were they preparing to surrender?
Don't joke, that's impossible!
Regardless, Osaka Kiryu High School was always one of the top schools in the country.
They had their own will and ideas, and their own dignity.
In this situation, they resolutely chose to Walk Miyuki.
This meant they still had other plans in mind.
At the very least, they believed they had a chance to get outs.
Or at the very least, they could hold the score temporarily.
But who knew if the king-level Seidou players would let them have their way?
Of course, the answer was no.
Seidou's players were not philanthropists.
No Outs, runners on first and second.
If they didn't strive to score in this situation, they would be incredibly weak!
On second base, Sawamura and Miyuki on first both set up as if to steal bases.
Maezono at the Batter's Box now looked like an angry titan.
'Since you chose the path of cowards, we will teach you how bumpy it could be!!'
His eyes were filled with flames, as if about to melt the opponent.
Very intimidating!
Seidou's offense had begun.
Ping!
Maezono, who had been set up for a long hit, suddenly changed to a bunt when the ball came close.
The baseball rolled into the infield.
This move stunned the fans in the stands.
Previously, they had always seen Seidou's fifth batter as a beast in human form, contrasting sharply with the handsome and dashing appearance of Seidou's other players.
Maezono's…rough? Looks had even earned him the nickname "Tarzan."
But now, he showed that he was also a master of the bunt.
Incredible!
Everyone was surprised; no one expected Maezono to have such a skill.
Fujio nodded seriously.
"Seidou's offense has begun!"
Perhaps ordinary people would find Maezono's choice strange.
Who would have thought that such a powerful batter would abandon his best weapon in this crucial game?
But Fujio wasn't surprised at all. It was totally normal!
Seidou was the top team in the country.
Their players couldn't have such an obvious weakness.
Even a batter not skilled at bunting could still pull it off when the team needed it.
Just like Maezono was doing now.
Though he was nowhere near Sawamura's level, the strategic purpose was achieved.
As Maezono bunted, with perfect coordination, Sawamura and Miyuki each advanced a base.
Though Maezono was Out, Seidou's chances of scoring had significantly increased.
One out, runners on second and third!
At this moment, the batter coming up was Shiratsu.
His presence was subtle—many Seidou fans couldn't even name him.
But his skills were solid.
Whether it was independent hitting or tactical hitting, he was very strong.
Now that it was his turn, Seidou's chances of scoring had risen again.
Sawamura on third base was very restless, constantly adjusting his position, moving toward home plate.
It looked like he was ready to force a score with Shiratsu.
Morishita, on the mound, couldn't ignore this.
He had no choice but to throw to third base to try to stop Sawamura.
But unfortunately, it didn't have much effect.
How could an experienced player like Sawamura fall for such a trick?
Before Morishita could act, Sawamura had already returned to the base.
He didn't give Osaka Kiryu High School any opportunity at all.
...
T/N: That's it for Today.
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