Chapter 234: Additional Points
"Pop!"
"It got through!!! A deep hit to center field!!!"
"The runner from third is heading home! It's a tie!
... And the runner from second is coming in too! It's a comeback!"
"After hitting a double in his first at-bat, Seidou's No. 5 batter, Sendo Akira, delivers another clutch double!!!"
"Ohhhh!!!"
The bench erupted in excitement, and countless fans who had come specifically to see Sendo's batting cheered loudly, celebrating the moment.
"Amazing! Simply amazing!"
"As expected from Sen-chan!"
Even Rei-chan adjusted her glasses with a smile as she watched the kids beside her jumping up and down in excitement.
This time, Sensen's defense had made adjustments. They wouldn't let Sendo steal third base so easily. The catcher was more alert than ever, even adjusting his stance to increase his throw speed.
Although, as far as Sendo was concerned, it didn't really matter—as long as he didn't make a mistake.
"What do we do? Should we let Sendo steal third on his own?" Ota, the team manager, raised the question.
It would be in line with Seidou's usual aggressive playstyle, but stealing third base alone would be an outright challenge to the defensive capabilities of a powerhouse school like Sensen.
However, there was a catch. If Sendo made it to third, Sensen's defense would undoubtedly move in after what they had already witnessed. With their firsthand experience of his speed, they would definitely tighten up their infield positioning.
"Batting sixth! Masuko!"
"What will Seidou decide? First pitch!"
"He's going for it!"
"Whoosh!"
"Pop!"
"Ball!"
"Safe!"
"He stole third successfully! Like a flash of lightning That's two successful steals of third base! Even knowing it's coming, Sensen just can't stop him! That's Sendo's speed for you!"
As expected, the moment Sendo reached third base, Sensen's infield shifted forward. The first and third basemen were already dangerously close to home plate. A bunt for a run was now nearly impossible—unless it was perfectly placed.
Masuko took his stance, stretching his body briefly. His already round head looked even bigger with the motion.
Seeing this, the Sensen players let out a breath of relief. That posture didn't seem like he was forcing an aggressive play.
Sendo's speed was simply too much pressure for them.
"Wait… seriously? Are we really going to use that combination play now, Pudding-senpai?" Sendo thought to himself as he noticed Masuko's subtle movements.
"Steal!"
"No way! Are they really trying to steal home in this situation?!"
The Sensen infielders were utterly stunned. With Sendo at third, just hearing the word "steal" made their muscles tense up involuntarily.
But they dismissed it as a bluff—a fake steal meant to throw them off.
"Clang!"
"He bunted? From that awkward stance?!"
The very next second, Masuko executed a bunt from an almost unnatural posture, shocking the defense.
"Are they serious?! This is a suicide play!"
That thought flashed through their minds, but their reactions weren't slow.
At that moment, Sendo feinted a sprint toward home but then suddenly pulled back, buying just enough time for Masuko to advance safely.
The unexpected bunt, paired with the distraction caused by Sendo, caught the Sensen infield off guard, allowing Masuko to reach base.
Masuko's choice was surprising, yet completely logical.
Right now, only a few Seidou batters could time their swings well enough to hit Makki's pitches. Masuko was struggling with it too.
Moreover, back during the Akikawa game, they had already considered combining steals with bunts. As the previous batter, Sendo had arranged a silent signal with Masuko in advance.
That exaggerated stretch, where Masuko almost hugged his head with both arms, was the signal.
It meant, "I'm bunting. Get ready to move."
With Sendo's speed as a guarantee and the defense focusing on stopping him—thinking they might finally get rid of this troublesome runner—no one paid much attention to whether Masuko reached base or not, especially since this was the first time they had used this play.
Maybe after a few more times, others would realize it was a prearranged tactic rather than just a coincidence or an intuitive connection.
"Batting seventh! Catcher, Miyuki Kazuya!"
The music started playing…
"Omitting the intro—"
"Aim for the hit~!" The cheering squad finished with a rousing chorus.
"Take all the delicious ones, you bastard!"
"This is a golden opportunity, Miyuki! Smash it!"
"A real man sends it flying!"
"Second verse—"
"Opportunities like this don't come often, you sly four-eyed bastard!" Sendo smirked at Miyuki from third base.
"Speaking of which, even though my cheer song is great, it somehow lacks impact! The cheer squad just keeps going 'hey hey ha ha!'"
"Once Tetsu-san retires, I'm using his 'Lupin' theme instead! He wouldn't have a problem with that, right?"
The very next second, this fool momentarily spaced out—even in such a serious situation, he was thinking about something else.
Meanwhile, Miyuki was already set in the batter's box.
