The score's 1-0.
Takumi's on second base.
Two outs, runner on second.
"Keep the heat on 'em, and show 'em who's boss!" the fans roared.
"Let 'em see what a real powerhouse can do!" others yelled.
The fans in the stands were going wild.
They'd always been boasting about Seidō's awesome offense.
It was bound to show up sooner or later, right? Now, they were finally backing up their words.
The offense was finally showing its power.
"Eighth batter, number eight, center fielder, Isashiki Jun."
Of the three second-year starters—besides catcher Takigawa Chris Yū and first baseman Yūki Tetsuya—Isashiki Jun was the only one left.
His batting wasn't quite as strong as the third-years in his position, but his defense was top-notch.
He was a natural in center field, with great speed and a powerful arm. He'd saved countless runs with his impressive plays.
After a lot of thought, the team finally decided to give him the starting position.
Now, as he walked into the batter's box, the cheers of the fans surrounding him, Isashiki was filled with pride.
'I gotta hit it big, I gotta do it this time, no matter what,' he thought fiercely.
With Takumi on second, even a grounder would probably be enough to score him.
"Just you wait, I'm gonna drive you home..." he promised himself.
The instant that thought crossed his mind, the pitch came flying in.
Isashiki, never one to back down, took a mighty swing.
Ping!
The sharp crack of the bat filled the air as the ball rocketed into the field, landing and bouncing.
Snap!
The Hachiya Oji second baseman was already on it, scooped up the ball in a flash.
He whipped it over to first.
"Out!"
Three outs. Inning's done.
Seidō only managed to scrape together one run in the top of the second.
The fans in the stands weren't dumb.
While they were all hoping for an easy win, it was becoming clear that this game wasn't going to be a cakewalk.
Seidō's opponent was proving to be surprisingly difficult.
Hachiya Oji just wouldn't budge, no matter what Seidō tried.
If it wasn't for Takumi's hit, they might not have even gotten on the board.
"Aren't Hachiya Oji students supposed to be more into academics than athletics?" one fan wondered aloud.
You'd think students from such a fancy school would be more focused on their studies.
And yet, they were putting on a real show out on the field.
Seidō was a national powerhouse, no doubt about it.
They hadn't been to Koshien lately thanks to some bad luck, but the other top teams always treated Seidō as an equal, which said a lot.
And Seidō had more than held their own against those teams, no problem.
So yeah, their reputation was well-earned.
They were the real deal!
When did Hachiya Oji become a team that could actually compete with Seidō?
The fans were totally confused.
The game continued. In the bottom of the second, Hachiya Oji's key hitters stepped up to the plate.
Just when everyone thought they'd take advantage and score some runs, Yoshida, Seidō's ace, found his groove on the mound.
Once he locked in, his pitching was almost impossible to hit.
Hachiya Oji's power hitters didn't pack the same punch as Seidō's lower-order batters.
How could they possibly compete?
"Out!"
"Out!!"
"Strikeout!!"
Three up, three down. Inning's over.
That quick inning definitely caught Seidō by surprise.
Even though they'd given up a run in the top of the second, the pitcher's strong showing gave Hachiya Oji a little confidence boost.
They were still strategizing about their next at-bats when they got back to the dugout, not expecting such a quick turnaround.
As a result, they were totally caught off guard, both mentally and physically.
They barely had time to gulp down some water and take a breather before they had to run back out onto the field.
Their coach looked at his exhausted players, shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's only the third inning, people," he observed in confusion.
Actually, they'd only played two innings.
Why did they all look so wiped out?
Meanwhile, Seidō, even though they'd managed to scratch out a run, wasn't exactly having an easy time of it...
But their players weren't showing any signs of being tired.
Up in the stands, a player in an Ichidaisan uniform, filming the game with a camera, had definitely noticed this.
He muttered in a low voice, "That's the difference in their training."
Hachiya Oji's players had to have put in the effort to get this far.
No team gets this far without putting in the time and effort.
They'd already knocked out seventy to eighty percent of the competition.
But even so, their players just weren't in the same league as Seidō's.
Hachiya Oji's players were clearly dedicated, but Seidō's players were on another level entirely. They boasted about shedding more tears and sweat than anyone else.
They even dared to say their training was the most brutal in the entire country.
How could Hachiya Oji possibly measure up?
"Alright, it's on you guys to tie this thing up. If you can't do it before Seidō gets another chance to hit, this game's gonna be over!" the Hachiya Oji coach barked, with authority from the dugout.
Top of the third, and Seidō was up to bat again.
Everyone was feeling good about it, especially with their leadoff guys coming up.
But they went down quick, one-two-three.
Natsume had clearly stopped messing around and just started throwing strikes
Bottom of the third, Yoshida came back strong with two straight strikeouts.
Three outs, and they switched sides again.
Before anyone realized it, the game had flown by to the fifth. The score was still locked at 1-0.
Seidō was giving it their all, but they just couldn't seem to break through Hachiya Oji's defense.
Now, in the top of the fifth, their leadoff hitter was stepping up to the plate again.
This was his third time facing Natsume.
Natsume, standing on the mound, gritted his teeth.
He could still hold them off!