บท 189: [189] Yokohama Kouhoku's Relentless Pressure
Chapter 189: Yokohama Kouhoku's Relentless Pressure
After receiving instructions from their dugout, Yokohama Kouhoku's players sprang into action.
"Yokohama Kouhoku is opting for an infield-in defense here! They're determined not to allow even a single run!"
"You've got this, Ino."
"Ino-kun, shut them down!"
"Masuko-senpai, get a hit!"
"Ace, it's all on you now!"
"Masuko-kun, crush that guy!"
"Let's go!!!"
"Seidou! Seidou! Seidou!"
"Yokohama! Yokohama! Yokohama!"
In the Seidou dugout, Coach Kataoka maintained his usual calm demeanor.
He lightly tapped his chest with his fist, stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then tipped his cap slightly.
On the field, Masuko in the batter's box, along with Isashiki and Yuuki on base, all touched the brims of their caps in response.
Simultaneously, Masuko openly adopted a bunt stance at the plate, a move that immediately left the Yokohama Kouhoku side looking perplexed and uncertain.
A blatant bunt strategy?
From the fifth batter?
While it wasn't unheard of for Seidou to try something like this—especially with no outs—it still seemed suspicious. Could this be a trap?
Behind home plate, Yokohama Kouhoku's catcher Shiraha found himself in a dilemma.
Misreading the situation could have disastrous consequences.
Especially since Seidou's fifth batter was arguably the strongest hitter on their team in terms of raw power.
Even Coach Yamagake felt the situation was tricky.
Making the right choice and weighing the risks carefully—this was a critical moment for Yokohama Kouhoku.
And then, the outcome...
Whoosh!
Pop!
"Ball four, walk!!!"
Masuko hadn't even moved in the batter's box, and yet Yokohama Kouhoku's uncertainty led them to walk him intentionally.
With a sheepish grin, Masuko dropped his bat and jogged to first base.
As he did, Shiraha and Ino both wore grim expressions—they had been played!
A walk!
Bases loaded with no outs! Seidou High now has a golden opportunity to score big!
"Batting sixth, catcher, Miyuki-kun."
The batter stepping up was Miyuki, known for seizing opportunities.
With the bases loaded, Miyuki's arrival at the plate presented the perfect scenario for Seidou High.
Although Miyuki had seemed somewhat unreliable in recent games, his teammates trusted that in critical moments like this, their strongest catcher would deliver a victory.
"Let's go, Miyuki!"
"It's a bases-loaded situation, Miyuki!"
"Don't mess this up, you rascal!"
"Hit a big one!"
"Miyuki-kun, we're counting on you!"
"One big hit, Kazuya!"
In the dugout, Eijun was putting on his batting gear as he watched Miyuki step into the batter's box with a faint smile.
A hit to the outfield could score at least two runs, maybe even clear the bases if it's deep enough. An infield hit would still be productive. Miyuki-senpai, this is your chance—don't embarrass yourself again!
It wouldn't be surprising if this guy, right now, was secretly enjoying himself.
Eijun's gaze carried a faint smile as he thought to himself.
"Man, this pressure is intense. Bases loaded, no outs... tsk, what a grand stage."
Eijun knew Miyuki, the sly catcher, all too well.
The moment Miyuki stepped into the batter's box, he probably had this exact thought running through his mind.
And whether internally or outwardly, Miyuki maintained an utterly relaxed expression, as if this high-stakes situation had no effect on him at all.
"Hey, this is the Koshien stage! The score is 0-0 right now!"
Meanwhile, Yokohama Kouhoku's Coach Yamagake issued new orders from the dugout.
"We can allow one run if necessary, but we must secure outs in exchange. Outfielders, move back a bit. Infielders, stay ready for a potential double play."
A sacrifice fly or a force-out at the plate were acceptable ways to concede a run, as long as they came with outs.
However, avoiding a hard-hit extra-base hit was crucial; a sudden loss of multiple runs would put Yokohama Kouhoku in a tough spot.
Of course, the ideal outcome would be to strike out three consecutive batters and escape the inning unscathed.
But even Coach Yamagake knew that Seidou High wouldn't squander such a golden scoring opportunity.
Options were limited for Yokohama Kouhoku—they would have to minimize the damage as much as possible.
On the mound, Ino was drenched in sweat.
No pitcher could remain completely composed with the bases loaded, no outs, and one of the most opportunistic batters standing in the box.
The pressure was immense.
For the first pitch, Ino decided to aim low and outside, just off the plate, to test the batter's response.
Ino nodded solemnly, focused on the plan.
"Whoosh!"
The ball flew from his hand, streaking toward the plate.
"Boom!"
"Swoosh!"
The gleaming metal bat shone with a cold light as it cut through the air and connected with the ball.
"Crack!"
The roar of contact echoed instantly.
"No!!"
"Third base!!"
Shiraha's eyes widened as he quickly turned toward third base.
At the same time, Isashiki Jun, standing on third, tensed every muscle in his body, ready to react.
"Whoosh!"
The blazing ball shot rapidly toward third base as Yokohama Kouhoku's third baseman, Tsumura, gritted his teeth and dove desperately.
"Thud!"
"Foul ball!!!"
The umpire's call brought a momentary sigh of relief for Ino and his teammates, but Shiraha and Tsumura's faces remained grim.
That swing speed.
That precision.
"Damn it! He managed to make solid contact with a pitch outside the strike zone!"
Shiraha glared at Miyuki with a dark expression, an ominous premonition forming in his mind.
Unfortunately, there was no way out now.
They were backed into a corner.
The next pitch: an inside fastball.
The key was to control the trajectory and keep it low.
Absolutely low. At the very least, this would prevent the ball from being driven into the outfield.
"Whoosh!"
The ball gleamed as it streaked toward the plate, the bat swinging decisively to meet it.
"Crack!!!"
Another explosive sound echoed through the stadium.
"Whoosh!"
A powerful hit—so far and high that the white ball seemed to vanish into the sky.
It shot past first base and headed deep into the outfield, ultimately landing in the right-field stands.
Unfortunately, it was foul.
"Foul ball!!!"
A massive shot nonetheless. Ino's expression grew tense.
"Why does it feel like Seidou's hitters are even more terrifying now than they were during the Kanto Tournament?"
"Whoosh!"
"Pop!"
"Ball."
"Whoosh!"
"Crack!"
"Thud!"
"Foul ball!!!"
Miyuki, with his composed demeanor, let obvious balls pass.
Yet every borderline pitch was met with his full power.
His swings seemed to declare that he had completely figured out the pitcher's rhythm and strategy.
That faint, knowing smile on his face sent a chill down Ino's spine.
Under such relentless pressure, cracks began to form in the pitcher's composure.
In his moment of hesitation, Ino made the one mistake that was utterly unforgivable in this situation.
He threw the pitch he absolutely could not afford to throw.
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