Thunk!
The baseball crashed into the right-field stands.
Standing near the wall, Igarashi stared at the landing spot in frustration, unable to understand why the ball hadn't stayed in play.
"Foul!"
The students of Yakushi High School collectively let out a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, the outcome wasn't the disaster they had feared.
One strike.
One ball.
They still had a chance.
"Whew... that was close."
Although Akaishi Osamu had heard from Akiba that Ono Shintaro's Cutter was completely different from Sanada's, he still hadn't expected the gap to be this large.
Looks like I'll need to adjust my batting approach.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Akaishi still felt lingering fear.
The score gap was still three runs.
Even after Kou took the mound, there was no guarantee Hakuryu wouldn't score again.
That meant Yakushi absolutely could not waste this opportunity to narrow the gap.
They needed to score steadily.
Safely.
And the best method for that was—
Although it was somewhat embarrassing...
It was still the most reliable option.
Suppressing his shame, Akaishi pinched his nose with one hand and puffed out his cheeks.
His entire face turned bright red, making him resemble an angry monkey.
The expression looked so ridiculous that several Yakushi players instantly understood what he was planning.
At first, they stared blankly.
Then smiles slowly spread across their faces.
"Akaishi..."
"You actually went that far?"
"Looks like I can't lose either."
Kitamura Kou grinned excitedly.
To avoid exposing Yakushi's strategy too early, and because Nakanishi Daiki occupied the base ahead of him, Kou deliberately stayed close to second base.
Pretending to loosen his shoulders and stretch casually, he shuffled around with small movements.
Even though Hakuryu's players couldn't understand the meaning behind Akaishi's exaggerated gestures, they immediately sensed danger.
Yakushi High School was definitely plotting something.
The entire defense quietly became more alert.
"Shintaro."
"No matter what tricks they're planning, just trust your pitching."
"For the next pitch, throw your best pitch."
After communicating with Ono, Ito settled back into position behind home plate.
Ono nodded firmly and began his pitching motion.
But halfway through—
Akaishi suddenly squared to bunt.
At the same instant—
"The runner on second is going!"
Hakuryu's shortstop shouted in shock.
"What?!"
Ono Shintaro's eyes widened.
He never expected Kitamura Kou to steal at a moment like this.
There was already a runner on third base.
Why would Kou risk stealing now?
Was this a suicide squeeze?
Or was Yakushi trying to deliberately shake his composure?
There was no time to think.
Ono could only force the ball toward the plate with all his strength.
Whoosh!
The baseball shot low toward the outside corner.
Akaishi lowered his body as much as possible and carefully met the pitch with the bat.
Ping!
The instant the bat touched the ball, Akaishi perfectly deadened its momentum.
The baseball rolled weakly toward first base.
Ito's pupils contracted.
This bunt was far too clean.
Far too practiced.
"This isn't the kind of bunt you learn in a day or two..."
"Damn it."
"So Yakushi had been hiding this too..."
Hakuryu's infielders froze momentarily before panicking and charging toward the ball.
But Yakushi's runners had already begun moving.
Slide!
"SAFE!"
Nakanishi Daiki slid cleanly across home plate.
But instead of celebrating, he immediately scrambled aside after hearing Hakuryu's frantic shouts.
Because another runner was already charging in.
"Watch home plate!"
"The runner from second is heading home!"
Hakuryu's normally flawless defense hesitated for the first time all game.
Should they throw home to stop Kitamura Kou?
Or throw to first and guarantee the out?
Everything was happening too quickly.
There was no time to think carefully.
Then Ito made the decision.
"Throw to first!"
After hearing the command, Hakuryu's second baseman immediately fired the ball to first base.
"Out!"
At the same moment—
Slide!
"SAFE!"
Kitamura Kou successfully dove back into home plate.
Meanwhile, Akaishi desperately sprinted toward first base, trying to beat the throw.
Smack!
The baseball and Akaishi arrived almost simultaneously.
The entire stadium held its breath.
Even the first-base umpire hesitated.
This call could affect the entire flow of the game.
After a brief pause, he finally made the signal.
Though even his voice sounded uncertain.
"Out!"
Akaishi lowered his head slightly and walked back helplessly.
He had done everything he could—
But it still wasn't enough to reach safely.
However, the moment he saw Nakanishi and Kou waiting for him near the dugout with huge smiles on their faces, the small frustration in his heart immediately vanished.
His pace quickened.
Smack!!!
Kou and Akaishi exchanged a loud high-five before pulling each other into a hug, laughing loudly together.
"Hahahaha!"
This was the first time the three of them had scored through pure teamwork in an official game.
Even if there were still some imperfections—
Yakushi High School's players were absolutely ecstatic.
They had spent the entire game being suppressed by Hakuryu.
Now, they had finally struck back.
The dugout erupted with excitement as the team rushed forward to greet their heroes.
"What a shame, Akaishi!"
"Yeah! You totally reached first before the ball!"
"Hmph! They're just lucky!"
"Otherwise we'd have blown them apart completely!"
"It's fine! We've still got more chances!"
"Hahaha!"
Yakushi High School celebrated wildly after clawing back two precious runs.
Meanwhile, the audience remained stunned.
They could hardly believe what they had just witnessed.
"Yakushi High School..."
"They actually used a bunt strategy?!"
"I think this is the first time they've used small-ball tactics all tournament!"
"Looks like Hakuryu has really pushed them into a corner."
"They're finally starting to fight seriously for every run."
"Yeah... but can Hakuryu withstand Yakushi's counterattack?"
"This game is getting crazier and crazier!"
"At this point, nobody can predict the winner anymore!"
Thanks to the combined efforts of Kitamura Kou, Nakanishi Daiki, and Akaishi Osamu—
Yakushi High School successfully weathered the pressure and cut the score deficit to just one run.
And for the first time in a long while—
The momentum of the game had begun to shift slightly away from Hakuryu High School.