Bab 160: [160] Giving It Their All
Chapter 160: Giving It Their All
"Ohhhh, he's on base! What an intense battle of speed! He managed to seize this decisive moment. The offense isn't over yet; Seidou High School is still in it! Batting eighth, Sawamura Eijun gets on base!"
"Ohhhh, Sawamura!"
"Eijun-kun!"
"Great hit, you crazy guy!"
"Sawamura Eijun!"
"Impressive! So amazing, you really did it, huh!"
"Sawamura! Sawamura! Sawamura!"
As the crowd erupted in cheers, the Seidou bench also roared with excitement.
Although it was just a single base hit, although there were still two outs, and although they hadn't scored yet, Eijun's play carried great significance.
He had directly reignited Seidou's fighting spirit. Even if they couldn't score, this would be vital for their defense in the bottom half of the inning.
If the pitcher hasn't given up, what reason do the rest of them have to give up?
Eijun's dusty, sweat-soaked figure, standing at first base with his right hand raised, lit a fire in every Seidou player's heart.
On the mound, Narumiya stared at Eijun. His left hand clenched tightly around the ball.
"One after another, are you all going to stand in my way?! Damn it!"
"Ninth batter, right fielder, Shirasu-kun."
Eijun crouched slightly, taking a small lead off the base, his gaze locked on Narumiya's side profile.
Not a single opportunity will slip by!
That's right!
Eijun had made up his mind to steal a base right here! With two outs in the ninth inning, he was going for the steal!
"Huff... hah..."
He slightly bent his body, giving a quick glance toward Seidou's dugout. It was a clear signal from Seidou: they were going for it.
In the dugout, Chris, Miyuki, and Coach Kataoka all froze momentarily, as if struck by a chilling realization.
Eijun's piercing stare made Narumiya feel an unfamiliar discomfort, an unease he had never experienced before.
The lead wasn't large, but still, Narumiya knew he had to focus on the batter. If they could get this out, the scales of victory would tip entirely in Inashiro's favor.
"Okay," Narumiya took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and gave a solemn nod.
In that split second, Eijun's focus sharpened like never before. The moment Narumiya lifted his leg, Eijun caught sight of his shifting gaze and immediately took off.
Eijun sprinted toward second base.
"He's stealing!!!" yelled Yamaoka at first base, his expression changing in shock. He hadn't expected such an aggressive attempt with such a risky lead.
Yamaoka was completely caught off guard.
Meanwhile, Narumiya had no chance to stop; he couldn't afford to. If he halted mid-motion to change direction, it would be an obvious balk.
Narumiya would never make such a rookie mistake.
"Whoosh!"
Narumiya gritted his teeth, throwing the pitch as fast as he could, even if it was just a fraction of a second quicker.
Any little bit could increase their chances of getting that reckless runner out.
The ball streaked forward like a piercing flash of white light.
At home plate, Harada had already prepared himself for the pitch, staying vigilant against any hit-and-run strategy. In the final stages of the game, every possibility had to be accounted for—no room for carelessness.
A steal was expected, but what they didn't anticipate was Eijun's bold move to steal with such a short lead right on the first pitch. His daring was beyond imagination.
Pop!
The ball landed firmly in Harada's glove, and without hesitation, he quickly pulled it out and whipped it toward second base.
A showdown of around four to five seconds had begun.
What does this mean in the context of the game? The lineup of Hakuryuu High School, known for their exceptional speed, averaged a time of 4.1 seconds to reach the bases. This was among the fastest in the entire nation.
The gleaming white streak, the sprinting figure—Eijun was betting everything on these crucial five seconds, or rather, within 4.5 seconds, if not faster.
As he neared second base, Eijun could catch a glimpse of the ball streaking toward Hirai's glove out of the corner of his eye. He launched himself into a headfirst slide, trying to minimize any chance of being tagged out.
Boom!
In an instant, second baseman Hirai received the throw, spun around, and reached out to tag Eijun. Simultaneously, Eijun dived toward the base, and a cloud of dust erupted from their collision.
"Safe!"
In this split-second clash, it was Eijun who emerged victorious once again.
"Ohhhh!!!!"
The umpire's call sent a wave of astonishment through the entire stadium. Everyone stared in disbelief at Eijun, standing firm on second base. Narumiya nearly ground his teeth to dust.
Two outs, and this guy still dared to steal?! Even more absurd, he succeeded.
The Inashiro Industrial players, including Harada, wore expressions of utter frustration.
"Huff..."
Standing on second base, Eijun dusted off his uniform and exhaled. It was a risky gamble, but he had succeeded. In competitive sports, the outcome is everything!
"Two outs, and in this situation, Seidou High School's Sawamura-kun fearlessly takes the risk, successfully stealing a base! With a runner in scoring position now, a single hit could extend their lead!"
They actually let that guy succeed in stealing.
At home plate, Harada clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, and calmed his surging emotions.
"So what if he's on second base? All that matters is getting the batter out. The rest is just detail!"
"Just one hit, Shirasu-senpai, I'm counting on you here!" Eijun's sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Narumiya, looking straight toward home plate.
In the batter's box, Shirasu maintained his calm demeanor, but a determined glint shone in his eyes. Just one hit—that's all he needed. As a member of Seidou, he would not back down here!
Whoosh
Clang!
"Foul ball!"
The weight was immense...
The collision between the bat and ball made Shirasu's expression change slightly as he furrowed his brow.
Whoosh
Pop!
"Ball!"
Whoosh
Clang!
Thud
"Foul ball!"
"Nice! Nice! You've cornered him, Narumiya-san."
"Go for it, ace! End this match!"
"Narumiya!"
"Let's go, Shirasu-senpai!"
"Keep it up! Stay steady, take your time!"
"Shirasu-senpai!"
"Kenjirou!"
Here it comes! The final showdown!
The deciding pitch.
Whoosh
A fierce flash of light accompanied by a menacing aura cut through the short distance between the mound and the batter, closing in with an intimidating presence.
Swish!
The swinging bat met the incoming pitch. On the mound, Narumiya's face twisted in shock.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed through the field. In this crucial moment, the powerful batter Shirasu fully unleashed his strength.
Whizz!
As the white ball streaked across the sky, Eijun at second base tensed his muscles and took off running. Shirasu, too, discarded his bat and sprinted towards first base with all his might.
"Center fielder!!"
At home plate, Harada quickly stood up, shouting towards the outfield.
Carlos was sprinting furiously, but the ball wasn't hit cleanly; it didn't travel deep enough. The shallow hit created a difficult situation as Carlos was still too far from the ball's landing spot.
Despite his speed, he could only watch as the ball dropped, two strides out of his reach.
Plop!
The ball hit the ground, and the entire stadium was stunned into silence.
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