Capítulo 100: <100> The Final Inning
Chapter 100: The Final Inning
In the top half of the second inning, Akagi's batting lineup resumed with their fifth batter, Takada.
"Strike!"
"Ball!"
After two inside-outside symmetrical pitches, the third pitch came.
Ping!
Takada, using brute strength, connected with the slider.
Thud!
"Out!"
The ball was quickly fielded by an infielder, and Takada, running too slowly, was thrown out.
"What a shame!" Sawamura exclaimed loudly.
"Not bad, though! At least he hit the deciding pitch, even if we don't know how," Ohno remarked from the side.
"That's because we've shifted our hitting point forward. It's similar to Eijun's pitches, but the breaking point of the breaking ball occurs slightly earlier, aligning with our adjusted hitting zone. Takada's raw strength allowed him to make contact, but it's still difficult to turn that into a hit."
"Of course, if your batting improves further, breaking balls won't strike you out as easily. This is a trade-off: sacrificing long hits and reducing error tolerance for runners to gain other advantages," Sendo explained.
"I see!"
Ping!
Thud!
"Out!"
Before they could finish discussing, Omura popped out to the infield, and the following batter, Oyama, struck out looking.
"Swing, Oyama!" Sawamura wailed dramatically.
"Idiot! Oyama is observing the pitches. Since he's not skilled enough, he hopes to hide his weaknesses by studying the pitcher's patterns and striking at the right moment."
"Really?" Sawamura asked naively, only to be ignored by Sendo.
"Alright, Ei-chan, it's our turn! This time it's the cleanup batter!" Ohno pulled the visibly flustered Sawamura back onto the field.
Although referred to as a cleanup hitter, Tokugawa's lineup was evenly balanced, much like a machine gun.
Against weaker teams, their batting order was relentless.
The fourth batter followed Coach Kunimi's strategy of starting with observation. Shin didn't notice and stuck to his normal pitch sequences.
"Strike!"
"Nothing unusual about the first pitch."
"Ball!"
"Huh?"
By the second pitch, the batter noticed something strange. Sawamura's pitches, though subtly different, felt slightly off.
Normally, the differences wouldn't be significant enough for a batter to notice.
But after seeing one or two pitches, especially if the deviations in movement were large—like one breaking left and another breaking right—it became evident.
The cleanup batter, with slightly better dynamic vision than most, noticed these discrepancies earlier than usual.
...
Ping!
A batter only has a limited number of pitches to observe. Since most of Sawamura's pitches stayed within the strike zone, the batter had no choice but to swing after a few pitches.
"Alright! Got him!" Sawamura cheered as he saw the weak grounder. But halfway through his shout, the ball landed in a gap between two infielders, allowing the batter to safely reach base.
"Now it's my turn to mess with you!" Tokugawa's cleanup batter smirked, still annoyed after being disrupted by Aoki in the previous inning.
"Lead! Lead! Lead! Lead! Lead!"
However, without professional base-running training, the batter couldn't extend his lead too far.
Realizing Sawamura was a left-handed pitcher, he instinctively shortened his lead even further.
Stealing bases wasn't easy. Unless someone had extraordinary mental calculations or timing skills, it required extensive practice.
Even in middle school games, only players like Kuramochi—who had specific needs—dedicated themselves to base-stealing strategies.
In middle school, the focus was on technical skills.
Tactical training came in high school.
Middle school base-stealing experts were typically speedsters. Teams like Akagi were incredibly rare, especially given the brief guidance they received from Coach Nakani last summer.
In most teams, runners might attempt a steal but wouldn't push their limits. This lack of aggressive leading rarely pressured the pitcher and catcher.
Seeing the timid lead from the runner, the pitcher and catcher ignored him entirely.
But as if fate was playing a prank on Akagi, Tokugawa's fifth and sixth batters managed consecutive solid hits, driving two runs home.
Refusing to show weakness in front of his teammates, Sawamura stubbornly held his ground and eventually defused the crisis with great effort.
...
Back on the bench, Tokugawa's cleanup batter reported his observations to Coach Kunimi.
"Really?"
"Honestly, I can't be certain. The movement is subtle, and his velocity isn't slow."
"Alright, I see. Let's continue observing. If you're right, this trip will have been worthwhile!"
...
"Damn it! We gave up two runs in the second inning. Their lineup is only going to get tougher from here. … Wait, are we going to get mercy-ruled today? Ha! Ha!" Sawamura's self-talk trailed into anxious gasps as the realization hit him.
"Calm down! What's going on in your head? How did you even come to that conclusion?" Sendo sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead.
"But—"
"Idiot! Shut up! Stop saying such unlucky things!"
"Okay!" Sawamura immediately quieted down when Sendo shot him a sharp glare.
"Seriously, Eijun is such an unpredictable creature! Isn't he supposed to act tough in front of his teammates? How is he panicking so easily?" Sendo grumbled internally.
What he failed to consider was that this version of Sawamura had something the original didn't—Sendo Akira's presence.
In this timeline, Sawamura depended on Sendo far more than anyone could imagine. Although he still tried to act tough, with Sendo right next to him…
"It was just bad luck. A few balls landed in tough-to-field spots. That's how baseball works. It's just our misfortune today," Sendo explained, sighing as he noticed Sawamura's lingering anxiety.
For Sawamura, Sendo's words carried immense weight. Unlike Seidou's reliable players, whose advice he valued but didn't fully trust, Sendo's words were absolute in Sawamura's mind.
To him, Sendo had never failed at anything.
In Japan, failure carries a broad meaning, encompassing everything from losing a game to messing up a meal. By Sawamura's definition, Sendo had never experienced any setbacks.
Though Sawamura didn't know what Sendo's weaknesses were, one thing was certain: when Sendo spoke with confidence, he was always right.
