Chapter 20: Chapter 20: A Glimmer of Hope
Eijun stood on the mound, his heart pounding in his chest as the pressure of the moment hit him full force. He had successfully shut down Inashiro in the top of the seventh, keeping the score at 2-0, but Seidou was still behind. If they didn't rally soon, their dream of reaching the finals would slip away.
As the bottom of the seventh inning began, Eijun returned to the dugout to watch his teammates take their at-bats. The tension in the air was palpable, and the stadium had grown eerily quiet, with only the faint murmurs of the crowd breaking the silence.
Miyuki, as calm as ever, stood at the plate. The catcher had always been the backbone of Seidou's offense, and everyone was hoping for him to spark the comeback. Eijun could feel the weight of expectation from his teammates as they watched anxiously, and he himself couldn't help but clench his fists in anticipation.
Narumiya, standing on the mound for Inashiro, showed no signs of fatigue. His fastballs continued to slice through the air with pinpoint precision, and his curveballs dipped sharply at the last second, leaving Seidou's batters guessing.
Miyuki's first swing connected with the ball, sending a sharp line drive into the outfield. Eijun leaped up from the bench, his heart soaring, but the ball was snagged by Inashiro's right fielder just before it could drop for a hit.
One out.
The mood in the dugout dipped, but it wasn't over. There was still time to mount a comeback.
Next up was Kuramochi, Seidou's speedy shortstop. He stepped into the batter's box, his eyes narrowed in focus. If anyone could get on base and cause trouble, it was him. With his quick reflexes and aggressive baserunning, Kuramochi had the potential to ignite a rally.
Narumiya, however, wasn't giving anything easy. His first two pitches were strikes, and Kuramochi was quickly down 0-2. The pressure mounted as the crowd leaned in, the air thick with anticipation.
Eijun held his breath as Narumiya threw the third pitch, a fastball low in the zone. Kuramochi, not backing down, managed to foul it off, keeping his at-bat alive. Eijun could see the determination etched on his face.
On the fifth pitch, Kuramochi swung hard and connected, sending a grounder past the third baseman into left field for a single. The dugout erupted in cheers, and Eijun felt a surge of hope. They finally had a runner on base.
As the game continued, the pressure on both teams intensified. With one out and a runner on first, Seidou's number three hitter, Kominato, stepped up to the plate. His calm, steady demeanor brought a sense of reassurance to the team. Eijun knew Kominato wasn't the type to crack under pressure—he thrived on it.
Narumiya, however, was relentless. He threw a series of breaking balls, keeping Kominato off balance. But on a full count, Kominato dug in, refusing to be rattled. The next pitch was a fastball, and Kominato sent it soaring into the gap in right-center field.
Kuramochi sprinted from first base, rounding second and heading for third as the crowd roared. Kominato slid into second with a double, putting two runners in scoring position. Eijun clenched his fists in excitement. They were on the verge of a breakthrough.
With the heart of the lineup coming up, Seidou had a real chance to turn the game around.
As Seidou's cleanup hitter stepped into the box, Narumiya's confidence remained unshaken. He was known for his ability to perform under pressure, and even with runners on second and third, his expression stayed as cold and focused as ever.
But the momentum had shifted.
The next few pitches were a battle of wills, as Narumiya mixed fastballs with breaking balls, trying to get Seidou's cleanup hitter to chase. But this time, Seidou wasn't backing down. On the sixth pitch, the batter made solid contact, sending a deep fly ball to left field.
Kuramochi tagged up at third, his legs a blur as he raced toward home plate. The left fielder made the catch, and then the throw—an absolute laser—but Kuramochi's speed was too much. He slid into home safely.
Seidou had scored their first run.
2-1.
The dugout exploded with noise, and Eijun's heart raced. They were back in the game.
With two outs and Kominato still on second, Seidou had one more chance to bring in the tying run. The pressure on Narumiya was mounting, and even his signature smirk seemed to falter as he stared down the next batter.
It was a battle of endurance now. Both teams knew the next few at-bats could determine the game. Seidou's batter fought tooth and nail, fouling off pitch after pitch as Narumiya desperately tried to close the inning.
Finally, on a 2-2 count, Narumiya threw a changeup, and Seidou's batter swung. The ball hit off the end of the bat, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down.
The ball dribbled toward the infield, slow enough that Kominato, running on contact, had already rounded third by the time Inashiro's infielders got to the ball. The crowd held its breath as the throw to first went in, but Seidou's batter beat it by half a step.
Safe.
Kominato crossed home plate, and just like that, the game was tied.
2-2.
Eijun's hands trembled slightly as the noise in the stadium reached a fever pitch. The game was far from over, but Seidou had clawed their way back from the brink. They had managed to rattle Narumiya—something few teams had ever done.
Miyuki jogged over to Eijun in the dugout, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and mischief. "You're up next inning, Sawamura. Let's see if you can hold them down."
Eijun grinned, adrenaline surging through him. This was the kind of moment he lived for—the chance to prove himself when everything was on the line.
As he warmed up for the eighth inning, Eijun's focus sharpened. He had already held Inashiro scoreless for one inning, but now, with the game tied, the stakes were even higher.
The crowd was buzzing with anticipation, and Eijun knew that every pitch he threw from here on out could decide the game.
I'm not going to let them score again, Eijun thought to himself, his resolve hardening. I'll shut them down.
Eijun took the mound with a renewed sense of purpose, his heart steady as he stared down the next Inashiro batter. Narumiya had taken a seat, and Inashiro was bringing in a pinch hitter. Eijun recognized the batter—an experienced player with a reputation for being patient at the plate.
Miyuki called for a fastball, low and outside. Eijun nodded, winding up and delivering the pitch with precision. The batter took a swing, but the ball barely nicked his bat, sending a foul tip back to the screen.
Eijun grinned. He's nervous.
The next pitch was a breaking ball, and the batter swung and missed. Strike two.
Miyuki flashed the sign for a fastball again, but this time, inside. Eijun fired it toward the plate, and the batter flinched as it whizzed by, too close for comfort.
"Strike three!" the umpire called.
Eijun pumped his fist as the crowd roared, but he wasn't done yet. There were still two more outs to get.
The next batter put up more of a fight, fouling off several pitches before finally grounding out to second base. Eijun's defense backed him up, and the second out was recorded with ease.
One more.
Eijun's heartbeat pounded in his ears as he faced the third batter. The pressure was mounting, but he felt more alive than ever. This was his chance to cement his place on the team.
He threw a curveball, and the batter swung, sending a lazy fly ball to center field.
Seidou's outfielder tracked it easily and made the catch.
Eijun had done it.
He had held Inashiro scoreless again, giving Seidou a chance to win in the bottom of the eighth.
As he walked off the mound, Eijun glanced at the scoreboard, his mind racing. The game was tied, and everything was still up for grabs.
But one thing was clear: Seidou wasn't going down without a fight.
In the dugout, Furuya sat silently, watching Eijun with an unreadable expression. The rivalry between them had been growing ever since the tournament began, and now, it was clearer than ever that they were both gunning for the same goal.
The title of Seidou's ace.
But right now, in this moment, the only thing that mattered was winning the game.
Eijun clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes. The battle wasn't over yet, and he was ready to do whatever it took to lead Seidou to victory.
And prove that he was worthy of the ace number.
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