The Old Baseball Player System

The Shoto players returned to the dugout as Kasuga's players took their positions on the field, preparing for what could be their last inning of the summer.

Kasuga's ace, Shota Imai, took his place on the mound to start the top of the ninth inning, facing Shoto Junior High's captain, Kenta, who stepped into the batter's box, ready to hit.

"Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga!"

"Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to!"

"Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga!"

"Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to!"

The cheers from the stands were loud, and with only a one-run difference on the scoreboard, it was impossible to say that this game was already won for Shoto. Imai looked calmly at Kenta as he focused, doing his best to stay steady after giving up a run to Shun.

Kasuga's ace understood well that as long as he held off Shoto's offense in this inning, his team would have a chance to tie or even take the lead in the bottom of the ninth. Kasuga's catcher signaled for a cutter high and inside, clearly intending to force Kenta into poor contact. Imai nodded at the sign.

"HA!" - Imai shouted as he threw hard toward home plate.

WOOOSH

DOOONG

"Damn!" - Kasuga's catcher cursed as he saw how Kenta connected with the ball. He didn't need long to realize that ball was going to soar over the right-field fence.

"YEEEEAAHHH!!" - A loud cheer from the crowd echoed through the stadium as the ball finally landed in the right-field stands.

"Yeeahhh! Nice homer, Kenta!" - Shun shouted excitedly from the dugout as his other teammates cheered and celebrated Kenta's home run.

Kenta trotted quickly around the bases before returning to the dugout, thrilled. The captain was greeted with applause and praise from the coach and his teammates as he walked back into the dugout.

"Great job, Captain!" - Shun smiled at his friend and raised his hand for a high-five.

"Hehe, thanks!" - Kenta replied with a grin, slapping Shun's hand.

* clap *

"Hehe! Not bad for someone having an off day, right, Ren?" - Kenta then looked at the young samurai with a teasing smile. He hadn't forgotten Ren's playful jab in the previous inning and took the chance to get back at him.

"Tch! One run each, we're even..." - Ren mumbled, trying not to be outdone, though even he didn't believe his own words.

Shun just looked at the young samurai in disbelief. Ren had just equated a sacrifice fly with a home run. But in the end, Shun just smiled, knowing that, for better or worse, each of his friends had brought in a run.

WOOSH

DONG

Shun looked toward the field after hearing the crack of a hit. He'd been too distracted by his friends' conversation and missed Daigo's double. Shun noticed the volume of Kasuga's cheering drop a bit, as now, in addition to Kenta's home run, Imai had allowed a runner on second with no outs.

But even in this difficult situation, Imai didn't give up. Even after giving up another run to make it 2-0, Imai was determined not to allow any more. Sora stepped into the batter's box after Daigo, and even though he wanted to try for a hit, he didn't underestimate Imai.

Sora laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing Daigo to third base but giving Kasuga the first out. After Sora, Shoto's seventh batter, Tomo, entered the batter's box, needing only a ground ball or fly ball to bring Daigo home.

WOOSH

PAH

"StrikeOut!" - Unfortunately, Imai didn't let that happen. With just three pitches, Imai had Tomo cornered in the count, and with the fourth pitch, he ended it with a curveball.

With two outs and a runner on third, Shoto could no longer rely on a sacrifice hit to score another run. Shoto's eighth batter, Hisashi, stepped into the batter's box, but his at-bat ended with just one pitch.

WOOSH

DING

PAH

"Out! 3 outs, changeover!" - After swinging at an inside cutter, Hisashi was retired as the ball landed easily in the left fielder's glove.

"YEEEEAAHHH! Ka-Su-Ga! Ka-Su-Ga!" - Kasuga's crowd roared at the end of the top of the ninth inning. Although they had given up another run in this inning, the score was still 2-0, and neither the fans nor the players would give up on this game so easily.

Imai returned to the dugout, clenching his fists tightly. He was frustrated with himself for allowing another run, but at that moment, all he could do was cheer and have faith in his teammates. After all, they still had a chance to bat.

"Can you do it, Shun?" - Coach Yamada asked as he looked at the boy. Although Shun's fatigue was obvious, not only the coach but everyone in the stadium wanted to see Shun finish this game. Because of this, if Shun said he could close it out, Coach Yamada would trust him.

"Hehe! Of course!" - Shun said with a smile as he walked past his coach and climbed the dugout steps. At that moment, there wasn't a single person who could stop him from finishing this game.

"Let's go, Shoto!" - As a good captain, Kenta shouted, encouraging the rest of the team as he followed Shun onto the field.

"Yeeeahhh!" - All of Shoto's players shouted as they climbed the dugout steps one by one, taking their positions on the field. Only three more outs stood between them and the long-awaited Kanto tournament.

"Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga!"

"Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to!"

"Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga! Ka- Su- Ga!"

"Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to! Sho- to!"

The cheers from the crowd echoed through the stadium as Kasuga's seventh batter stepped into the batter's box, marking the start of the bottom of the ninth inning. Meanwhile, Shun calmly observed the seventh batter. He couldn't hide his smile, he was excited to pitch again, but at the same time, it felt like he didn't want this moment to end.

In the stands, everyone watched the field with anticipation as they cheered. Some hoped for a Kasuga comeback to return to the Kanto tournament, while others wanted to see Shun complete his perfect game, leading Shoto Junior High School to the Kanto tournament for the very first time.