The Ace is injured!
This is a disaster for any team.
Even a prestigious team like Seidou or Inashiro would definitely struggle to bear such a blow.
No matter which team's Ace is injured, it would be extremely difficult for them to make it to the finals.
It goes without saying that if Narumiya had been injured, they wouldn't have won even if he hadn't gotten injured. So, the injury to their Ace is even worse.
The Seidou High School baseball team's situation is not much better.
If Seidou's Ace, Sawamura, had gotten injured in the previous games, then the recently concluded match would probably not have been won by the Seidou High School baseball team.
Sankou, along with Seidou High School and Inashiro Industrial High School, is also one of the three big powerhouses of West Tokyo.
Although over the past year, they've somewhat lost some reputation as they couldn't keep up with the progress of Seidou and Inashiro, they still have a strong foundation.
Not to mention their extremely powerful Ace, Amahisa.
No matter how you look at it, the chances of Yakushi High School's baseball team making a comeback seem very slim.
If Sanada hadn't gotten injured, and if he were still on the mound, there would still have been hope for Yakushi High School in this match.
With Sanada's abilities, even though it would be hard to shut out Sankou, he could at least keep their score within a reasonable range.
According to Seidou High School's analysis, that would be around one to three runs.
Of course, if there were any unexpected situations or coincidences during the game, the score could widen.
But generally, it would be within that range.
If you include all possible unexpected events and coincidences, Sanada might not even give up a run.
With a score between one and three runs, Yakushi High School's batting lineup has a chance to catch up.
So, at the start, the Seidou High School players thought this match was favorable for Yakushi High School.
But now, the situation has changed drastically.
That small advantage Yakushi High School had is now gone.
In fact, the situation has worsened, and whether Yakushi High School can withstand Sankou's offensive is now a major concern.
If Sanada's condition doesn't improve or if there are no reliable substitutes in Yakushi High's bullpen, then even a powerful home run from Raichi won't help.
Once a powerhouse lineup fully explodes, the consequences could be devastating!
It's not just about a few runs; it's not out of the question for a team to score 10 or 20 runs.
Sanada is very tenacious!
Even though he was injured, when he took the mound in the second inning, he still managed to stabilize the situation and retire three batters.
The score remains 2:0!
Amahisa, not to be outdone, managed to retire Raichi as well, not to mention the other batters from Yakushi High School's baseball team.
So, he also successfully recorded three Outs.
In the bottom of the third inning, Sankou goes on the attack.
After a rotation of batters, Sankou's lineup returns to their lead-off hitter!
These guys are sneaky, knowing full well that Sanada is injured, yet they keep using bunts and other tricks.
Sanada, on the mound, has no choice but to run forward immediately after every pitch.
This puts a huge strain on his legs and waist.
Ping!
After battling through two pitches, on the third pitch, Sankou's batter finally makes contact.
He was lucky, as the ball successfully avoided Yakushi High's second baseman and flew out.
The lead-off batter gets a hit.
No Outs, a runner on first base.
Next, Sankou's second batter also uses a bunt to pressure Sanada.
Although this batter ultimately doesn't make solid contact and the ball is caught by Yakushi High's defense, he still exhausts Sanada's strength and increases the risk of aggravating his injury.
Moreover, he successfully advanced the runner to second base.
One Out, runner on second base.
Up next is the third batter, Miyagawa. He doesn't resort to the same underhanded tactics as his teammates but chooses a direct confrontation.
Ping!
The ball is hit and flies to the outfield.
The runner on second base, now in scoring position, tries to round third and head home.
But to his surprise, his teammate signals him to stop.
Heeding the advice, the runner stops and turns around, just in time to see a laser-like throw coming from the outfield, headed straight for home plate.
Snap!
Akiba catches the throw and gives the runner on third base a threatening glare, scaring him off.
One Out, runners on first and third.
After leading 2-0 in the first inning, Sankou now finds themselves with another excellent scoring opportunity in the bottom of the third.
The Sankou supporters in the stands are ecstatic.
"Who said Sankou had fallen behind and retired from the big three?"
"Look at them now!"
"Who dares say that?"
"They've still got it."
The Seidou High School players in the stands exchange glances.
Sawamura, with a slightly regretful expression in his eyes, says, "Is it over?"
If Yakushi High doesn't take action soon and lets Sankou get their third run, it will essentially be game over for them.
A one- or two-run deficit is not too hard to overcome. Statistically, in baseball, the probability of a comeback when down by one run is about 33%.
That's about one-third of the time.
While the odds of overcoming a two-run deficit are smaller, there's still a fair chance, especially early in the game when anything can happen.
But if the score grows to three runs, the chances of a comeback drastically drop.
In fact, it's under 5%.
With their Ace injured and the situation so unfavorable…
Yakushi High is done for!