"...Aim for the hit!" As the cheer ended, the marching band stopped playing.
"Pop!"
Just as the audience anticipated the climax—the catcher stood up and caught the ball, a clear outside pitch aimed at the right-handed batter's box.
Not even a fake attempt at an aggressive four-pitch walk. It was a straight-up intentional walk.
"???" The Seidou bench was full of confused faces.
"Wait! There's only one out! The next batter is a solid hitter too!"
"Are they seriously disrespecting our dependable Shirasu-senpai?!"
"…Well, maybe Shirasu-senpai really doesn't get enough credit… Hmm… Considering our second-time-through-the-lineup situation right now… maybe that's just how it is." Sendo still found it hard to believe. He even glanced at the scoreboard to confirm there was only one out, not two, before spiraling into an internal monologue that somehow ended up roasting Shirasu instead.
"They have no intention of challenging Miyuki."
"Sensen's battery has chosen to load the bases!"
Even the announcer, though surprised, continued his broadcast.
On the field, Miyuki and Maki locked eyes.
"Pop!"
"Ball four!!!"
"Now it's bases loaded with one out!"
Miyuki tossed his bat aside, watching Maki kick at the mound in frustration.
"Nice intentional walk!!!" Sawamura, on the other hand, was absolutely ecstatic—completely oblivious to the fact that he was the only one enjoying this moment.
"I am absolutely NOT happy about this!" Miyuki shot back.
"Don't take it personally, Maki! This was the strategic choice for the team!"
"Rather than giving him a free pass, wouldn't it be better to let him hit?!"
Such competitiveness was an essential trait for a pitcher.
However, baseball was a game of probabilities. Avoiding the most dangerous hitter was the logical move.
Whether it was the cleanup hitter or the ninth batter, the outcome was the same. They just needed to efficiently use the three bases to get three outs.
No matter how many runners were on base, even if third base was occupied— as long as they could shut down the batter, the score remained zero.
Watching Maki vent his frustration and adjust his emotions on the mound, Coach Ugai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Too green. He's just like me a few years ago… No, I was even more hotheaded back then."
"That's exactly why that bastard took advantage of me."
"Compared to him, that guy never acted like a teenager at all."
"Not cute at all!"
A special guest had arrived at the stadium. With a well-proportioned figure, striking facial features, and a hint of boldness, anyone who laid eyes on her would instinctively praise her beauty.
She first looked at Maki on the field, then turned her gaze to Sendo, reminiscing about herself a few years ago.
"Achoo! Achoo!" Sendo sneezed twice and muttered under his breath, "Who's talking about me?"
Seeing Sendo sneeze, the young woman scoffed.
"If I wasn't injured and on leave, I wouldn't have come to watch your game!"
There wasn't the slightest hint of tsundere in her voice—she was simply stating a fact, her tone commanding and undeniable, standing high above the rest.
She was a confident and strong-willed woman.
...
On the field, after venting his frustration, Maki refocused and faced Seidou's remaining batters, successfully shutting them down and ending the inning.
To support Maki, Sensen's infield had moved in while the outfielders remained in place. Whether it was a squeeze play or a sacrifice fly, they had blocked off all options.
Maki deliberately pitched low, making it difficult for batters to hit high fly balls. At the same time, they remained cautious of Sendo's speed—with only one out and Shirasu's all-around ability, they couldn't afford to underestimate him. If he got a deep hit, there would be no stopping Sendo.
Sendo wasn't happy about missing such a prime scoring opportunity, but it wasn't because he was disappointed in his teammates—it was something else entirely.
...
"Ping!"
"A deep hit to left field! Left fielder Isashiki and center fielder Sendo are both retreating—so fast!"
"Pop!"
"Caught! Three outs! Change sides!"
Sendo made the final out with an impressive catch.
"That bastard's got guts!"
"Well, at least this makes the game worthy of my presence!"
...
"Kominato! Go warm up your swings! If needed, I'll have you pinch-hit!"
"And tell Sawamura to get ready too!"
"Yes!" Kominato responded without hesitation.
The timing was perfect—it was the top of the fifth inning, and Seidou's top order was up again.
Hearing that he might go in, Sawamura eagerly agreed, though his mind kept flashing back to Raichi's home run.
He shook his head furiously, yelling nonsense, leaving Miyauchi-senpai utterly baffled.
...
"Pop!"
"Strike!"
"Damn it!"
Leading off, Kuramochi was visibly frustrated—he still hadn't gotten a hit today.
"Pop!"
The second pitch went straight into Maki's glove—out!
Kuramochi clenched his bat in frustration, almost slamming it on the ground but barely held back. His expression, however, couldn't hide his anger.
