Chapter 40: Seidou vs Yakushi (5)
"How the hell did you do that?!"
"That was amazing!"
"Great catch, Kamishiro!"
His upperclassmen each gave Rinichi a congratulatory punch on the shoulder.
Rinichi: "..."
Even the stands erupted in excitement—after all, many spectators had noticed that Rinichi had already started running when the pitcher was mid-delivery.
That meant he had predicted where the ball would land. If it had been anyone else, the catch might've been missed, and Yakushi would've had runners on second and third.
No one expected the inning to end on a double play.
But because of that double play, Yakushi seemed to be sinking into a slump.
It was already the sixth inning, and they still hadn't scored.
Now, in their eyes, Rinichi was a complete villain.
It wasn't enough for him to shut them down from the mound—now he was shutting them down in the outfield too.
With someone like Rinichi in left field, who would even dare hit a ball that way?
Yakushi was in crisis.
"Hey now, don't get so down," said Raizou. "Baseball is a game full of drama, you know."
Indeed, that last play had been plenty dramatic.
To know in advance where the ball would land, then relay it from left field to second and then to first for a double play? Ridiculous.
Rinichi took off his cap and exhaled.
As long as they shut down everyone except Raichi, Yakushi wasn't much of a threat. If they couldn't chain together hits, even a home run from Raichi was only worth one run.
Still, they needed to figure out how to break through that No. 18 pitcher.
A cutter, huh...
You choke up on the bat if you're in the left batter's box. If you're on the right, you extend your grip.
Bottom of the sixth inning.
It began with Yuuki blasting a home run and finally putting a run on the board.
As expected of the cleanup hitter.
Rinichi also noticed that Yakushi's No. 18 pitcher occasionally threw some very hittable balls.
He hoped one would come when it was his turn at bat.
Thinking that, he put on his gloves, picked up his bat, and headed for the on-deck circle.
Masuko swung hard and connected, but the ball bounced once and landed in the pitcher's glove, who then threw him out at first.
Rinichi looked up at Miyuki as he stood to bat and said, "Do your best to get on base."
No honorifics.
Miyuki: "..."
That was probably the first thing Rinichi had said to him since the game started… and it had to be that.
Turning to look, he saw Rinichi's cold, indifferent expression.
Miyuki thought: If I don't get on base, our relationship is probably going to get even worse…
But getting on base isn't exactly something you can just do because you want to.
And sure enough, Miyuki failed to get on base.
Then came Rinichi. Standing in the right batter's box, he blasted a home run on the second pitch.
Miyuki, who had just failed to get on base: "..."
In the seventh inning, neither team scored.
The scoreboard now read 0–6.
Seidou was completely dominating Yakushi.
However, because Rinichi had shut Yakushi down so completely earlier in the game, it put a lot of pressure on Kawakami.
The eighth inning began.
"You don't need to pressure yourself just because Kamishiro didn't give up a run," Miyuki said. "Just focus on limiting the damage."
Kawakami remained silent.
It was true—he wasn't on the same level as Rinichi and couldn't shut down innings as effortlessly.
His expression was serious.
But still, he was determined not to waste the solid work Rinichi had done before.
Miyuki clenched his right fist and lightly pounded it against his chest.
"Keep that slider low. Even if I have to dig it out of the dirt, I won't let it get past me!"
A small smirk formed on Kawakami's lips, sweat beading on his forehead.
At the moment, Raichi was on second base.
Troublesome.
Now the batter drove the ball through center field.
Raichi scored, and the batter made it to second base.
Both of them had targeted center field with their swings.
Even though Miyuki had been calling pitches that pulled toward left field, Yakushi wasn't hitting there at all.
If they gave up another run, Yakushi might build momentum. Rinichi thought grimly.
Thankfully, Isashiki Jun caught the next fly ball.
Now there was only a runner on second, with two outs.
"Fifth batter, second baseman."
First pitch—he swung.
And made contact.
"Safe!"
The situation now had runners on first and third.
Yakushi's momentum was rising again.
And the next batter was Yakushi's No. 18 pitcher, Sanada.
At this critical moment, Seidou also made a move—it looked like they were about to change pitchers.
Most assumed they were calling back their ace, Rinichi.
That was what almost everyone thought.
But when the stadium announcement came through, everyone was stunned.
"Now making a substitution for Seidou High School. Number 8, Kawakami, is leaving the field. Taking the mound: Tanba. Batting eighth: pitcher Tanba."
Tanba jogged up to the mound.
"They're actually putting in the former ace instead of Kamishiro?" Owada Akiko was surprised.
Mine Fujio adjusted the brim of his cap with his pen. "It's not hard to understand. Kamishiro is a rare ace for Seidou. Coach Kataoka probably doesn't want to wear him out in his first year. And Kamishiro has been pitching complete games all by himself, so he's likely built up a lot of fatigue."
Meanwhile, in Tanba's mind, Kataoka's words echoed:
"I'm not putting Kamishiro back on the mound for this game—it's for the sake of his future…"
"If Kawakami isn't doing well, I'll send you in."
"What matters now is whether you can take the mound with a level head…"
At the very least, Tanba wanted Rinichi to know—his upperclassman could be relied on too.
"Only one run down and they're not even using their ace yet…" scoffed Raizou. "They must not think this is a crisis."
"A former ace, huh? He must still be strong. His first pitch will probably be a fastball to test the waters—just aim for that."
Two outs. Runners on first and third.
There probably wasn't a more nerve-wracking situation than this.
Tanba was bound to feel at least a little pressure.
Rinichi thought so too.
"Sanada! Just swing hard! I'll make it home!"
"A clutch hit here would be so hype!"
Yakushi's base runners were fired up.
"Foul ball!"
"Foul ball!"
On the third pitch, the ball slipped past—but Miyuki blocked it with his right hand, stopping the runner on third from making a break for it.
If he'd missed it, it would've meant another run.
Still, blocking with his bare hand… that must've hurt.
Rinichi thought quietly.
"Strike! Batter out!"
He held the line.
From the mound, Tanba let out a fierce shout.
No runs scored in that inning—about the best-case scenario.
This game was all but decided.
1–6.
A five-run difference.
Top of the 8th ended. Sides changed.
The first batter in the bottom half was Ryousuke, who bunted his way to first.
The third batter, Isashiki Jun, hit a fly ball and was caught out.
Cleanup hitter Yuuki Tetsuya just barely made it to first.
Fifth batter Masuko Tooru smacked a double.
Ryousuke returned to home plate for another run.
Sixth batter Miyuki Kazuya followed up with a single.
Yuuki Tetsuya crossed home—another run.
Seventh batter Rinichi popped out.
Rinichi: "..."
...
By the ninth inning, Tanba struck out Raichi swinging, successfully closing the game.
Seidou won with a seven-run lead.
Everyone gathered to celebrate—except for a somewhat out-of-place, silent Furuya.
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