The Seido High School Baseball Team's offense in the bottom of the fifth inning came to an abrupt halt.
In the next two innings, both teams' players attacked frantically.
They tried to find weaknesses in their opponent's defense to score runs and change the situation on the field.
Although both teams displayed astonishing strength during this process, with players getting on base and creating good offensive opportunities, ultimately, both teams relied on the excellent performance of their Ace and strong overall defense to successfully defuse the crises.
Although the game went all the way to the end of the seventh inning without either team scoring the crucial runs to change the game's momentum, the fans in the stands were far from bored.
Their hearts pounded non-stop with the progress of the game.
Several times, they were so nervous they almost forgot to breathe.
In the top of the eighth inning, it was Yokohama High School's turn to bat.
Before the players took the field, Coach Kataoka specifically called everyone over.
"At this point in the game, it's not just about skill, but also about the desire to win. Do you want to win?"
The players of Seido High School Baseball Team all had red eyes.
It felt less like playing a game and more like fighting for their lives.
"Yes!"
They answered in unison.
Although Seido High School Baseball Team had achieved its goal of reaching Koshien, that goal was primarily accomplished by the previous generation of players.
Among the current players, apart from Miyuki, Zhang Han, and Yuuki, no one could claim to have participated in Koshien.
Either they hadn't even made it into the First string at that time, or, even if they had, they were on the bench and never got a chance to play.
For them, both the Kanto Tournament and Koshien were their goals.
They had nothing now, so of course they yearned for victory.
They wanted to prove through victory after victory that they were no worse than their graduated seniors.
"Very good! Keep up this spirit, let's go…"
After saying this, Coach Kataoka specifically glanced at Tanba.
If one were to ask who had grown the most in the team during this Kanto Tournament, it was undoubtedly Koichiro Tanba.
In the past, as long as he pitched into the seventh inning and his pitching count reached a certain number, even if the opponent didn't put pressure on Tanba, Tanba himself would easily collapse.
This left outsiders with the impression that Seido High School Baseball Team's Ace Pitcher was unreliable.
In fact, let alone others, even the Seido High School Baseball Team's own players weren't very confident in their Ace.
They always felt that no matter how many runs they scored, it seemed insufficient, so they tried to score as much as possible.
This phenomenon had its advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was that the Seido High School Baseball Team players had developed excellent skills; their offensive methods and scoring ability were now among the best in the country.
As for the disadvantages, they were also very obvious.
That is, the players' mentality tended to be anxious and impatient.
Especially when the team was trailing, they simply had no confidence to drag the game out against their opponents.
The opponents could drag it out, but they couldn't.
Because once they dragged it out, the runs the team lost might increase more and more.
This was something the Seido High School Baseball Team's teammates could not accept no matter what.
So when the team was trailing, they often chose to play recklessly.
This put the team in an even more disadvantageous position.
This had always been Coach Kataoka's concern and his motivation to urgently develop an Ace.
However, while he was training other players, Tanba quietly gave him an incredibly huge surprise.
Since the last game, Tanba's condition had undergone a tremendous change.
Now, even if the game dragged into the seventh inning and his pitching count reached a certain level, Tanba's fighting spirit could still be maintained.
Although he couldn't display the same level of focus and skill as at the beginning of the game, he wouldn't collapse either.
For a team like Seido High School Baseball Team, as long as their Ace doesn't collapse on the field, the remaining problems can all be solved.
In the top of the eighth inning, the players of Yokohama Kohoku's baseball team gave the Seido High School Baseball Team players an incredibly huge surprise.
With one out already, their Third Batter successfully got on base.
That wasn't all; immediately after, the Fourth Batter hit a beautiful Homerun.
The score on the field was instantly rewritten.
"Safe!"
The score became 4:3!
Seido High School Baseball Team went from leading by one run to trailing by one run.
In the dugout, the substitute players of Seido High School Baseball Team all stood up nervously.
They looked at the situation in disbelief, constantly pondering what they should do next.
Koichiro Tanba-senpai looks a bit tired…
It was already a miracle that Tanba could last this long against an opponent like Yokohama Kohoku.
Is it time to take him out now?
The players cast their questioning gazes at Kataoka.
Unexpectedly, Coach Kataoka seemed completely oblivious to such a situation.
He just stared calmly at the field, as if firmly believing that Koichiro Tanba could resolve the crisis.
This left the substitute players feeling confused, with even more questions in their minds.
Chris was the first to step forward, cupping his hands in front of his mouth to form a megaphone shape.
"Seido! Seido!!"
"Seido!! Seido!!!"
A few third-year players were also initially confused.
But after seeing Chris's actions, they quickly understood what they should do now.
They also ran to the front, cupped their hands into megaphone shapes, and shouted along.
Coach Kataoka noticed this scene out of the corner of his eye, and he nodded with satisfaction.
This is how it should be.
Tanba, on the pitcher's mound, was originally greatly shaken by the sudden two-run Homerun.
He himself began to wonder if there was a problem with his condition.
Although he didn't feel anything at all right now, it's often difficult for players themselves to detect subtle differences in their condition.
"The Supervisor and players of Seido High School Baseball Team trust their Ace very much."
Owada Akiko spoke with emotion.
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed that Fujio, who had previously appeared calm, suddenly changed his expression.
"Amazing!"
"Are you referring to the pitcher? Or the batter?"
Owada Akiko asked, puzzled.
The person who hit that ball was Fukuda; his hitting success rate was also very high.
"No, I'm talking about their Coach Kataoka.
Once a person has a preconceived notion, it's very difficult to change.
But Kataoka clearly does not belong to such ordinary people.
When he realized his mistake, even if it meant losing face, he went to great lengths to correct it…"
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