"Hit! It's a grounder! Can he make it to first base?"

The ball was caught by the second baseman, who threw it with all his might toward Kunii Shuichi at first base.

Kunii Shuichi had to catch the ball before the third batter could touch the first base bag.

As the ball landed in Kunii Shuichi's glove in an instant, the third batter dove towards first base, his hand reaching out.

"Did he make it?" a man asked expectantly.

"It looks like the ball got there first... safe! He's made it to first base!"

"Ah, the umpire says that Kunii, the first baseman, stepped off the bag to catch the ball! Just missed it! What a pity!"

"As expected of the third hitter! His ability to get on base is strong! There's still a chance for Sansong, keep it up!"

"Now it's up to Sansong's fourth batter. If he's out directly, that would mean three batters out and a switch in defense and offense, wasting the third batter's efforts!"

"As long as there's effort, it's never wasted! It's this kind of spirited play that makes baseball exciting!"

"True. All right, the successful first base hitter slightly leaves the bag, pretending to steal bases to distract Goda's pitcher Uchida!"

Unfortunately, Uchida is strong and confident enough to ignore the runner on first and strikes out the fourth batter.

The first half inning ends with Sansong at zero.

The teams switch sides, and now it's Sansong's turn to pitch and Goda's turn to bat.

"What a pity!"

"But it's only the first inning. A baseball game isn't over until the bottom of the ninth inning!"

Dubian Che, while watching, gradually figures out the rules of baseball with the help of the commentators.

By the fifth inning, the sun was scorching, the air seemed to warp, the stadium was still buzzing, and the cheer squad didn't stop for a moment.

Jiutiao Meijie said to Shizuru, who had recovered from an injury:

"On behalf of the Human Observation Department, go and bring some ice and drinks to Goda."

Shizuru nodded and backed away from the VIP seats.

"Is this currying favor?" Dubian Che asked.

"Just a word can make them grateful, turning from resentment 'Why doesn't the Human Observation Department participate in training?' to 'It's natural for the Human Observation Department not to need training.' So why not do it?" Jiutiao Meijie said indifferently.

"Goda is an elite high school, and getting along well with classmates also helps their future?" Dubian Che looked at her.

"Even if they don't get along well, do you think they would give up working for the Jiutiao family business just because they dislike me? You think too highly of them," Jiutiao Meijie scoffed.

"That makes sense," Dubian Che nodded. "Once they graduate, no matter what happens in high school, they all will take pride in having President Jiutiao as a classmate."

That's reality.

"But it's just using the name of the Human Observation Department to let the Kiyono family benefit for nothing," Mrs. Jiutiao said, looking toward Mrs. Kiyono.

"How exciting!" Mrs. Kiyono watched the game with relish.

Beside her, Kiyono Lin elegantly yawned.

During the sixth inning, Dubian Che, using binoculars, saw that all of Goda had eaten popsicles and were pressing ice to their faces.

By the seventh inning, a rejuvenated Goda was clearly outperforming Sansong.

However, Sansong, having won eight straight games to reach the finals, was far from being a pushover like Qingshan High School, which had lost 21:0, ending the match early.

After a fierce battle through the eighth inning, Goda scored 5 and Sansong 3.

"The top of the ninth inning, Sansong is up to bat!"

"There's still a chance, keep it up!"

"Though chances are slim, they need at least two runs this inning and must also ensure that Goda doesn't score in the bottom half."

"Even if they get the two runs, no problem! If they hold out in the second half, they can go into extra innings, the tenth inning! By the look on the Sansong players' faces, they are focused, no one is giving up!"

"Everyone, cheer for Sansong!"

"Sansong, keep it up!" The uniform shout of thirty thousand spectators seemed to shake the stadium.

After pitching for eight innings, Uchida stood on the Pitcher Mound with a flushed face, his baseball shirt soaked with sweat.

His relationship with Koshien, his three years' worth of effort, and everyone supporting the baseball club at Goda, even with a temporary lead, the pressure made him tremble.

In baseball games, not just three points, but even eight points behind in the last inning has been reversed before.

"It's okay, it's okay." Uchida let out a breath, "As long as I pitch seriously and make no mistakes, we can win."

Opposite, Sansong's leadoff batter kept adjusting his grip on the bat, occasionally twisting his neck.

No one wants to lose!

"Sansong—!"

"Keep it up—!"

Even amidst the dense crowd, even under the intense heat of thirty-five degrees, the Sansong cheer squad did not stop.

Amidst the cheers, the leadoff adjusted his stance.

Uchida placed his fingers on the side of the ball.

Lifts his leg, swings his arm!

Index and middle fingers flick the seam!

The leadoff focused all his concentration on the ball traveling at 143 km/h, which seemed to slow down.

The ball is spinning, it's path moving forward, it's a slider! It's going to drop at the end!

Is it a good pitch? A bad pitch?

Should he swing?

Can he hit this ball close to the ground?

No.

Don't rush! Don't rush! Hold steady!

In that instant, faster than a vehicle speeding on highway, the ball landed in Goda's catcher's glove.

Sansong's leadoff didn't swing.

A brief silence.

"Ball one!" the umpire shouted.

Leadoff gasped for air as though emerging from underwater, took two breaths, then submerged again.

The game wasn't over yet, and they were still at a disadvantage.

Not a moment to relax!

The tense atmosphere started cramping in the stomach of Sansong's leadoff, numbing his arms and legs, but once he adjusted his stance, the cheers, the scorching sun, and the discomfort were all pushed to the back of his mind.

His eyes saw only the ball.

Uchida caught the ball thrown back by the catcher, took a deep breath.

He had dreamt countless times of this scenario—ninth inning, with his pitching, amid cheers and support from the whole school, striking out his opponent decisively, welcoming the crowd's cheers.

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