章 108: <108> Tokugawa Battle
Chapter 108: Tokugawa Battle
This Sunday was a bright, sunny day with the perfect temperature—not too hot, not too cold.
However, for the players of Akagi Junior High, who were burning with a fierce desire to win, today was nothing short of a battle to the death.
Sendo had just returned from submitting the team lineup with Sano.
"Did you already turn in the batting order?"
"Yep!"
"Damn it! Why didn't you tell me the new lineup?!"
"Why are you so obsessed with the batting order? You'll find out soon enough, won't you?"
"Because—"
"Enough! I don't want to hear your reasons!" Sendo abruptly cut off Sawamura's explanation.
"Why?!?" Sawamura protested loudly.
"Save your curiosity for later! Today is…!"
"I know, I know! That's why I want to hurry up and start the game already!"
"..."
"Wait, your reasoning is totally weird! Wanting to play and knowing the batting order early have nothing to do with each other," Sendo retorted, puzzled by Sawamura's logic.
"Eh?" Sawamura blinked in confusion.
"Never mind, let's head to the field!" Sendo decided to drop the subject.
However, he noticed an unusual silence among the team.
Starting yesterday, everyone seemed exceptionally motivated, and today, that determination felt even more intense.
"Got it," Sawamura replied in a small voice.
...
"Why am I batting fifth?! Sendo, explain this to me!" Before the game even began, a certain clueless player pointed at the newly displayed batting order, making a fuss.
"If it weren't for your bunting ability and the fact that a few others aren't much better, I would have placed you ninth," Sendo thought to himself, completely ignoring the commotion.
"Today, baseball fans, we're about to witness the Nagano Summer Softball Tournament's Round of 16 match! Today's game features Akagi Junior High, who emerged victorious in a fierce battle yesterday, and their opponent, the perennial champions of Nagano, Tokugawa Junior High! Akagi will be batting first in this game. The players are now entering the field!" the announcer began enthusiastically.
...
Top of the first inning: Akagi Junior High at bat.
"Leading off, shortstop, Ohno!"
"Leading off, shortstop, Ohno!"
"Finally, the game has started! Akagi's leadoff hitter, shortstop Ohno, steps up to the plate!"
"Something feels off today. This group is unusually quiet—though a certain someone is still as loud as ever," thought Tokugawa's third-year catcher as he observed Akagi's dugout.
"But this time, things are different. We don't need to study their pitch patterns. Plus, our ace pitcher got plenty of rest yesterday! Time to settle the score and crush them!"
He signaled the pitcher, who nodded in response.
"Tokugawa's battery has decided on the signal. The much-anticipated first pitch of the game is coming up!"
Ping!
"Foul ball!"
"What a shame! Ohno swung hard at the first pitch, sending a powerful foul ball—his batting looks completely different from yesterday!"
"That was close! This guy is in great form today. That pitch must've been around 135 km/h, a fastball aimed straight at the inside corner, yet he managed to connect. We'll need to be more careful."
"Got it. I'll focus on guiding him; you just follow my glove," Tokugawa's catcher reassured his pitcher.
Pop!
"Ball!"
The pitch was low and outside.
"He's reading the pitches well. Although Kanda's control isn't stellar, it's clear this guy is locked in today. Let's test him with the next pitch," the catcher thought.
During their first practice match, Sendo had held back significantly, concealing strategies like small-ball tactics and pitch selection.
As a result, Tokugawa only knew about Sawamura's pitching but had no clue about the rest of Akagi's capabilities.
In contrast, Sendo had thoroughly analyzed Tokugawa's team.
This was why Sendo believed winning wasn't entirely out of reach.
The third pitch was thrown.
"Ball!"
"An outside breaking ball, but Ohno didn't swing. His judgment is sharp! With two balls and one strike, the batter now has the advantage."
"Damn it! If that's the case, we'll overpower him with pure strength!"
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Almost the same pitch trajectory, but this time it hit the strike zone! The count evens up at 2-2."
Pop!
