The crowd settled into their seats. The tension in the air was palpable. It was the match between Nehimon Seimei and Tatsuno Academy, and while Nehimon Seimei was favored, there was a noticeable murmur spreading through the stands.
The absence of Shinjiro Takumi, the super rookie, and Ryoichi Ishikawa, their ace pitcher, had caused a stir among both the fans and the Tatsuno coaching staff. People were questioning the strategy. In the Tatsuno dugout, Coach Sumo stood with his arms crossed, smirking.
"The super rookie isn't even on the lineup, and their ace won't be pitching today, huh?" he said, his voice carrying a slight tone of disbelief. "They think they can just coast to a win?"
His assistant, standing beside him with a clipboard in hand, glanced over. "Looks like they're resting their top guys before the match against Suma. They must think today's game is a done deal."
Sumo laughed, the sound booming across the dugout. "They're just looking down on us. It'll be their mistake."
Meanwhile, in the Nehimon Seimei dugout, the atmosphere was calm but focused. Yamato, the assistant coach, was scanning the field, watching as his players prepared for the game.
---
The game was about to begin, and the energy in the crowd was building. Nehimon Seimei had the first chance to bat. Kenji Tadeka, the center fielder and captain, led the lineup, his calm demeanor masking the fierce competitor within.
From the dugout, Yamato called out, his voice filled with encouragement. "Show me some big plays today, boys! Let's get this started!"
Shunichi Watanabe, the second baseman, turned to Shota Iwata, the left fielder. "Your chance has come. Make it worthwhile," Shunichi said, offering Shota a quick pat on the back.
Shota nodded, nerves tight in his chest but determination clear in his eyes. He had been waiting for this moment to prove himself.
Kazuki the right fielder, stepped into the dugout, grinning. "Let's show this bums what our team is all about heheh."
---
With Nehimon Seimei batting first, the team knew they had to set the tone early. Kenji Tadeka walked to the batter's box, his eyes locked onto Tatsuno's pitcher. The crowd was murmuring, a mix of anxious anticipation and chatter about Nehimon's lineup changes.
Tatsuno's pitcher wound up and released the ball, a fastball aimed directly over the plate. Kenji's eyes tracked the pitch perfectly, and with a sharp, clean swing, he connected. The ball rocketed toward center field, landing with a solid thud as Kenji dashed to first base.
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The crowd erupted into cheers. Yamato clapped his hands from the dugout. "That's how we start! Nice work, Tadeka!"
Next up to bat was Kaito, the shortstop. Kaito stepped into the batter's box, focused and ready. He glanced toward Kenji, who gave him a nod. With the count 2-1 Tatsuno's pitcher threw a curveball, but Kaito anticipated it, swinging with force. The ball cracked off his bat, shooting between second and third base, allowing Kenji to advance to third and Kaito to take second.
In the dugout, Shunichi grinned at Shota. "You're up next. No pressure," he teased.
Shota swallowed hard and stepped up to the plate. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing on him, but he knew he had to seize this opportunity. Tatsuno's pitcher wound up, Shota's grip tightened around the bat. The pitch came—a fastball low and inside. He swung hard, and the ball flew sharply toward the outfield, dropping just in front of the right fielder.
Kenji sprinted home, crossing the plate easily. Kaito advanced to third. Shota took a deep breath as he stood safely at first base, his heart pounding. He had made an impact.
In the dugout, Yamato punched the air. "There we go! That's what we need!"
---
With Nehimon Seimei leading 1-0 after the top of the first inning, it was time for Kai, the first-year pitcher, to take the mound. He stood tall, gripping the ball in his hand, feeling the weight of responsibility. This was his moment to show the coaches what he was capable of. The crowd murmured in anticipation, with some fans voicing concerns over whether the first-year could handle the pressure.
As Kai went through his warm-up throws, the sound of the ball popping into the catcher's mitt echoed through the field. Daiki Matsuda, the second-year catcher, crouched behind the plate, giving Kai a steady look of encouragement.
"Relax, Kai. You've got this," Daiki called out.
Kai took a deep breath, his mind calming. His focus was razor-sharp. He went into his wind-up and delivered his first pitch—a 2-seam fastball. The Tatsuno batter swung but missed, the ball zipping past his bat. Strike one.
The crowd murmured with approval, and Kai felt his confidence build. He wound up again and delivered a second pitch, this time a slurve that broke late. The Tatsuno batter was completely fooled, swinging wildly at air. Strike two.
From the dugout, Yamato grinned. "He's really good, if it was another team he would be their starting pitcher....it's a pity."
Kai took a deep breath, adjusted his grip, and threw a cutter for the third pitch. The ball dropped sharply as it reached the plate, and the Tatsuno batter watched helplessly as it crossed the strike zone. Strike three.
Kai stood on the mound, his face impassive, but inside, his heart was racing. One out down.
---
As the game progressed, Nehimon Seimei's lineup continued to apply pressure on Tatsuno's pitchers. Shunichi Watanabe made a key hit in the third inning, driving in two more runs to put Nehimon ahead by 4-0. Koji Nakamura, the first-year third baseman, showed his sharp instincts, making a diving play to stop a hard grounder and prevent Tatsuno from gaining any momentum.
By the fifth inning, Nehimon Seimei was in full control. Kazuki Yamashita, the right fielder, hit a towering double to left-center, driving in another run. Tatsuno's defense was beginning to unravel, their fielders making small but costly mistakes.
From the dugout, Coach Nakamura signaled to Kazuya, Nehimon Seimei's second pitcher, to start warming up. It was time to give Kai a rest. The game was still in their control, but they needed to keep Tatsuno on their heels.
"Kazuya, you're up next," Yamato said, clapping the pitcher on the back. "Take your time, throw smart."
---
Kai finished his fifth inning of work with another strikeout, his fastball still sharp as he walked off the mound to applause from the crowd. He had given his team five strong innings, and now it was Kazuya's turn.
Kazuya took the mound, his calm demeanor never wavering as he began to throw. His fastball wasn't as fast as Kai's, but his changeup was deadly. He quickly induced two groundouts and a weak pop-up to close out the inning.
---
By the seventh inning, Nehimon Seimei had stretched their lead to 7-1, thanks to a towering home run by Haruto Suzuki, the first baseman. Tatsuno, now desperate, tried to claw their way back into the game, but Nehimon's pitching rotation was too strong.
In the eighth inning, Koshida, Nehimon Seimei's closer, took the mound. His confidence was clear as he struck out the side with a mix of fastballs and breaking balls that left Tatsuno's batters shaking their heads.
---
As the last out was recorded, the Nehimon Seimei players gathered on the field, high-fiving and celebrating their 7-1 victory. The game had been comfortably controlled from start to finish, a testament to the depth and talent of the team—even without their stars on the field.
In the stands, fans cheered, already looking ahead to the quarterfinals. Suma Tomogaoka awaited, but for now, Nehimon Seimei had proven that they were not to be underestimated, even when their biggest weapons were resting.
Yamato, standing beside Coach Nakamura, grinned. "Our team really has potential. They stepped up today."
Nakamura nodded. "Yes, they did. But we have bigger challenges ahead. Let's not get too comfortable."