YM778.TV Chapter 142: Fifth Round (6)
The first pitch was a low slider, but Shun was prepared and let it pass.
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"Ball!" - The umpire declared as the Tenshi pitcher began to show signs of fatigue under the pressure.
On the second pitch, a fastball down the middle was thrown, the pitcher clearly missed his spot, but Shun didn\'t let the mistake slide. He swung the bat with a precise, confident swing, and the sound of contact echoed through the stadium.
DOONG
The ball shot in a line towards left field, quickly passing by Tenshi\'s third baseman. Shun ran with determination to first base and, seeing the ball heading towards the back of the field, advanced to second, reaching it safely.
The young samurai, Ren, was the next to step into the box, still fueled by the energy from his previous home run. He studied Tenshi\'s pitcher, who now showed visible signs of being slightly rattled. The pitcher tried a slider outside the zone, but Ren didn\'t bite and let the ball pass.
"Ball!"
With a favorable count for Ren, the pitcher opted for a fastball, hoping to get a strike. Ren, alert and aggressive, swung the bat with all his might.
DOONG
The ball flew in a line to center field, and Shun, staying alert, advanced to third base. The ball bounced quickly in the field and got past the center fielder, allowing Shun to cross home plate as Ren stood safely on second base.
The scoreboard now showed 4-3 for Shoto, and the dugout exploded in celebration.
Jiro was the next to step into the box, determined to contribute to the offense. However, the Tenshi ace ended up giving Jiro a walk, clearly shaken after allowing the run that put Shoto Junior High in the lead.
Kenta, the team captain, stepped up next with a determined look. After his home run in the first inning, he knew that Tenshi\'s pitcher would try to make things difficult for him, but with no outs and two runners on base, Kenta had no intention of holding back.
The pitcher threw a low, inside fastball on the first pitch, but Kenta was ready.
WOOSH
DOOONG
The contact was solid, and the ball soared high and far to center field, crossing the fence and securing another home run, this time a three-run shot for Shoto\'s captain. The score was now 7-3, and Shoto\'s team seemed unstoppable.
"Tch! You bastard, how the hell are you so good?" - The young samurai Ren grumbled as Kenta crossed home plate, but he couldn\'t hide his smile.
"Just luck, hehe!" - Kenta replied with a playful smile.
Clap
The two friends slapped hands as they headed back to the dugout. Now Jiro had a good lead to pitch comfortably, although, given his last two innings, he didn\'t seem to need that many runs to win the game.
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The rest of the game was a spectacle dominated by Shoto Junior High. Jiro allowed no more runs, controlling Tenshi\'s batters with his mix of splitters, fastballs, and knuckleballs.
Meanwhile, on offense, Shoto Junior High\'s batters continued to come through with solid hits, increasing the score even more. Tenshi\'s ace struggled under the constant pressure from Shoto\'s batters, which caused him to take a long time to finish the third and fourth innings, allowing Shoto\'s lineup to cycle through a few times.
With the start of the fifth inning and the score at 15-3 for Shoto, Tenshi Junior High knew the game was out of reach. Jiro took the mound to close the game with confidence, quickly retiring the opposing batters.
"StrikeOut! 3 outs, Game Set!" - The umpire announced as Shoto\'s fans celebrated.
With a dominant performance, Shoto Junior High won the game 15-3, securing their spot in the final round of the Tokyo tournament. Jiro, now more confident than ever, stepped off the mound to applause, knowing he had given it his all and overcome his insecurities.
Coach Yamada greeted each player as they left the field, proud to see how they had worked as a team and supported Jiro in a difficult moment. Shun, Ren, and Kenta stood out offensively, but every player contributed to the decisive victory.
With this win, Shoto Junior High was now qualified for the sixth and final round of the Tokyo tournament. Just one more victory, and they would reach the long-dreamed-of Kanto tournament.
Shun was very happy with the win, especially with how Jiro managed to recover in the middle of the game. He knew very well how essential the young nerd\'s pitches would be in the Kanto tournament. But the celebration didn\'t last long, as the other game of the fifth round, the game that would decide Shoto Junior High\'s next opponent, was about to begin.
Shun then left the dugout and headed straight to the stadium stands with Kenta, Ren, and Shimizu. Although some first and second-year players had also said they wanted to stay and watch the game, Shun sent them all home to rest.
Especially Jiro, even though the young nerd had pitched only five innings, some of those innings were under a lot of pressure. Moreover, Shun would share everything he observed in today\'s game with the team tomorrow, and listening to Shun\'s report would certainly be more useful to the players than watching the game. After all, even if they watched live, they didn\'t have a Learning Master quirk or the "old man" to help them analyze the game like Shun did.
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The stands were filled with anxious murmurs as Shun, Kenta, Ren, and Shimizu settled in to watch the next game of the fifth round. The reason for the murmurs was that one of the teams playing in the upcoming game was Kasuga Junior High School, the team that qualified for the Kanto tournament along with Hokuto last year.