"First base!"
Miyuki pointed sharply toward first and shouted. From that position, there was no way to throw to third—they could only try to secure the out at first.
Araki Keita, who had already retreated in advance, sprinted forward, locking onto the ball's trajectory. The baseball dropped—Araki stepped in, caught it cleanly, and immediately fired it to first.
"Pop!"
"Safe!"
Shunsuke Furukawa reached base.
Yuki, after receiving the ball, didn't hesitate for even a second. He turned and threw straight back to Miyuki at home plate.
Two outs. Runners on first and third.
On the mound, Kanzaki Ryou glanced toward third base. The runner there was tense, coiled like a spring, ready to dash at any moment and apply pressure.
As for Furukawa on first?
Kanzaki didn't even spare him a glance.
"Kanzaki, focus on the batter!"
"Two outs!"
"Let's go!"
Voices rang out from behind him.
Kanzaki smiled faintly.
Are they nervous?
He turned his head toward Miyuki behind the plate. At this moment, Sagara's fifth batter had already stepped into the batter's box. Miyuki flashed the sign—a low outside slider.
"Whoosh."
The baseball left Kanzaki's fingertips.
To the batter, the pitch was nearly impossible to read. He swung instinctively—only for the ball to suddenly slip away from the bat's path.
"Strike!"
"Whew—"
The entire Seidou cheering section let out a long, collective breath.
"Strike him out!!"
The shout echoed through the stands. Every Seidou fan was holding their breath, terrified that Kanzaki's spotless no-run record since joining the team would finally be broken.
On the mound, Kanzaki didn't disappoint them.
The next pitch—a blazing 154 km/h fastball—blew past the batter's swing.
Two strikes.
The batter's expression turned ugly. This scoring chance was too precious to waste. No matter what, he had to bring the runner home.
Should I bunt?
The thought crossed his mind—but he dismissed it instantly. Against Seidou's defense, any out would end the inning. The risk was far too high.
If he wanted the run, there was only one choice.
A long hit!
Before he could think further, Miyuki had already given the next sign.
"Whoosh!"
The white ball shot forward like a beam of light.
"RAAAH!"
The batter roared and swung with all his strength.
Bang!
The bat crushed into the ball. It slammed into the ground and bounced high.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The runner on third didn't hesitate for a moment, sprinting toward home plate.
"Second!!" Miyuki jumped up and shouted.
The ball skipped toward Shida Shota, who fielded it cleanly.
"Pop!"
With a quick, smooth toss, the ball landed in Kominato Ryosuke's glove at Second.
Force out!
Shunsuke Furukawa was eliminated.
The fourth inning came to an end—Sagara's failed to capitalize on the golden scoring opportunity right in front of them.
"Ohhhhh!!"
Seidou's fans erupted in cheers.
The no-run record was still alive.
They were already imagining it lasting all the way to the end of Koshien.
Back in Sagara''s dugout, Coach Yamamoto spoke immediately after the players returned.
"Don't get discouraged. If it can happen once, it will happen again," he said firmly.
"Don't rush your at-bats. Be patient. A good pitch will come."
Everyone nodded.
The Coach was right. As the innings went on, they were gradually adapting to Kanzaki Ryou's pitching. Their contact rate was rising, and in that inning, they had even pushed a runner to third.
As long as they kept at it, scoring was only a matter of time.
In Seidou's dugout, Tanba Koichiro, fully warmed up, walked over.
"Tanba-san, how's your condition?" Kanzaki asked with a smile.
From the fifth inning onward, the mound would belong to Tanba. Seeing his serious expression, Kanzaki wondered if he might be feeling some pressure.
"Very good. I'm ready anytime," Tanba replied, glancing toward Coach Kataoka.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Kanzaki said calmly.
The game resumed.
Top of the fifth inning—Seidou at bat.
Yuki Tetsuya, the third batter, was put out not long after stepping up.
Then Azuma Kiyokuni, the fourth batter, entered the box, gripping his bat in frustration.
Once again—he was intentionally walked.
One out. Runner on first.
Kanzaki Ryou stepped into the batter's box again.
After the previous home run, Hinata Hayato and his catcher exchanged glances and reached a quick decision.
Four balls.
Another intentional walk.
Kanzaki stood on first base as Azuma advanced to second.
"Smart choice," Ochiai Hiromitsu muttered, stroking his mustache with satisfaction.
"Avoiding direct confrontation with Seidou's core batters whenever possible—that's the right call."
But those consecutive walks completely infuriated Isashiki Jun, the sixth batter.
You think I'm that easy to deal with?!
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Whoosh!"
"Strike!"
"Whoosh!"
"Strike!"
"Strikeout!"
Isashiki was sent back to the dugout.
Next up was Miyuki Kazuya, batting seventh, with runners on first and Second.
Miyuki's swing was sharp.
He missed the first pitch.
Fouled the second.
Fouled the third.
Then fouled the fourth again.
The catcher's brows knitted tighter with every foul. More importantly, he could clearly tell—
Miyuki is choosing the pitch path every time.
Their pitch calling was being completely read.
"Let's finish him with a changeup," the catcher signaled.
Hinata nodded. He didn't want to waste any more stamina in a drawn-out duel.
The changeup was thrown toward the inside corner.
Miyuki smiled the instant the ball left the pitcher's hand.
Just as I thought.
"Bang!"
The ball flew toward center field.
Miyuki dropped the bat and sprinted—but before it could land, a figure from the outfield charged forward and dove.
Caught—just inches above the grass.
"Out!"
The umpire's call rang out.
Azuma Kiyokuni and Kanzaki Ryou, halfway through their runs, could only stop helplessly.
"Hey, don't blame me—I really tried," Miyuki said quickly, seeing Kanzaki approach with a raised fist.
"It would've been perfect if that went a little farther," Kanzaki laughed, slinging an arm over Miyuki's shoulder.
"Seriously, such a good chance," Azuma added bluntly.
Miyuki could only smile wryly.
His at-bat hadn't been bad at all—
sometimes, baseball was just cruel.