Top of the fourth inning. Ichidaisan High School at bat.
Hayato Mino started strong. Against the second batter, Fukushima, he worked the count through seven tense pitches before finishing him off with a sharp curveball.
"Strike three!"
But once Ichidaisan's core lineup stepped in, Mino's luck began to falter.
Third batter Teru Miyagawa smashed a long hit deep into the infield gap. Then came fourth batter Takahiro Omae—
Clang!
Mino's signature curveball was crushed into the stands.
Omae's second home run of the game.
The momentum swung back instantly.
The score widened to 10–7, Ichidaisan reclaiming control.
Fifth batter Hoshida followed with a solid hit that slipped past Todoroki Raichi's defense at third, reaching first base safely.
But Yakushi wasn't done fighting.
Sixth batter Takami Akira sent a sharp liner straight back at the mound. Mino couldn't react in time—
—but Fukuda Daiki, backing him up, caught it cleanly from behind.
Without hesitation, he fired to second base—Kobayashi covering—
Then to first—
Double play!
Yakushi answered with a brilliant defensive play of their own, ending the inning in style.
Bottom of the fourth. Yakushi's counterattack.
Mino led off with a single.
Fukuda followed with a grounder that slipped through the infield, allowing Mino to advance to second.
Then Akiba Kazuma stepped up—
Ping!
A clean hit to the outfield!
Mino sprinted home.
10–8.
Yakushi closed the gap.
Mishima Yuta hit a fly ball to left, but Shimizu tracked it down for the out. Still, Akiba advanced to third.
Two outs. Runner on third.
A golden opportunity.
With Todoroki Raichi and Kitamura Kou both already with two home runs coming up, the stadium buzzed with anticipation.
From the dugout, Coach Tahara quietly signaled.
Then—
Takami Akira stepped out.
The crowd fell into confusion—
Then outrage.
"Boo!!!"
Misaki threw eight straight balls.
Raichi walked.
Kou walked.
Bases loaded.
Ichidaisan had chosen to avoid the matchup entirely.
As expected, Yamauchi Yutaka stepped up next—
And despite his effort—
"Strike three!"
The inning ended.
After four innings, the score stood at 8–10.
Yakushi still trailed by two.
But Ichidaisan's decision to walk Raichi and Kou only fueled Yakushi's momentum further.
Top of the fifth—
With relentless focus and strong teamwork, Mino shut down Ichidaisan's lower lineup in order.
Three batters.
Three outs.
"I never expected the game to turn out like this…" Takashima Rei adjusted her glasses, watching the field intently.
Bottom of the fifth.
Yakushi's turn to bat.
"Seventh batter, catcher, Watanabe!"
From the dugout—
"If you can't get a hit, I'm benching you!"
"Let me bat instead—I'll do better!"
"You're the only one without a hit!"
"Swing properly!"
The bench erupted into chaos.
"It's too noisy! How am I supposed to concentrate?!" Watanabe shouted, annoyed.
Then—
Clang!
The ball shot cleanly through the infield and rolled into the outfield.
A hit.
"Nice! My first hit! You see that, you idiots?!" Watanabe yelled, pumping his fist as he ran.
Coach Kataoka, watching from afar, narrowed his eyes.
"From first to ninth… every batter swings decisively. Their hitting practice must be intense."
Yakushi dugout.
"Coach Todoroki, should we bunt? Runner on base, no outs," an assistant suggested.
"…Huh? Are you stupid?" Todoroki Raizo replied instantly. "Of course we swing! Why would we give them an out for free?"
Ichidaisan dugout.
"Show the spirit of Ichidaisan… hold the line, Misaki," Coach Tahara said grimly.
In the stands, Koichiro Tanba watched quietly, his expression complicated.
"…Kaname…"
"This game's already 10–8 before the fifth is even over," Miyuki Kazuya said. "Didn't expect it to turn into this kind of slugfest."
Chris nodded.
"Manaka losing control early changed everything. But the real problem… is Yakushi's lineup. Those two first-years—Raichi and Kou completely shattered the pitcher's rhythm."
Meanwhile…
At Yakushi's bench—
"Hey, Raichi, stop eating bananas!" Todoroki Raizo grinned slyly. "If you hit another home run, I'll treat you to tonkatsu tonight."
Raichi froze.
"…Fried… pork cutlet…?"
His eyes sparkled.
Then immediately—
Tears.
"We… we can't afford something that fancy!" he cried.
"…Can we not talk about that right now?" Raizo muttered, annoyed.
"Anyway, if you lose, no dinner. I might even lose my job as coach."
"…That's because you're always in debt, you useless dad!" Raichi shouted, lunging at him.
The two began wrestling.
Again.
"The father and son are fighting again!"
"The game's still going on, Coach!"
"Stop it, Raichi!"
The entire dugout descended into chaos.
Even the seasoned spectators could only stare in stunned silence.