CHAPTER 341: CHAPTER 193: THE FINAL DANCE

"Yagaki Kentaro! A grounder towards first base—what’s going on with this ball!"

"Tandate Ryoki! He comes off first base, blocks the ball, and throws it to Fujinami who’s ready to catch!"

"Fujinami Jintaro! Catches the ball, steps on the base for a force-out, flawless execution!"

"This is the last out that Osaka Tsubaki needed in the bottom of the eighth inning!"

"Hmm—this Summer Koshien final is really too exciting! Up to this point, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that happens next..."

As the players from both teams take the opportunity to switch the field, the announcer in the studio hurriedly seizes the chance to take a few sips of water, trying to soothe a voice that’s about to quit on him.

Unlike the slightly weary announcer, the cheering squads on the first and third base stands of Waseda Jitsugyo and Osaka Tsubaki are still wholeheartedly supporting their teams:

The brass band of Osaka Tsubaki is one of the best in Japan. Their cheering has made countless opponents bow their heads;

And on the other side, Waseda is no less impressive. That big drum, which has appeared several times on the Koshien stage, has witnessed more than a hundred years of ups and downs of their baseball club.

This final showdown of the summer of 2012 is no longer just about the players on the field; a "war" without smoke is spreading beyond the baseball field.

With Fujinami Jintaro just having successfully got Yagaki Kentaro out, there’s only the last inning left in regular time for this match—and at this moment, the score remains 0:0.

This Summer League final seems just like a replay of the spring Senbatsu semifinal a few months ago. The players of Waseda Jitsugyo cannot break through the increasingly mature Fujinami Jintaro, and the batters of Osaka Tsubaki cannot shake Lin Guanglai’s defense as firm as an iron wall.

Whether it’s Osaka Tsubaki or Waseda Industries, both sides have encountered extremely difficult situations in this match and missed several scoring opportunities—in a final where every decision could affect the championship’s ownership, both teams appear a bit conservative.

In the Waseda player’s area, Lin Guanglai takes off the arm guard packed with ice bags, handing it to a nearby teammate, and stands up from the bench to stretch his right arm a little.

Unlike the spring Senbatsu semifinal where he played nearly every match without any rest, this time he had a full 2-day rest before the Summer League final to recover.

Though the time was still tight, it was much better compared to Fujinami Jintaro, who had been pitching complete games since the quarter-finals, completing three matches in 4 days including today’s.

With his baseball cap on, Lin Guanglai took his pitcher’s glove and a pouch of chalk powder, striding confidently towards the pitcher’s mound—the live broadcast camera stayed tightly alongside him, striving to capture every subtle expression of his at this moment.

Compared to his first appearance at Koshien three years ago, his face is still as handsome as it was; however, now, after three years of high school baseball baptism, Lin Guanglai’s figure has grown taller, stronger, and more mature than his freshman self, who was thin and somewhat naive.

Lin Guanglai is no longer the younger brother following in the seniors’ footsteps, crying in front of the nationwide audiences after losing; now he is the captain, the ace, the cleanup hitter of Waseda Jitsugyo. He’s the senior to underclassmen, and the mental pillar of the whole team—as long as he stands on the mound or in the batter’s box, the entire team would never give up hope of seizing victory.

And now, the last half-inning of this match has arrived—the final dance of Takayama’s career, he must achieve a perfect result.

Before that, he needs to first help the team hold off this top of the ninth inning.

In the eyes of nearly 50,000 spectators, Osaka Tsubaki’s cleanup hitter, the strongest batter Tandate Ryoki, steps into the batter’s box with the bat.

The 175-cm tall, 85-kg player, who resembles the now Seibu Lions player, Osaka Tsubaki OB Nakamura Gouya due to his build, is affectionately referred to as "Nakamura II" by Tsubaki’s fans.

During the spring Senbatsu, Tandate Ryoki was sidelined for the season due to a fracture injury. Although he raised the trophy with the team, not being able to contribute to the team’s victory in the final left a significant regret in his heart;

And now, he has the chance to personally make up for the spring’s regret: as the leadoff batter of the top of the ninth inning, if he can secure a crucial hit for the team now, the victory balance of this match may immediately tilt.

Stepping into the batter’s box, Tandate Ryoki’s sight is firmly locked on Lin Guanglai on the mound, with the bat in his hand swinging continuously, making every cell in his body stay alert.

From the mound, Lin Guanglai swings his arm, hurling the ball, the baseball charging toward home plate like a fired cannonball, the powerful pitch speed accompanied by intense spin, incredibly intimidating from the batter’s perspective.

But as the cleanup batter for the elite of the elite Osaka Tsubaki, Tandate Ryoki wasn’t flustered facing this pitch, keeping his eye on the ball until the last moment before decisively swinging his bat swiftly and accurately.

"Clang—!"

The strength of the pitch and its tail waggle were already formidable, coupled with Tandate’s swift swing, complementing each other, the ball immediately shot fiercely towards the infield gap between third and shortstop, taking a bounce then piercing through the infield.