Even if the coach in their dugout has some brilliant abilities, the odds of a comeback are slim.
Just as Sawamura is thinking this, Yakushi High's baseball team suddenly makes a move.
"Yakushi High Baseball Team, substitution: Center fielder Igarashi Sora replaces the pitcher."
Yakushi High didn't choose to fade into silence; instead, they chose to fight back.
They sent their first-year backup pitcher, Igarashi Sora, to the mound.
Standing over 1.90 meters tall and looking quite imposing, Igarashi is not just tall but also built like a basketball player—big and strong!
On the mound, he exudes strange pressure.
In the stands, Seidou High's players look on in confusion.
"Although the situation is dire, Yakushi didn't have to make such a drastic move, did they?"
"In such a crisis, shouldn't they trust their Ace?"
"And the timing of the substitution is suspicious."
"If they give up a run here, they'll be relying on a first-year pitcher."
It could all fall apart.
The Seidou players can't quite understand why Yakushi made this move.
They can only say, "No wonder it's Coach Todoroki is always so enigmatic."
Both Yui and Nishiyama share a confused look.
The pitcher on the mound is actually someone they know—someone they've worked with before.
They never expected to see him on the mound in this situation.
It makes them feel a little nostalgic.
They both agree that if they were in the same situation at Seidou, they probably wouldn't have been trusted with such an important role, despite their talents.
After all, even though they were promoted to the first team so quickly, it still didn't compare to this.
Igarashi, though, was lucky enough to be thrust into such a crucial role for Yakushi High.
They're still trying to wrap their heads around it.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!!"
Sankou's players seem to underestimate Igarashi, given he's just a first-year, and they fail to capitalize on their opportunities.
They didn't use aggressive tactics like hitting and running or forcing a score.
It's understandable, though, considering the batter on the mound is Hoshida, the fourth hitter and core player for Sankou.
However, the results are tragic.
The first-year pitcher doesn't disappoint, using his sharp pitches and incredible height to dominate.
His fastballs reach 145 km/h with an impressive drop.
Even Hoshida can't handle it and swings and misses three times.
Not only him— Sasaki, the fifth batter that comes up also struggles, barely making contact, but the ball flies weakly into the first baseman's mitt.
"OUT!!!"
One strikeout, one shutout!
The huge crisis with runners on first and third is avoided.
Igarashi earns his first small victory, looking calm and collected as he heads back to the dugout.
He doesn't let his remarkable performance get to his head.
He quietly celebrates with his teammates.
The Seidou players are stunned.
Seidou's new first-year players are full of potential, with five of them already in the first team.
Each one is a rare talent, but compared to Igarashi's towering presence, they feel small.
"He was your teammate, right?" Kuramochi asks, looking at Igarashi.
Nishiyama and Yui exchange awkward glances but nods.
They don't deny it, even though it's a bit hard to believe.
"Are you sure he wasn't the Ace?"
Even Sawamura can't help but ask.
How could such a pitcher be Nishiyama's relief pitcher?
Did they lie? Or did they use some underhanded means to sabotage the kid?
Moreover, how did they become the runner-up?
Just let this guy pitch and the middle school kid will piss their pants.
Yui and Nishiyama were embarrassed as the seniors around them stared at them. If there had been a hole in the ground, he would've wanted to crawl in.
This situation was incredibly awkward!
With a teammate like that, how could they not have won the world championship?
Wasn't it all their responsibility?
After all, Yui was even the captain of the national team.
Not just the captain, but also the catcher.
If the pitcher wasn't the issue, then this was definitely his fault.
But the problem was, just a year ago, this big, silly guy didn't have that kind of ability.
His pitching speed had increased by at least 15 kilometers! (9 mph)
The ball, which used to be around 130 kilometers, could now soar up to 145.
If Igarashi had that kind of skill a year ago, there was no way he would be the relief!
At this moment, Nishiyama couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy.
What kind of magic did that Coach use to make that kid progress so much?
"Kehaha-kehahaha!!"
Just when everyone was puzzled, there was another change on the field.
Mishima led off, seizing the opportunity to hit a fastball.
He successfully got a hit.
Then, the batter who came up next, Raichi, didn't wait at all!
He swung at the first pitch with all his might.
PAAAANNGG!
The ball soared into the sky, flying about 180 meters.
It landed in the farthest section of the outfield stands at Jingu Stadium!
The score was now 2:2, tied!
If that was all, there wouldn't be much to say.
But next, the fifth batter surprised everyone in the stands.
PAANG!!
Right after, the tall freshman who had just performed perfectly on the pitcher's mound.
He hit the ball straight into the stands.
Back-to-back homers and the Yakushi High School baseball team took the lead by one run!
…
T/N: There is only one chapter left in this game.
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