After Okamondo, the ninth batter, was struck out, the next batter for Nihon University Tsurugaoka was their leadoff hitter, Enomoto Yu.
This was Enomoto Yu's fourth at-bat of the game: In their previous encounters, not only had he failed to hit a single, he hadn't even made contact with the ball once, striking out in all three at-bats — as the team's most adept hitter, this record was nothing short of shameful.
"This time, no matter what, I have to hit the ball properly!" Standing in the batter's box, Enomoto Yu vowed fiercely in his heart.
On the other hand, Lin Guanglai on the pitcher's mound seemed completely at ease — while contemplating his pitching strategy, he was even listening with interest to the brass band music emanating from Nihon University Tsurugaoka's support stands.
Despite the increasing outs diminishing their chances of winning, Nihon University Tsurugaoka's supporters were still fervently cheering on the players, hoping to witness a miracle.
