Chapter 655 - 655: Huge Improvements

The score was 2:1, and the Seido High School Baseball Team, which had been leading by one run, was now trailing by one.

The fans in the stands were also captivated, many feeling that their attendance at today's Kanto Tournament finals was well worth it.

The clash between the two teams was filled with intense confrontations, stirring people's hearts.

From the start of the game until now, although the two teams hadn't scored many runs, their hearts hadn't been able to settle down for a single moment.

As one veteran fan put it, this game was truly...

"Too intense, too exciting!"

"I don't even dare to blink, for fear of missing a wonderful showdown in the blink of an eye."

It wasn't just the casual spectators who felt this way. Even many baseball professionals were firmly drawn in by the opening scenes of this game.

It wasn't until the top of the second inning that the evenly matched situation was broken.

Furuya Satoru, who had initially entered a state of invincibility, was finally found to have a weakness by the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players, who scored two runs in one go.

And judging by the situation on the field, they should continue to score.

Under these circumstances, the Seido High School Baseball Team changed pitchers. They brought Koichiro Tanba onto the field.

"Finally, the Ace has been forced out. Let's take out Senior Tanba in one go."

Narumiya Mei, who had just been walked back to home plate, excitedly raised his hand, cheering on the batter on the field.

Tanba gave him a cold look.

Narumiya Mei immediately hid behind Harada Masatoshi like a kitten.

"You're our team's Ace, isn't that too embarrassing?"

Harada said irritably.

Narumiya Mei shrugged his shoulders and replied spinelessly, "Senior Tanba's gaze is really scary, isn't it?"

Harada shook his head, speechless.

This guy, who was so bold on the field, who would have thought he'd be such a coward off the field?

The game continued, and Tanba, who had just been brought in, faced immense pressure from the start.

The runner on Second Base had already left the base, seemingly eager to advance to the next base.

The batter also assumed a ready stance, determined not to miss a good pitch.

Pressure was simultaneously applied to the Seido High School Baseball Team's pitcher from both the batter's box and the bases.

The Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players were very adept at this move.

Although they had already noticed Tanba's improvement when watching game footage before, the two teams had played against each other many times, and their previous impression of Tanba was so deeply ingrained that it was much harder for them to change their mindset than for other teams.

So, subconsciously, they still used their old methods to deal with Tanba.

And it's not to say that this method was wrong.

After all, old habits die hard; even if Tanba had improved a lot compared to before, some of his inherent weaknesses had not been completely overcome.

"Trying to rattle the pitcher?"

In the stands, there were many people who understood baseball. As soon as the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players took their stance, they understood what kind of plan the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players had in mind.

"In the past, this was the best weapon against Koichiro Tanba."

Ichidaisan Third High School, a player holding a camera, muttered to his companion beside him.

His companion also nodded.

Although Ichidaisan Third High School was eliminated in the first round, they had been sending people to scout during the Kanto Tournament, especially to scout the two teams from their own region, Seido High School and Inashiro Industrial.

The two teams playing in this final were Seido and Inashiro, who had many entanglements with Ichidaisan Third High School.

Of course, they wouldn't miss it.

At this moment, their discussion of the clash between Seido and Inashiro Industrial had a distinct "been there, done that" feel.

After all, in West Tokyo, Ichidaisan Third High School had faced these two arch-rivals many times. They knew the players of both teams far better than anyone else.

They knew Tanba's past performance inside and out.

Once someone was on base, if the runner and batter simultaneously put pressure on Tanba, there was a high probability that Tanba would collapse.

The Seido High School Baseball Team had suffered many losses in previous games against Inashiro and Ichidaisan Third High School precisely because of this.

But all of this was before the Kanto Tournament. After entering the Kanto Tournament, Tanba, who had become a third-year, seemed to have been stimulated in some way and grew very rapidly.

At the very least, in the previous two or three games, he had overcome some of his weakness.

In other words, in the first two games, his performance was acceptable. Although he gave up runs, and he wasn't as strong and reliable as other teams' Aces, he had gradually begun to show the characteristics and demeanor that an Ace Pitcher should possess.

However, those previous two games had significant special circumstances. The first was that their opponents at the time seemed to have a bit of a gap compared to the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team.

Another was that those two teams' understanding of the Seido High School Baseball Team was far less profound than that of arch-rivals from the same district like Inashiro Industrial and Ichidaisan Third High School.

To verify whether the current Koichiro Tanba has truly grown as much as everyone imagines, this is a good opportunity.

If he can also deliver a brilliant performance in the game against the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, then it proves that he has indeed grown.

The Seido High School Baseball Team, already formidable, would reach a new level due to Koichiro Tanba's growth.

If not, if the growth Tanba showed before is not evident in the game against the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, then, unfortunately, even if Koichiro Tanba has truly grown much more than people imagined, for the Seido High School Baseball Team, the significance is not great.

Who told the Seido High School Baseball Team that they were unlucky enough to be in West Tokyo, where heroes rise together?