For a kid like Sawamura, this unwavering belief required no explanation. Just a simple "You can do it" from Sendo would be enough for him to believe it wholeheartedly.
"Yes," Sawamura softly responded.
The conversation between the two didn't disrupt the game, which had resumed after the opening practice.
However, Sendo was already planning for the next defensive round.
In the previous inning, Tokugawa's lineup had gone through their entire order, so the next inning would likely start with their leadoff batter.
The problem was, even if Ohno managed to get on base, Aoki wasn't the type to drive in runs as a finisher.
While the rest of the team continued to cheer enthusiastically, the reality was as Sendo anticipated: apart from Ohno battling for a few extra pitches, both Wakana and Shin were cleanly retired.
Clap, clap, clap!
"Alright, everyone, let's reset our mindset! Their pitcher has started incorporating more breaking balls in the second round, which means they're starting to feel the pressure. Let's keep pushing!" Sendo encouraged.
"Yeah!!!"
Luck remained unpredictable.
While Tokugawa continued probing, the subsequent innings were uneventful, except for Akagii clawing back one run.
By the end of the sixth inning, the game was set for a dramatic final inning, with both teams beginning their batting orders anew.
The score difference was just one run.
By now, Sawamura's pitching had been thoroughly analyzed.
Tokugawa had sacrificed opportunities to gain insights, which could have resulted in more runs.
However, considering the skill gap and the difficulty of tracking Sawamura's pitch paths, Tokugawa's decision to focus on learning wasn't surprising.
In the grand scheme, the match felt like a win-win situation.
While outsiders might think Tokugawa had suffered, their satisfaction with gaining valuable information made it worthwhile.
Sendo had gathered the intel he wanted, Tokugawa satisfied their curiosity, and both teams revealed key aspects of their abilities—especially Tokugawa's overall style.
Unlike Akagi, Tokugawa was already a mature team with a defined style and systematic training.
Their potential for dramatic short-term improvement was limited compared to Akagi's explosive growth in specific areas.
As the final inning arrived, Sendo realized Tokugawa had fully deciphered Sawamura's pitching.
The last inning would be a true head-to-head battle.
Both teams would give their all.
Akagi had adjusted to Tokugawa's breaking balls, which no longer had their earlier impact.
Their straight fastballs, slightly faster than Sendo's own pitches, had already been demystified during practice.
While Tokugawa's hits hadn't consistently turned into runs, they were steadily making contact.
Additionally, Akagii had refrained from deploying their aggressive small-ball tactics, saving them for the summer tournament.
Sendo had no intention of revealing his hand in a mere practice game.
"Even though we've been observing their pitching, it doesn't mean I'm willing to lose to a team like this. The score is only a one-run difference. Crush them. Show them what it means to face the kings of Nagano in this final inning!" Coach Kunimi motivated his team.
"Yes!!!"
...
"Final inning! Time to settle this! Stick to the usual plan—don't put unnecessary pressure on their baserunners. Save that for summer. Focus on making solid contact with fastballs, and don't hesitate to hit breaking balls as long as they're near the strike zone. Remember, avoid swinging at obvious balls; that way, they won't realize we're targeting their fastballs," Sendo instructed calmly, exhaling deeply.
"Just one run! It's not impossible to win! Let's go!"
"Yeah!!!"
"I'm so nervous! What should I do? This is so bad for my heart!" Sano muttered anxiously on the sidelines.
"Hey, Sano-sensei! Did you bring heart medicine?" Ohno teased from nearby.
"Get out of here!"
"I'm nervous too! But there's nothing we can do about it. Just pray your heart doesn't jump out! Although Ohno's right—heart patients shouldn't watch baseball, and even normal people should probably bring heart medication!" Sendo added with a smirk, his tone playful.
"Even you're teasing me, Sendo?!" Sano exclaimed.
"Hahaha!" The group burst out laughing.
...
The players on the field were undoubtedly tense.
While Akagi had faced a crushing defeat before and knew losing again wouldn't be surprising, they had come this far.
With the score so close, the desire to win was unavoidable.
For these young, emotionally driven players, staying calm under pressure was nearly impossible.
Tokugawa also felt the weight of the game.
Although they had been studying Sawamura's pitching, losing was not an option.
However, Tokugawa's players had the experience and confidence of a perennial winning team.
Their wealth of baseball and game knowledge helped them manage the pressure without compromising their performance.
...
"Let's go!" Ohno shouted as he stepped up to the batter's box, trying to release some of his nerves through his voice.
Whether it was his shout or the deep breaths he took afterward, Ohno managed to calm down somewhat.
..
"This team's top order is genuinely threatening. In just a few months, their lineup has improved so much! If we hadn't been focused on observing, the score might have been much higher. Giving up one or two runs wouldn't have felt risky at all. Stay sharp and pitch cautiously," Tokugawa's pitcher nodded deeply at his catcher's signal for careful pitches.
"No matter what, we won't lose to you here!"
Whoosh!
Thud!
"Ball!"
The first pitch grazed the outside edge of the plate but was called a ball.
Thanks to Sendo's constant reminders and a year of training, Akagi's players had developed an instinct for avoiding bad pitches.
At the middle school level, the pitches weren't fast enough to overwhelm their vision.
Inhale... exhale...
Ohno's breathing grew heavier as tension built up again. His chest felt tight, as if his lungs needed more air than he could take in.
"Am I catching Sano-sensei's nerves? Why does it feel like my heart's about to jump out? I'm not even that nervous!" Ohno thought as he prepared for the next pitch.
With one last deep breath, Ohno managed to steady himself just in time for the second pitch.
Ping!
"Foul!"
"That was close! So close!" Sawamura sighed in relief, then exclaimed loudly, expressing his shared tension.
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