Before his teammates entered the field to go to their defensive positions, Kenshu Yasuda called everyone into a circle at the edge of the dugout for a final pep talk.
"The bottom of the ninth inning, I think we all know what those words mean—I dare bet, if our defense shows even a hint of distraction, our opponents will tear us to shreds immediately!"
"Trust me, they absolutely have the ability! A 2-point advantage in the bottom of the ninth doesn't assure us a victory—this next half inning, I want to see the fighting spirit from each of you! Play this game as if it's our last game of the summer!"
"Hold the line! Did you all hear me?!"
The response came from his teammates' heartfelt shouts:
"Heard you!!!"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, the players from Showa High School also gathered in a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder; at the center was their coach, Mori Yuji.