Not to mention the rising stars, just the three major powerhouses alone, an Ace who is not qualified to play against Inashiro Industrial and Ichidaisan Third High School, for the Seido High School Baseball Team, is like a chicken rib: tasteless to eat, but a shame to discard.

Under the gaze of all the fans in the stadium, Tanba held his head high, and no one knew what he was thinking inside.

But from beginning to end, he never looked back at the runner on Second Base.

Did he forget me?

Eighty percent of the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players are very versatile. When they realized that the Seido High School Baseball Team's pitcher might be so engrossed in the duel with the batter that he overlooked their presence, he subconsciously moved a few steps further towards Third Base.

As long as the Seido High School Baseball Team's players gave him a chance, he wouldn't hesitate to take risks on the bases.

But just as he made a move, Tanba seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, suddenly turned around, and threw a sharp pickoff throw to Second Base.

"Thwack!"

Kominato Ryosuke had already silently snuck over, steadily catching the ball in his glove, ready to pick off the runner.

The Inashiro Industrial runner, although he had taken a risk just now, had kept his eyes on Tanba.

The moment he saw Tanba turn around, he shifted his feet and made an emergency dive sideways.

Although his movements were a bit clumsy, the result was good; he safely returned to Second Base at the same time Kominato Ryosuke caught the ball.

Because his movements were too hasty, his mouth even got a little dirt in it.

"Ptooey!"

The runner stood up clumsily and spit out the dirt from his mouth.

Unbeknownst to him, a thin layer of cold sweat had appeared on his forehead.

"Safe!"

Kominato Ryosuke glared unhappily at the runner beside him.

These guys from the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team are really slippery.

He threw the ball back to Tanba.

This time, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's runner dared not leave the base so far, staying put like a sparrow.

In the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's dugout, their players gave their evaluation of Tanba's performance.

"His mentality is more stable than before."

The person who understands you best may not be your teammate, but your opponent.

The Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's current feeling was undoubtedly the most genuine.

Although this pickoff throw didn't change any outcome on the field, it still served as a warning to the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players.

Through this small incident, the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's players dared not be as reckless as before, no matter what.

Unless the opportunity was very suitable, they wouldn't even dare to take risks easily.

After resolving the runner's concern, Tanba began to fully focus on his duel with the batter. The Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team is currently the strongest powerhouse in West Tokyo, and their strength has continued for over a decade.

It is precisely for this reason that the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team has attracted many very talented players.

As a result, the depth of their entire player roster is even better than that of the Seido High School Baseball Team.

While the core starters might be similar, the ordinary players, including the First string substitutes, and even the second team players, Inashiro Industrial basically has an advantage.

So, even the batters in their team's lower batting order should never be underestimated.

This is the situation the Seido High School Baseball Team is currently facing.

Among the lower-order batters of the Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team, two out of three had previously hit Homeruns, and the remaining one also had a very good batting average.

If this were in an ordinary team, serving as a core batter, or even the Fourth Batter, would not be a problem.

For example, the batter currently in the batter's box had previously hit over a dozen Homeruns, with an overall batting average of .296.

To put it bluntly, this was an opponent that even the Seido High School Baseball Team had to face with all their might and seriousness.

For Tanba, it was also a great test.

Tanba took a deep breath, and his mind couldn't help but recall how he had worked hard with his teammates during his years at the Seido High School Baseball Team.

Practice swings again and again.

Pitching practice again and again.

Some people, perhaps a little more meticulous, recorded the number of times and duration of their practice each day.

Tanba did not.

He wasn't that meticulous of a person, but every day after practice, his shirt would be soaked with sweat.

Regardless of outside evaluations, he had indeed worked hard step by step.

He didn't believe that his hard work would be in vain.

"Whoosh!"

The white baseball whistled through the air, and as it neared the batter, it suddenly made a sharp turn.

It dropped from high in the sky, falling into the strike zone.

The Inashiro batter in the batter's box watched with wide eyes as the baseball was about to hit him in the face, then suddenly changed direction and plummeted.

Facing a ball with such great and rapid change, his eyes were no longer effective.

If he kept staring at the flying baseball, it would not only be of no benefit but could also interfere with his vision.

But without using his eyes, how could he hit such a ball?

"Thwack!"

"Strike!"

"Strike!!"

"Strike!!!"

"Strikeout!"

The Inashiro Industrial High School Baseball Team's next batter was thus powerfully struck out.

From beginning to end, he only managed to grit his teeth and barely swing the bat once.

However, that one swing didn't even make contact with the ball, resulting in a direct strikeout.

The batter behind him did manage to make contact, but it had no effect either.

"Ping!"

After three consecutive high-breaking curveballs, when facing the next batter, Tanba used a Fastball.

The batter, of course, wouldn't miss a Fastball that appeared so easily, so he swung directly.

However, during the hitting process, he couldn't help but have those curveballs fly through his mind.

As a result, the batter's hitting stance was interfered with.

The hit baseball flew high into the air, landing directly above the shortstop's head.

"Hee-haw!"

Kuramochi arrived at the ball's landing spot a step early, steadily catching the baseball in his glove.

"Three outs, side retired!"

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