"Strike! Batter out!" The final pitch was a straight fastball down the middle, nearly identical in trajectory to the slider before it.
"Abandoning finesse for brute force? Looks like they saved their energy yesterday to avoid any stamina issues today. Unless this game goes into extra innings, they're in top form," Sendo analyzed.
...
"Second batter, right fielder, Aoki!"
"Second batter, right fielder, Aoki!"
"This pitcher is really tough. I'll just try to hang in there."
Strike!
"An inside pitch?"
Ping!
Pop!
"Out!"
"A slider! Damn, I'm out in just two pitches!" Aoki gritted his teeth as he walked back to the dugout.
...
"Third batter, center fielder, Omura!"
"Now we're at the heart of Akagi's lineup. What kind of showdown will we see from their key hitters?"
"Strike! Batter out! Change sides!" Omura battled through five pitches before finally being retired.
...
"It seems Akagi's hitters are in great form today!" the commentator exclaimed.
"What does that even mean?" Sawamura grumbled at the commentary.
"It means we're doing well just to keep up with them," Sendo replied.
"You… Whose side are you even on?"
"Take a guess."
"Grrr!" Sawamura was about to lose it.
"Anyway, for the opportunities that will come, I'm counting on you, Eijun!"
"Eh? ...I-I got it!" Sawamura stammered, unaccustomed to the sudden seriousness in Sendo's tone.
...
"Alright, everyone, the opposing pitcher isn't easy to hit. Let's stay focused and stick to the plan: shift the infield and outfield forward and hold them off until our chance arises!"
"Tch, you're always the most reliable at times like these, Sendo!" Sawamura thought as he walked toward the mound, his fighting spirit igniting.
"Let's do this!" After his warm-up pitches, Sawamura faced the batter, ready to give it his all.
"Their pitcher's throws are tough to handle. I'll need to choke up on the bat and stand closer to the plate… Wait, what? A shifted defense?" Tokugawa's leadoff hitter hesitated, glancing toward the bench, but his coach signaled for him to proceed without adjustments.
"Yesterday, Susabano tried to force his swing to hit into the outfield, which led to his dismissal.
All we need to do is stick to our usual swings! There's no doubt our team is stronger," thought Coach Kunimi on the bench, his mind already made up.
...
Pop!
"Strike!"
"Of course, it's hard to adapt after not facing this guy's pitches for a month!"
Ping!
The second pitch was hit but turned into an infield ground ball.
Pop!
"Out!"
The second batter was caught out on the first pitch.
The third batter managed to battle through four pitches before being struck out.
...
"Akagi's ace, Sawamura Eijun, has successfully held Tokugawa's first three batters in check! Currently, both teams seem evenly matched. The second inning will begin shortly, with both teams starting with their fourth batters!"
...
"Be careful out there, Kondou!" Sawamura shouted.
"Got it!"
"Fourth batter, second baseman, Kondou!"
Ping!
"The ball's hit! But the second baseman's already running for it. Will it land? No! Out! Kondou is out!"
...
"Hahaha! I'll avenge you!" Sawamura stood up and started swinging his bat energetically.
The entire bench ignored him, their focus instead on the sixth batter, Oyama, who awkwardly stepped into the on-deck circle under their gazes.
"Strike! Batter out!"
As expected, Sawamura failed to make contact and struck out on the fifth pitch.
...
"Sixth batter, third baseman, Oyama!"
Oyama once again swung and missed, striking out without hitting the ball.
...
"I didn't expect this team to be in such great form today! This is going to be a tough game. Even though we have Kanda pitching and I doubt we'll give up any runs easily, we need a way to crack their pitcher," Tokugawa's catcher thought as he walked off the field.
The game continued as Tokugawa catcher predicted.
Akagi, performing at an unusually high level, remained steady.
Even Sawamura on the mound could feel the burning determination from his teammates.
After five innings, the score was still tied, with
Tokugawa managing only five hits.
However, Akagi hadn't managed a single hit, nor had they gotten any runners on base.
The frustration and anger among the players were palpable—they were furious at their own weakness.
