Chapter 21: Advance to the Round of 16

In the second half of the sixth inning, Shi Lun attacked.

Before Shilun's batters hit the field, Coach Ishikawa mobilized them.

"First of all, I want to apologize to you!"

This kind of opening remarks directly confused Shi Lun's players.

Why did the coach apologize?

"At first I thought that I had attached great importance to Akagi Middle School. Only now did I realize that I still despised my opponent. Akagi is far stronger than we thought."

Saying that, Ishikawa glanced at Akagi's team.

In addition to Sawamura, there are Fengxiang Ouichi and Oda Bensheng. Akagi is not Sawamura's one-man team!

That alone is enough to kill.

With an annoyed sigh in his heart, Coach Ishikawa regained his energy and said, "No matter whether you are unwilling or careless, the situation of the game is already like this. If we want to reverse, we must score points."

Ishikawa's words turned too fast, which made Shi Lun's players unable to catch up. Fortunately, what he said is what everyone cares about.

"Akagi's defense is not suddenly strengthened, and it is not Akagi's defense that is really powerful, but their pitchers."

in the stands.

Doi Yuan looked at his partner in disbelief, with a small white face with braided braids: "What the hell is a pitcher? Although there are two pitches that are caught by the pitcher, isn't it more dependent on the first baseman and the catcher?"

The little white-faced classmate shook his head: "What you see is only the surface. There are actually only three people in Chicheng who have real experience and strength."

In the bullpen of Shi Lun Middle School.

Coach Ishikawa's voice was a little low: "The catcher Feng Xiang Ouichi, the first baseman Oda Bensheng and the pitcher Sawamura Eijun. Akagi is the only three who have the strength to participate in the field. The reason why their field looks so strong is because Pitchers deliberately focus the ball on the outside corners and in the center. This way, after the ball is hit, it usually falls between the first base and the pitcher. That is the area where pitcher Sawamura and first baseman Oda guard the core..."

After the coach finished speaking, Shi Lun's players looked at each other with shock in their eyes.

For pitchers of middle school students, it is good to throw the ball into the strike zone. Precise control of the ball to the outside corners and the center is not something ordinary people can do.

Sawamura Eijun, who is holy?

"Faced with this situation, my suggestion is for everyone to hold the big stick, swing with all their strength, and try to hit the ball to the outfield."

Coach Ishikawa said decisively.

"Yes!"

in the stands.

"Shilun's coach should have noticed it too. Next, if I guess right, Shi Lun should greet Akagi's pitcher with a big stick."

The little white-faced classmate with a braided braid said with great interest.

Doi Yuan hesitantly said: "Then Akagi is not very dangerous."

"Danger?"

The little white-faced classmate sneered, noncommittal.

In the first half of the six innings, the first hit was the first club of Shi Lun Middle School.

With both hands on the handle of the bat, he was wide open in the ready to hit.

In the position of the catcher, Feng Xiang's eyes flashed, and then he decisively gave Sawamura a secret signal.

On the mound, Sawamura nodded lightly.

The other party has obviously noticed his strategy. Since Sawamura can throw like this, of course he knows how to break such a throw.

There are three ways to crack this pitch. The first is to brute force through the field, the second is to hit the ball into the outfield, and the third is to pull the ball to the side of third base.

The skill of pulling and hitting is not a skill that Shi Lun's players can master. Brute force to penetrate his and Oda's defense, it is impossible. For Shi Lun, the most likely measure is to use a big stick and try to hit the ball into the outfield.

It has to be said that this is also a good strategy.

It's just that Shi Lun found out a little late, and now it's not the beginning or the middle of the game,

But the latter part of the game.

It is also possible to hit Nakazawamura's pitch with a big stick.

"What's your probability? Twenty percent, thirty, or fifty?"

Before the end of the game, can Shi Lun really have a chance?

"Strike, strike, strike, strikeout!"

"Ping!"

After using the big stick in the first bat, he couldn't aim at Sawamura's ball for a while and was struck out. Although the second ball hit the ball, the ball didn't fly as he had hoped.

Oda Benson took the ball into his hands effortlessly.

"Out!"

Two outs, no one on base.

Akagi seemed to be getting closer and closer to victory.

"Ping!"

Just when Shi Lun was about to fall into despair, their core third bat swept the ball to the outfield.

"Oyamazaki!"

Sawamura frowned, reminding his teammates to guard.

Oyamazaki did not judge where the quasi-baseball landed, and missed the catch.

"Ooooooooooooo!!!!"

Shi Lun's players roared wildly.

Their batter went to second base in one go.

Two outs, someone at second base.

Returning to life, Shi Lun once again created a good opportunity to score.

Koyamazaki was ashamed, wishing he could find a hole to crawl in.

"it's okay no problem!!!"

Sawamura first comforted Koyamazaki, and then shouted loudly: "Two out!"

"Two outs!"

With two outs already, they can hold the game with one more out. As long as you hold on to this game, Akagi has at least an 80% chance of winning.

"Let him fight, we'll stop it."

"Two out!"

At the beginning, when Akagi's little friend shouted like this, it was still very bluffing. It seems that Akagi's team is very cohesive. But hearing them say that now feels weird.

At this time, it was Shi Lun's fourth bat.

After all, this is the third time that Sawamura has fought against him.

Facing his old opponent, Sawamura kept throwing the ball to the outside corner.

"Ping!"

"The outside world!"

"The outside world!"

With two consecutive balls out of bounds, the batter's momentum became stronger and stronger. Sawamura even had a hunch that if he threw the ball into the outside corner again, it was likely to be hit.

That being the case, then...

"Whoosh!"

On the last ball, Sawamura threw the ball into the inside corner. Shi Lun's four sticks, who had been aiming at the outer corners and the center, missed the natural swing.

"Strike, strike out!"

Three outs, offense and defense exchange.

In the first half of the seventh inning, Fengxiang and Sawamura hit consecutive hits and scored another point.

In the preliminaries of the Nagano Division of the National Competition, Shilun Middle School VS Akagi Middle School.

In the end, Akagi defeated his opponent 3:0 and advanced to the top sixteen in Nagano Prefecture.

After the game, both sides salute.

Tanaka's eyes were red with tears, he grabbed Sawamura's hand and said, "Don't lose!"

Sawamura nodded solemnly.

"We won't."

No matter what the final result is, Sawamura never fails to do his best in a game.

Going all out to fight for victory has been engraved into his soul along with the experience of his previous life.