Three consecutive Strikeouts completely extinguished the hopes of the Minori Shigeru High School players.
Previously, they had regarded Hanayama as their spiritual pillar, but this time, he also couldn't escape the fate of being struck out.
On the pitcher's mound, Kawakami didn't appear tall. As a baseball player, his build seemed on the thinner side.
But this person, now standing on the mound, looked like a general who had repeatedly faced defeat yet ultimately triumphed, standing proudly and fiercely.
He looked imposing and inspiring.
The players from Minori Shigeru looked serious, their faces turned grim.
The result sometimes matters a lot.
If Kawakami had not directly defeated the Ace player Hanayama of Minori Shigeru High School, the result would have definitely been different…
At this point, the Minori Shigeru players had all realized that no matter what, it was impossible for them to turn the game around.
But as long as their Ace hadn't lost, they would fight to the death with the Seidou High School baseball team.
Their pride was something they could not let go of.
But this time, they lost.
They lost cleanly, decisively, and completely. No one could come up with any excuses at this point.
Everything seemed like a fleeting moment; they had desperately clung to Seidou High School's baseball team, trying to prevent them from ending the game early.
That now seemed like it happened a long time ago.
"Minori Shigeru is finished!!"
In the stands, Obayashi, a die-hard fan of Sawamura Eijun, shook his head and said.
His companion, Kobayashi, who had come with him, looked at him incredulously.
He couldn't tell if his friend had just experienced a Deja Vu. Didn't he realize that Minori Shigeru had already lost all hope?
Though they had shown great tenacity and caused a lot of trouble for the Seidou High School team, the gap in strength between the two teams was so wide.
Minori Shigeru could never catch up.
Even if Seidou High School didn't make any adjustments, they would never be able to catch up.
If there were any chance, Seidou High School had plenty of ways to control the situation on the field.
Obayashi could tell by looking at Kobayashi's shocked expression that he knew exactly what was on his mind.
Because of his profession, Kobayashi focused more on logic.
What he saw was more realistic.
Obayashi, however, was different. As an artist, he focused more on the deeper aspects of the players.
For example, he had noticed that after being dealt with, the Minori Shigeru players were truly deflated!
Their spirit was gone, and they gave the impression that they had completely given up on the game.
Such a team couldn't win a battle!
Although Obayashi had never been in the military or been a general, he still had this feeling.
And that feeling was very real!
On the other side, in the Seidou High School rest area.
For Kawakami to achieve three Strikeouts, including one against the player who had always been his nemesis, Hanayama, at such a critical moment, he had earned the key Outs.
That alone was worthy of praise!
Not to mention that his pitching had evolved during this game.
People need pressure to have more motivation.
Kawakami wasn't naturally aggressive. As a senior, he hadn't become the Ace, and he didn't have much of an intense reaction to it.
Such an attitude would be an exemplary model of not fighting or forcing things on an average person.
Perhaps not outstanding, but definitely someone easy to get along with.
But when it comes to a baseball pitcher, that quality wasn't necessarily a good thing.
A powerful pitcher typically has some personality flaws.
They are self-centered, believe in themselves, and sometimes act a bit selfishly…
In other sports, this would not be considered an advantage, and in some sports, it could even become a fatal flaw.
But for a pitcher, those characteristics weren't problems, at least not major ones.
Nine and a half out of ten great pitchers have such personalities.
Including Sawamura Eijun himself, whose personality was the same.
Self-willed, centered around themselves...
This was exactly the issue with Kawakami's slow progress.
As a pitcher, especially one for a top-tier team, you need that dominating urge!
But Kawakami didn't have it.
When facing powerful batters, there were times when he even thought of giving up...
This would never be the case for a top pitcher.
What reassured the Seidou High School players was that Kawakami had undergone a transformation during this game.
And it wasn't just that.
Kawakami's impressive performance also greatly encouraged the Seidou High School players.
They had long been dissatisfied with the current score, and with the opportunity still there, they were sure they would teach their opponents a lesson.
The first to step up to bat was Maezono.
"It's our turn now!" Maezono said forcefully.
His words encouraged everyone, and they spoke what was in their hearts.
Kuramochi laughed and seriously asked, "He already struck out Kominato and Miyuki. Are you really confident in hitting his pitch?"
"Humph!"
Maezono snorted coldly, saying no more, and walked directly to the Batter's Box.
In the stands, Fujio, a veteran journalist from Baseball Kingdom Magazine, suddenly said something seemingly out of the blue.
"Minori Shigeru is finished!"
Next to him, Owada Akiko, who was most afraid of Fujio suddenly going silent, itched with curiosity.
She couldn't directly ask but could only look at Fujio, waiting for him to explain.
