Baseball: A Two-Way Player

In the field, Ogawara Takuma stood up from the catcher's seat and walked up to the pitcher's mound, gathering his infield teammates.

With zero outs and bases loaded, unless the pitcher performs exceptionally, it's almost certain to concede points—a situation Ogawara Takuma had anticipated since the start of the game against Waseda Industries. However, facing such an unfavorable situation, he had to try to control the score to a manageable range for the team.

For instance, the next at-bat was Waseda Industries' starting pitcher for this game, Uchida Saint—a crucial out that Showa High School had to secure.

The start of the at-bat went smoothly. Uchida Saint's batting skills were mediocre, so Ogawara Takuma instructed Aomura Shou to boldly pitch to his inner corner, quickly gaining an advantage with two strikes.

After failing to eliminate Uchida Saint with a high curveball that missed the strike zone, Showa High School's pitcher-catcher duo decided to face the challenge head-on, using the simplest method to secure the out.

However, Uchida Saint also had a reason why he couldn't help but hit the ball:

Besides Kenshu Yasuda himself, the one most touched by his words was likely Uchida Saint, now the second pitcher.

Lin Guanglai's sudden rise dashed Uchida Saint's hopes of wearing the No. 1 jersey and becoming the team's ace pitcher, but he didn't resent it because Lin Guanglai genuinely earned the spot with his strength;

Yet, as a third-year player about to retire from the club after this summer, Uchida Saint didn't want his three-year baseball career to be just as "someone's backup"—he wanted his own shining moment!

Facing the incoming pitch, despite being at a disadvantage with two strikes against him, Uchida Saint swung his bat without hesitation.

"Clang—!"

With his powerful swing, the baseball soared high into the sky and fell deep into the outfield. Considering his batting skill, hitting it like that was quite a feat. Although the ball was high and far, it descended slowly, making it easy for Showa High School's outfielders to catch it.

But it was enough!

As the baseball flew into Showa's central fielder Tsuji Masashi's glove, Hagiuta Mitsuo on third base immediately took off.

As a power-hitting slugger, his running speed wasn't fast, so he had to race against the clock to reach the base before Tsuji Masashi threw the ball back to home plate.

"Run! Run! Faster! Faster!"

This cry was not just from his teammates at third base and the substitutes on Waseda Industries' bench but also from Hagiuta Mitsuo's inner voice.

Just a second before reaching home, Hagiuta Mitsuo hurled his massive body toward the plate, sliding across the ground.

His hefty body crashed into the infield dirt of Shengong Stadium, kicking up dust and making it hard to see.

"Finally... scored!!!"

Confirming that his outstretched hand touched the home plate before the catcher's tag, Hagiuta Mitsuo lay on the ground, clenching his fists and pounding the ground heavily.

It was really tough... incredibly tough...

This game, where Waseda Industries aimed to defend their West Tokyo title, met with Showa High School's tenacious resistance, leaving their offense unable to advance and their defense stuck in a deadlock.

Kenshu Yasuda's shout was like a heavy hammer striking the heart of every Waseda Industries player:

Yes, Guanglai is our strongest teammate, and a lot of our victories, both in the Senbatsu and Kantou Tournament, depend on his performance;

But when Guanglai can't play for some reason, does that mean we're completely incapable? No! We have to prove that we are dependable and trustworthy teammates for Guanglai! We are a team! No one is anyone's subordinate!

Through five tough battles, Waseda Industries' storm-like offense finally found a crack in Showa High School's turtle-shell defense—getting started was always the hardest. After this score, a sense of breakthrough filled every Waseda Industries player's heart.

In the dugout, Lin Guanglai also let out a sigh of relief—even though he was not on the field, the pressure was nonetheless intense; if the team had been eliminated because of his absence due to illness, that regret might haunt him for many years to come.

But thankfully, his teammates delivered. Although he never doubted for a moment, the weight in his heart was only truly lifted when the score was secured.

Now with one out and runners on first and second—it was time to continue expanding the lead!

"It's just one point, don't worry, don't worry!"

After failing to tag out on the outfield return, Ogawara Takuma slowly got up, reminding his teammates not to dwell on the point conceded and to focus on the upcoming defense.

"Only one out, with runners in scoring position! Keep your spirits up!"

His steady and powerful shout indeed had an effect, and after the initial chaos from conceding a point, the players at Showa High School quickly regained their composure:

With one out and runners on first and second, Ogawara Takuma dared to directly confront Waseda Industries' leading lineup with aggressiveness. While Shinjiro Shigetsugu hit the ball, his weak ground ball was too straightforward and was easily handled by Showa High School's middle infielders, achieving a double play.

At the cost of conceding one point, Showa High School successfully held this half-inning.

Compared to their extraordinary defense today, Showcase High School's offense appeared unusually slow and rigid: Uchida Saint allowed only one hitter to get a hit before firmly securing his half-inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, Matsunaga Kenta, the leading hitter, was fooled by Aomura Shou's forkball and struck out—Kenshu Yasuda eagerly awaited his turn.

Before stepping into the batter's box, Kenshu Yasuda once again got down on the ground and performed his signature "push-up" gesture for the audience both on-site and in front of the TV.

After doing three or four push-ups in one go, Kenshu Yasuda got up, clapped his hands to shake off the dirt, gripped the bat firmly, and faced the pitcher directly.

His teammates had already set an example with their performance on the field. As the team's vice-captain, Kenshu Yasuda knew it was time for him to prove he was worthy of his position.

The pitcher and batter engaged in a fierce duel, bringing the situation to a full count.

The pitcher and batter locked eyes, both seeing the same intent reflected in each other's gaze:

"Come on, let's compete fairly with your fastest and most accurate pitch/my most forceful and powerful swing."

At this crucial moment, Ogawara Takuma, as the catcher, also decided to respect his pitcher's opinion.

Lift leg, lean body forward, swing arm, release the baseball.

Build momentum, twist upper body, power lower limbs, swing the bat.

"Clang—!!!"

The black bat and the white ball's trajectory intersected with precision, hitting the baseball precisely in the red center area with a loud, crisp sound.

The baseball kept rising, kept descending, flew over the pitcher's mound, over the infield, over the outfield, finally landing in the stands of Shengong Stadium.

As he rounded the bases, Kenshu Yasuda pointed a finger to the sky, shouting and celebrating loudly with his teammates—he wanted to release all his emotions at that moment.

Solo home run! Waseda Industries leads 2-0!