What they didn't realize was that Tokugawa's defense was also under tremendous pressure.
Several plays had come down to luck; otherwise, Akagi would not have remained hitless.
...
"Dammit!"
"What's wrong? Are you scared already?" Sendo asked, looking at the frustrated team.
"Who's scared?! We're going to win!" Sawamura was the only one bold enough to retort.
"Good. The game has only just begun."
"But Sendo, we haven't even gotten a hit yet! We're just not strong enough!"
"Not necessarily. While it may not seem like it, your swings have had an impact on them. Their defense has bailed them out a few times, with a little luck mixed in. You're being deceived by appearances," Sendo explained, scanning the team.
...
"Even though we haven't gotten a hit, they've thrown a lot of breaking balls. There's no way they can keep it up until the end of the game. We're just middle schoolers, after all—our bodies aren't that resilient. If they keep relying on breaking balls, it won't be long before they lose control."
Hearing Sendo's words, the oppressive atmosphere eased. Until then, they'd been fighting blindly without considering such factors.
...
"So, you all know what pitch to aim for now, right?"
"Your performance so far has been excellent. You've forced them to throw so many breaking balls. Now it's our turn!'
'No more holding back. Forget about the breaking balls—aim for the fastballs! Our strategy depends on getting runners on base. No matter what it takes, get on base. Then we'll advance, base by base. In the final inning, I'll step in and help secure the win!"
"Yes!!!" For some reason, the team instinctively responded in unison.
...
"Also, it's the late stages of the game. Everyone's focus is at its peak, which is draining their energy. That dominant pitching won't last much longer. This game might turn into a slugfest soon."
"Our first and last opportunity to score will come in the final inning."
Sendo didn't say this part aloud, nor did he reveal that their chance would likely arrive in the next inning—the seventh.
...
"Top of the sixth inning, Akagi Junior High's turn to bat!"
"Seventh batter, first baseman, Takada!"
Akagi's batting lineup was essentially a gamble from one to six.
Unless Takada got lucky with a home run, it was nearly impossible for Takada, Takeda, and Wakana to score.
Facing a stronger opponent, their batting order was set up in a highly focused way.
Interestingly, their earlier practice game points also came from Takada hitting a long shot by sheer luck.
As expected, Takada, Shin, and Wakana were retired in just eight pitches.
...
On the other hand, Akagi faced a massive crisis as Tokugawa's lineup returned to the heart of their batting order, starting with their third batter.
No matter how far the outfield moved forward—even if they fielded an infield with nine players like yesterday—they couldn't cover such a vast infield area.
Yesterday's batters weren't Tokugawa's lineup. Susabano's team might have been talented, but they were still first-years, unable to compete with a seasoned team.
...
"Bottom of the sixth inning, Tokugawa Junior High at bat!"
"Third batter, first baseman, Sumiyoshi!"
"Third batter, first baseman, Sumiyoshi!"
"Finally, Tokugawa is back at bat. Up now is Sumiyoshi, the third batter, who's two for three today.
Unlike their power-hitting cleanup batter, Sumiyoshi specializes in precision hitting."
...
"First pitch!"
"Ball! That pitch was clearly outside the strike zone. It looks like Akagi's ace is starting to struggle with control. This isn't good!"
Smack!
"Second pitch, also outside but inside the strike zone! Sumiyoshi didn't swing!"
...
Ping!
"The ball's hit! It flies over the shortstop's head and lands for a double into left field! Sumiyoshi makes it to second base. Akagi's left fielder, a girl, managed to throw the ball straight to second—an impressive display of accuracy!
But now, Sumiyoshi is three for four, and the cleanup batter is up next!"
...
"Fourth batter, center fielder, Ike!"
"Fourth batter, center fielder, Ike!"
The announcer's voice pierced Akagi's defense like a thorn, but no one flinched.
At this moment, Sendo stood up and began signaling to the field.
"Akagi's bench is making a move! Sendo Akira, the team's de facto coach, seems to be giving instructions. What will he decide to do?"
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