Fujio gave a casual answer.
Since the junior asked, he answered. It was part of guiding the younger generation.
"Their morale has leaked away, and the pitcher is now approaching his limit."
In the Seidou High School rest area, Coach Ochiai stroked his chin and gave the same analysis.
"The pitcher named Hanayama has already thrown over 130 pitches. He's at the end of his rope! Before, he was merely sustained by willpower, allowing him to stop our lineup. Now, that will have shattered, and the moment for their collapse is imminent."
The players of Seidou High School were somewhat reluctant.
What they really wanted to beat was the peak version of Hanayama.
According to Coach Ochiai, Hanayama was nearing his limit and would soon be a withered tree.
By then, he would be no match.
However, they had to admit that Coach Ochiai's analysis was accurate.
Now, Hanayama's pitching definitely didn't seem as smooth as before.
Maezono in the Batter's Box noticed this clearly.
His eyes were wide open as he stared intently at the figure on the pitcher's mound, waiting for the pitch.
He wasn't anxious—not at all.
He firmly believed that the pitch he was waiting for would come.
Hanayama was on the brink of collapsing, and in this situation, how could he possibly throw a high-quality pitch?
With that confidence, Maezono patiently waited.
Of course, it wasn't entirely his own doing.
Before he stepped up to bat, Kataoka had already given him the command.
'There was no need to rush. Be patient and keep battling.'
The opportunity would definitely come!
In a pitching battle, brief moments of a balanced struggle may occur, but prolonged balance is impossible.
Now, time was on Seidou High School's side, so they had no reason to rush.
In the stands, a man in his fifties wearing a cap observed the confrontation seriously.
When he saw Maezono ignore the first pitch, his gaze shifted slightly.
"That kid, Kataoka, really taught these kids well."
At this moment, Maezono managed to control his emotions and didn't fall into a trap.
Such composure was rare among high school players.
From this small detail, you can see the strength of the Seidou High School team.
Players with this mindset were certainly battle-hardened and rigorously trained.
Even if a player realized something, it was still hard to resist the urge to swing the bat.
Maezono's calmness made the opponent panic first, without him having to do anything.
It wasn't that their opponent had suddenly weakened, but they hadn't recovered from the previous strikeout.
Before that, they had been full of confidence. After that, all that confidence was drained away.
They felt as if they had lost everything, like a gambler who had lost everything.
In this situation, even Hanayama couldn't remain unaffected.
This was a game that was destined to be lost!
Except for their dignity, Hanayama couldn't even think of why he was still fighting.
If he had the power to quit, he would just give up without further hassle.
Of course, that was just a fantasy.
No matter the reason, as long as he was still on the field, he could only keep pitching stubbornly.
As for the rest, he would consider it later.
His main task now was to keep pitching.
Even if it was to not waste his three years of hard work, he had to keep throwing.
It was easier said than done. Once that drive inside him weakened, it would be hard not to be affected.
His physical fatigue would hit him tenfold, a hundredfold.
Making him even more exhausted!
Whoosh!
Just like now, when the baseball left his hand, he knew something was wrong.
'I made a mistake!'
Although this wasn't the first time it had happened in this game, he had been mentally prepared before.
So, he had managed to stay strong, even if the pitch wasn't perfect, the speed and force were still there.
But now it was different.
He had lost both speed and power. The ball had turned into an easy-to-hit straight pitch.
Maezono in the Batter's Box looked like a demon sent from hell to collect debts.
In his mind, he kept replaying what his senior, Isashiki Jun, had told him.
"The more critical the moment, the more you have to control your emotions. Be patient and wait for the ball to come…"
And then, without hesitation, he swung and hit the ball hard.
BUUUUUZZZZZ!!!!!
The bat in Maezono's hands moved like a tornado, and the ball flew into the air.
PAAANNNGG!!!
The baseball soared high and flew far away.
"Outfield!"
The Minori Shigeru players watched in shock, calling for the outfield to help defend.
Their outfielders, without thinking about their own concerns, rushed desperately toward the ball's landing point.
By the time they arrived, they were still several meters away.
The ball fell between the two of them and bounced off!
"Nice hit!!!"
"Well Done Zono!!"
The Seidou High School baseball team players became extremely excited and thrilled.
Their opponent fought so hard and did all of these tricks because they wanted a prolonged battle, right?!
Okay, you got what you wanted,
Now can you end it?
Because we won't let it end.
…
T/N: Thankfuly, this disastrous game is ending Tomorrow!
But, That's it for now.
Thank you all for reading and supporting!
Have a lovely day!
You also can check my Patre0n for extra Chapters.
https://www.patre0n.com/ColdColt
There are +170 Chapters there.