"Safe!"
"Score!!!"
Just when the Akikawa players thought they could finally relax, the Seidō players brought them back to earth with a bump.
Takigawa made it home, giving their team their third run without breaking a sweat.
Now it was 3-0.
If it was just one run, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
But the thing was, the Seidō players were showing everyone that scoring was easy for them.
They didn't need their star hitters, or any fancy plays.
Even the guys at the bottom of the lineup could get it done.
The spot where Takumi hit the ball was very clever.
By the time the Akikawa players got to the ball, he was already on second.
"Safe!"
So now it was one out, runner on second.
The opposing players were numb when they saw this scene.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing, and they were starting to wonder.
What was going on here?
Was the difference between them and Seidō really this big?
Meanwhile, Seidō's offense did not stop.
Their ninth batter stepped up.
In the dugout, a group of second and third-year seniors gathered together, laughing heartily.
"Haha, did you see that? Yamamoto-san seems a little faster than before."
That spot where Takumi hit the ball was definitely smart.
But with his old speed, he probably wouldn't have made it to second so easily.
He probably would've been stuck on first.
Don't underestimate how important that little bit of distance is, it could be the difference between scoring or not.
That run from Takigawa and Takumi definitely messed with the other team's heads.
They were starting to question everything.
But they're a good team, they can give Inashiro Industrial a run for their money, so they weren't just gonna fall apart.
To really break them, Seidō needed to keep adding to their lead.
Seidō's ninth batter came up, and he was out quick.
"Out!"
Two outs, runner on second.
"Arrghhh!!!"
You Shunshin, who got the out, let out a yell on the field.
If he didn't, he probably would've just been overwhelmed.
In this game, he and his teammates had been playing way too passively.
Now he just needed one more out to get through the second inning.
Two innings, three runs given up.
For Akikawa, this was already a huge blow.
They couldn't let them score any more runs, no matter what.
Just then, Seidō's lineup came back around to the first batter.
Kusunoki Fumiya!
When he stepped into the batter's box for the second time, he was filled with emotion.
He'd faced Shunshin before, so he knew what he was capable of.
He just never thought a pitcher like that would be close to cracking so fast.
Even though Shunshin got the last guy out and yelled, that just showed how much pressure he was under.
Seidō's offense was just too good, and after only two innings, he was already showing signs of trouble.
Kusunoki knew what he had to do. He was on Seidō, and he was the leadoff batter. So he got in the box and got ready to swing.
As soon as the ball came close, he was gonna go for it.
"You're not gonna hit it!" Shunshin taunted, laced with desperation.
He was on the mound, throwing as hard as he could, like he had nothing to lose.
And really, with his team in this situation, he didn't.
All he could do was throw as hard as he could and try to get them out.
Kusunoki watched the pitch come in, but he didn't swing. He let the first one go.
Pop!
"Ball!"
The ball was outside the strike zone.
Akikawa's catcher gave a sign to his pitcher.
You're trying too hard!
Sometimes control is like that; you try to put too much into it, and things can get out of hand.
Shunshin was definitely making that mistake right now.
The harder he tried to throw, the less control he had.
"If our Ace is having problems already, we're in trouble," Akikawa's assistant coach exclaimed gravely, as he stood up with worry.
"Easy, easy!" The catcher coaxed gently, filled with concern.
With the catcher and the coach both telling him to calm down, Shunshin finally managed to get it together a little.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the ball.
Whoosh!
His motion was smooth, and the ball zipped out.
Takumi, who was on second, took off for third as soon as he saw the pitch.
This was his chance.
Even though it had better control, the pitch didn't have the same power.
You could see it even from behind the batter.
Kusunoki could also tell that this pitch wasn't as strong as the last one.
'Now!' he thought to himself, a surge of determination coursing through him.
He wasn't gonna let this opportunity pass.
He gripped the bat tight and swung as soon as the ball came in.
Ping!
The ball was hit again.
The other team just felt like everything went dark.
They knew this game was over, even though it was only the top of the second inning, with several innings left to play.
But they pretty much knew how this was gonna end.
The Akikawa fielders tried to stop the ball, but no luck.
It just flew right past them again.
Takumi, who was well-prepared, quickly ran to third base.
He didn't even slow down when he got there, just kept running for home.
"Throw it here!" Akikawa's catcher shouted desperately, laced with urgency.
An Akikawa outfielder had already picked up the ball and threw it towards home plate.
He had good aim.
Even from that far away, it landed right in the catcher's glove.
The seniors in Seidō's dugout held their breath.
"Why is this guy running like a turtle?" Azuma Kiyokuni, who had just praised Takumi's speed, couldn't help but complain.
Nobody thought he'd make it, but he stepped on home plate just as the ball got to the catcher.
"Safe!"
"Seidō scores their fourth run!"
The score was 4-0!
The whole stadium went wild!!!