NOVEL WEB Chapter 552: [552] Two Consecutive Wins
After securing the win against their Saturday opponent, Kuroba High, the very next day came Sunday's match.
This time their opponent was the powerhouse from Aichi Prefecture—Aoki High School.
This team had also made it to the National Tournament during the summer, standing on the same Koshien stage as Seidou High.
However, their results were not great.
They were eliminated in the second round.
And after summer ended, due to having too many third-years in their lineup—with their ace, cleanup hitter, and main catcher all graduating—
Aoki High experienced a period of transition pains.
Their autumn tournament run was full of ups and downs.
Though relying on their pedigree as a powerhouse,
they barely managed to hold on to a string of early wins, but in the end, they still fell in the semifinals.
When Seidou sent out invitations for practice matches, Aoki High was the very first to respond.
No doubt they intended to use this opportunity to temper their new team and improve their cohesion.
Because they were an established powerhouse,
Coach Kataoka, after consulting with Ochiai,
accepted the challenge against Aoki High.
No matter what, they had been a Koshien team that summer.
Even if the lineup now had its problems, their strength was still undeniable.
...
Sunday, the second day—clear skies.
On the same field, Seidou faced their next opponent, Aoki High.
Today, Seidou's starting lineup was completely different from yesterday's.
1st batter, right fielder: Naomichi Seki
2nd batter, second baseman: Rei Kijima
3rd batter, catcher: Hiroshi Ono
4th batter, first baseman: Takeshi Yamaguchi
5th batter, pitcher: Furuya Satoru
Today's roster was mostly comprised of players who were normally substitutes in the first string.
Even Kanemaru Shinji was starting.
In terms of strength, Kuroba and Aoki High were about even.
But what set Aoki apart was pedigree and experience.
Unlike Kuroba, who hadn't been to Koshien in years,
Aoki High had made appearances at both Summer and Spring Koshien in recent years.
That experience and foundation gave them a decisive edge over Kuroba.
...
On the third-base bench, Aoki High's head coach, Harada, studied the Seidou lineup sheet with a thoughtful look.
"Hmm, today's starters are all originally Seidou's bench players? Well, that suits us better. For my team's current stage, this level of opponent is more appropriate. If they had sent out their full starters,
our boys might have been crushed from the beginning."
Unconsciously, Harada let out a sigh in his heart.
It wasn't that he wanted to downplay his own team and inflate the opponent.
If this were the summer roster, he would have had confidence to compete with Seidou's main squad.
But now…
Sigh…
Catching and pitching was already a big issue.
Harada's eyes fixed on his own ace pitcher and new main catcher sitting on the bench.
He could only hope that with enough tempering over the winter and into spring, they would grow.
Otherwise, next summer would be a real problem.
...
"Line up!"
"Bow!"
"Please take care of us!"
The second practice game began.
Aoki High batted first, and it was Seidou who took the field.
On the mound, Furuya stood ready.
Behind the mask, Ono covered his mouth with his mitt.
"How about we focus on fastballs today?"
"No problem," Furuya replied with a nod.
"Alright then, let's go all out, Furuya."
"Yes, Ono-senpai!"
"Top of the first inning. Batting first for Aoki High, third baseman Sato!"
....
Even though Aoki had lost many of their mainstays,
not all their players had graduated.
Roughly half of those who had played in Koshien remained.
With that half forming the backbone, their experience was not inferior to Seidou's.
In the opening inning, by relying on small tactics and their veteran composure, Aoki even managed to put a runner on third, pressuring Furuya.
The spectators buzzed with surprise.
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Out!"
"Three outs! Change sides!"
In the end,
Furuya and Ono combined their strength to shut down Aoki's threat, erasing the runner on third and escaping the inning unscathed.
"Hmm, impressive velocity. But still a little green when it comes to experience."
Coach Harada stroked his chin, thinking.
Compared to that other one, this monster still seemed raw.
His eyes shifted toward Seidou's first-base bench,
where Sawamura Eijun sat.
By now, Eijun's name was known across all of Japan.
No—ever since the summer championship, he had been counted among the nation's top pitchers.
The ace of a national champion team—a title only a rare few pitchers could claim.
"Alright, make the most of this. They're a perfect opponent for you."
"Yes, sir!!!"
...
A balanced battle unfolded.
In terms of raw power, Seidou held the advantage.
But most of Aoki's players had already stood on the Koshien stage once.
Their experience and cleverness allowed them to apply constant pressure.
The first inning ended scoreless on both sides.
Then in the third, Aoki capitalized on Furuya's walk,
turning it into the game's first run.
They were using their strengths to the fullest, while doing everything possible to cover their weaknesses.
In this practice game, Aoki High was playing to their absolute limit.
From this point of view, even though Aoki High and Kuroba High were about the same in terms of raw ability—both weaker than Seidou—Aoki stood above Kuroba because they had the self-awareness to know what they should do at the right moments.
Still, strength is strength.
Experience can make up for some gaps, but it can never fully replace ability.
After scoring that RBI in the third inning, the battery of Furuya and Ono became increasingly in sync. Other than allowing one more run in the final inning, they gave Aoki High very few opportunities.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Seidou's batting lineup finally struck back.
From the middle of the game onward, Seidou High completely took control.
At last—
Whoosh!
Smack!
"Out! Game over!!!"
Final score: 5–2.
Seidou High secured victory in their second practice match!
----------------
If you want to read 10 advance chapters ahead.
Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Leonzky