Two runs scored in a row, and the score was overturned…
As the person responsible, Sawamura was certainly to blame.
But strangely, no one around him blamed him.
Everyone had seen the effort Sawamura put into this game.
In fact, most of the players were struggling with their own form. In this game, they were merely going through the motions and couldn't even bring out their usual 80% effort.
Originally, the Japan team's overall strength was already slightly inferior to America's.
Now, with their enthusiasm lacking, it was no surprise they were being suppressed.
It was only thanks to Sawamura that the Japan team had managed to score first and lead by two runs until the 9th inning.
No matter how thick their skin was, no player would think of blaming Sawamura at this point.
They simply couldn't afford to!
If they had any grievances, they could only blame themselves for their lack of skill and readiness.
Renji saw Sawamura blaming himself and felt a twinge in his heart.
Honestly, as star players, they had always been the ones leading the team forward.
Now, for the first time, they were experiencing what it felt like to be the one dragging others down.
This made Renji feel deeply guilty. Sawamura's words did nothing to alleviate these feelings; instead, they only intensified them.
How rich is Sawamura's experience? He could almost instantly tell what Renji was thinking.
While calling everyone to the pitcher's mound, he explained to Renji.
"We knew all along that we couldn't use high-level breaking balls. It's easy to think about breaking through in the heat of the moment, but if we really relied on that to determine victory or defeat, that would be naive. We're behind now, and the situation isn't in our favor—didn't we foresee this?"
As he spoke, Sawamura seemed to radiate an aura behind him that made everyone inexplicably trust him.
Not just Renji, but the other players who gathered around also felt the same way.
At that moment, Sawamura didn't look like someone who had just been hit with a home run.
"Don't get discouraged. There's nothing I could have done about that earlier. But I promise, I won't let them score again!"
Sawamura's tone was calm, but no one doubted that he could back up his words.
Come on, this was the man known as the Demon King.
Sure, he might occasionally slack off and let American players take advantage, but once he took things seriously, those American players wouldn't stand a chance.
What about the legendary American Dream Team? They were two or three years older than Sawamura and were considered a legendary team. But even against a team like that, Sawamura could suppress them without them having any response.
Let alone against players of the same age group. That would be a walk in the park for him.
People looked at him like he had a built-in aura, as if he was destined to lead them to victory. No reason, no explanation, they just believed that with him leading, they wouldn't lose. Absolutely not!
Back at his catcher position, Renji was deeply moved.
Sawamura's talent and skill had reached an extraordinary level.
But that wasn't what struck Renji the most. His former partner, Hongou, although not as good as Sawamura, was also exceptional in these two areas.
But even so, Hongou still couldn't compare to Sawamura.
This gap didn't even show up in their ball skills.
It was in mentality, pressure resistance, experience… all these factors combined.
Sawamura's strength was all-encompassing.
This all-around strength seemed to act like a halo, adding to Sawamura's presence.
As long as he stood there, even when the situation was bleak, everyone still felt a sense of reassurance.
The score had reversed, which greatly motivated the Japanese team, and combined with Sawamura's guidance, they began to change.
The Japanese team, which had seemed as if they were just going through the motions, suddenly had renewed energy.
Trailing behind, on the verge of losing, this negative situation seemed to have broken their shackles.
The Japanese players shed their earlier sluggishness and became more determined.
This miraculous change confused their opponents, the American team.
"What happened to them? Why are they suddenly so energetic?"
The Japanese players had been listless when they were ahead, but now that they were behind, they seemed to be more spirited.
The American coach also had doubts in his mind, but by now, he didn't have the energy to dwell on it.
"Keep it up, let's score another run!"
Although theoretically, the current score gap was already enough, the American coach wasn't satisfied.
He hoped their fifth batter could keep pushing forward.
WHRROOSH!
At this moment, Sawamura pitched the ball.
The fifth batter for the American team, as the core hitter, was naturally a remarkable star player.
Although he hadn't performed excellently until now, he certainly wanted to hit the ball.
On one hand, he wanted to bring glory to his team; on the other hand, he wanted to prove himself.
Otherwise, as the core hitter, he'd be embarrassed.
The batter had already braced himself, and as he saw Sawamura's pitch, a knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
Without doing anything special, he could already sense that Sawamura's pitch wasn't as good as before.
Though the fastball was still sharp, compared to earlier, it had weakened by at least 20 to 30%.
'What a great opportunity!'
Seeing Sawamura's weak pitch, the batter didn't hesitate for a second.
He swung his bat at the oncoming ball!
As his bat was about to make contact with the small baseball, it suddenly curved!
The American fifth batter's eyes flickered with surprise.
Was that… a Moving pitch??
Sawamura hadn't used his signature pitch in a long time.
It caught the American batter off guard, leaving him unable to do anything but watch.
Paak!
The baseball was hit and flew out. It traveled only five or six meters before bouncing on the ground.
Despite having changed their defensive positions, the players of the Japan team were still highly skilled.
Breaking through their defense with such a ball was unrealistic.
The third baseman, who had covered the position, effortlessly stopped the ball and threw it to first base.
Snap!
"OUT!!!"
And with that, the Japan team had recorded the third out and completed their defensive task for the 9th inning.
The final score was 3:2, with America completing the comeback in the final inning.
Before the bottom of the 9th inning began, both teams were still fiercely strategizing.
The American Coach was well aware that the players from Japan were certainly not going to give up.
They would definitely counterattack! There was a 100% chance of a counterattack!
In their final opportunity to attack, the top hitters in their lineup were up to bat. Given the situation, it would be absurd for players from Japan not to think of a counterattack.
"Very good, everyone did great! We've executed our offensive strategy. Our next task is to maintain the lead and get the final three Outs! The Japanese players, at this moment, absolutely will not give up. They will try every possible way to score again. As I've said, even if it results in a tie, it doesn't matter—if the game ends in a tie, we'll still win. The most important thing is to get those last three Outs quickly, to avoid letting the game drag on too long!"
The closer the victory was, the more anxious the American Coach became.
At this point, he was even a little conflicted.
On one hand, he wanted his players to fully show their abilities and go head-to-head with the opponent.
On the other hand, he felt it might not be necessary to go toe-to-toe with the Japan team.
Clearly, the Japan team had been pushed into a desperate situation.
In such a state, they could make any move.
For the American team, the safest approach was, of course, to get those three Outs as quickly as possible. If the game dragged on, no one knew what would happen.
Looking into the eyes of the Japanese players, it was clear—these guys would absolutely not give up.
Their eyes were like those of starving beasts.
Whether they had a chance or not, they would fight to the death, giving everything until the last moment.
When the Japan team was in the lead, only a few of their players had this mentality.
At least half, if not more, of them had other thoughts on their minds.
They hadn't fully recovered from their previous losses and setbacks, and their performance was lackluster.
But ever since the Japan team fell behind, these players seemed to have been triggered in some way.
They no longer had time to dwell on unnecessary thoughts.
A greater crisis loomed before them.
Once this crisis appeared, the Japanese players became more united than ever before.
Not only united, but also resolute.
They would definitely fight until the end!
For the Japan team, their final chance to attack would be pursued at all costs.
In this situation, could the American team withstand it?
The American Coach had doubts in his mind.
Although past experience in the game had fully demonstrated that they had both the strength and the chance to do this...
That was still a subjective guess, and the objective facts could be different.
Honestly, no one was entirely sure. Not even the American Coach.
He truly didn't know if their one-point lead would make a difference or not in this situation.
…