Now that Seidou had started targeting his curveballs, Maki had switched to focusing solely on his fastball. He even stuck to a single pitch location, using his sharp movement, angle variation, and drop control to keep every pitch landing in nearly the same spot.
This was why Kuramochi was so pissed.
...
"Ping!"
"Does he really think we can't hit if he throws the same pitch every time?"
Ryousuke swung and missed on the first pitch, fouled off the second, then connected on the third—safe at first!
...
"Big swing!"
"Ping!"
"Pop!"
"Out!"
Isashiki lined out to left field, his face turning bright red with frustration.
...
"Ping!"
"It gets through! A deep hit to right field!"
"Beautiful hit!"
"Ohhh! As expected from the captain!" That voice, of course, belonged to Seidou's little bundle of energy—Sawamura.
...
"Now it's two outs, runners on second and third!"
"This is what a cleanup hitter does! Creating scoring opportunities with the bat—Seidou's captain, Yuuki!"
"That guy did it again!"
"Amazing!"
"He gives off such a commanding presence!"
Even the Akagi players watching on the sidelines were fired up.
"I feel like Sen-chan won't lose to him!"
"Keep going, Sendo!" Jun cried out, tears welling in his eyes.
"Jun-san's line drive to right field had a pretty good trajectory too!"
Kuramochi, for some reason, was trying to comfort Jun, though his tone suggested he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it himself.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines, that striking figure watched as Sendo stood up from the on-deck circle.
"The cleanup hitter just smashed a beautiful hit right in front of you—are you not planning to respond at all?"
...
"Sen-chan! Send it flying!"
"Go for it, Sen-chan!"
"You always get the best pitches! Just take them all! Just don't leave anything for Miyuki!"
"Hey!" Miyuki glared at the cheer, full of disdain.
...
Over on Sensen's side—
"This batter is tricky too… but if we walk him, the hitters behind him are just as much of a problem. Especially with that seventh batter still looming, an intentional walk would be meaningless."
"We don't have to challenge him, but we can't just give him a free pass either!"
"Luckily, Maki is still in peak condition, and his pitches are only getting stronger. He'll have to lead the team through this crisis!"
If the situation was more favorable, Coach Ugai would have absolutely ordered an intentional walk on Sendo—no hesitation.
In a previous life, they had even walked Miyuki twice in a row just to avoid loading the bases and facing him again. The cunning Ugai would have had no issue issuing two consecutive intentional walks to Masuko and Miyuki if needed.
But in this timeline, Seidou's batting lineup was simply too overwhelming for most teams—including Sensen. Even intentional walks weren't easy to execute.
...
"Ping!"
"It doesn't matter how good your form is or how powerful your pitches are—none of that works against me!"
"It gets through!"
"Boom!"
"Straight off the left-field fence!"
"Run! Run!"
"Another extra-base hit!"
"Another two-run clutch hit! But this time, it's a triple!"
"Nice hit, Sen-chan!"
"Hmph! Now that's more like it."
That haughty scoff carried no hint of tsundere—pure, unfiltered CEO-level dominance.
Or, as Sendo would put it: "A total tomboy!"
If he were to describe Rei-chan, however, it would be "a classic older-sister type."
...
Following this, Sensen intentionally walked both Masuko and Miyuki, before finally getting Shirasu out, successfully ending the inning.
After walking Miyuki, Maki's velocity and power surged yet again.
Otherwise, they might not have been able to shut down Shirasu-senpai at all.
...
Bottom of the Fifth Inning
Tanba managed to hold off the opposing batters, but this time, he had truly reached his limit.
The scoreboard now read 5-2, with Seidou leading by three runs.
Seidou's strategy for the next inning was clear—seize absolute control of the game before making a pitching change.
This meant the upcoming offense and defense would be crucial.
...
"Batting ninth! Replacing Tanba, pinch hitter—Kominato Haruichi!"
"Batting ninth! Pinch hitter, Kominato Haruichi!"
...
At this stage in the game, with many batters still struggling to catch Maki's pitches, Seidou could only rely on the heart of their lineup to generate runs.
Haruichi's appearance signaled Seidou's aggressive push forward.
Maki, on the other hand, was absolutely livid.
Fine, Sendo was a genius—that, he could accept.
But Haruichi?
What the hell made this kid so special?!
Maki's resentment toward Haruichi had doubled compared to their past life.
It was almost as if he had become a warped Seidou fanboy—one with a deep, irrational grudge.
Fueled by this anger, Maki reached an unprecedented level of focus and intensity.
Had he possessed a deeper pitch arsenal, Seidou might have truly been forced into a passive position.
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