Before the game began, Izumi Minoru and Lin Guanglai, as the team's manager and captain respectively, went to the interview area for the pre-game routine interview, led by the relevant personnel.

As soon as Lin Guanglai stepped into the interview area, dozens of reporters and cameramen rushed forward, surrounding him from all sides, leaving no space: several professional photography and video equipment were set up around him, and a dozen or so microphones and recorders were pushed towards him, some almost touching his face.

The level of attention rivaling that of a Professional Baseball Player is an honor only Lin Guanglai enjoyed during this Summer Koshien—it's the media's adoration for the greatest talent of the generation, the biggest championship favorite.

"Lin, your team has made a rotation at the starting pitcher position for this game—what do you have to say about this as the captain? Was this decision made because you view the opponents as less formidable?"

"Lin, you've hit consecutive home runs in 3 matches—becoming the 7th high school player in history to achieve this feat, tying the Summer League record—do you think you can hit another home run in today's game?"

"If you win this match, who would you like to face in the semifinals?"

Faced with the crowd and the reporters' sharp questions, Lin Guanglai, already accustomed to such scenes, calmly and methodically responded:

"The pitching adjustments and rotations are results of our entire team's discussions, and it does not mean we underestimate today's opponents. This decision is simply made from the perspective of the entire team. Our only goal is to go as far as possible."

"As for the semifinals opponent—sorry, that's not something we should think about at the moment; our opponent today is Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School, any other team is irrelevant to us."

"As for another home run…" At this thought, Lin Guanglai paused for half a second, then started laughing:

"I believe that after today's game, I'll be able to write my name at the top of the record list!"

"It doesn't matter who Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School's pitcher is, in the end, I'll win the battle!"

If Lin Guanglai's initial responses were as dull as plain water, filled with spokesperson-like formulaic responses, his final declaration was like throwing a piece of juicy meat into a pack of wolves, instantly making all the reporters' eyes light up.

Previously during interviews, Lin Guanglai always maintained a humble and cautious demeanor, always appearing amiable and conciliatory, rarely as straightforward as today.

Many reporters were already drafting headlines in their minds for the pre-game news:

"Shock! The Heisei monster makes a statement before the game—Today's Chiben is not my opponent!"

"The journey to making history continues! Lin Guanglai aims for a streak of 4 consecutive home run matches!"

After the pre-game interview, on his way back to the locker room, Lin Guanglai encountered the captain of Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School, third-year shortstop Jugu Will.

The captains of both teams exchanged pleasantries and greetings as they passed by each other—For some reason, Lin Guanglai couldn't shake the feeling that the opponent's captain's gaze wasn't particularly friendly.

At Koshien Stadium, as more and more spectators entered, the large stands gradually filled up—as the game reached this stage, the competition was approaching a fever pitch, and seats that couldn't be filled in the first and second rounds were unlikely; and matches of championship favorites like Waseda Jitsugyo and Narashino were sold out early, with tickets hard to come by.

The players from both teams entered from the player tunnel, heading to the player areas beneath the first and third base Alps Stand.

Lin Guanglai placed his bag on the bench, took out his glove, and went to the open area outside the player area to start warm-up passes with his outfield teammates.

Usually, due to pitching responsibilities, Lin Guanglai would spend most of his time in the bullpen; today, standing outside in the open area, he attracted a large crowd of spectators who walked over to the railing in the stands, capturing candid close-up shots of the players through the mesh fence.

Lin Guanglai also noticed the fans cheering for him in the stands, waving in their direction, eliciting an enthusiastic response from the audience.

Not far from the Waseda Real player area, Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School's players also saw the recent scene—Their fourth catcher, second-year Nakamichi's face twisted in disdain, muttering:

"Tch—acting like a big star, keep smiling, soon we'll send you back home, we'll see if you can still smile then."

As the game time approached, the players from both teams finished their warm-ups and assembled on both sides of the field.

First base direction, Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School, first strike;

Third base direction, Waseda Real, second strike.

The mournful air raid siren echoed across the summer sky, marking the official start of the third game of the 93rd Summer Koshien.

At the top of the first inning, facing Uchida Saint who started today's game, Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School's offense displayed strong aggression from the first pitch—Although this inning didn't result in a score, the four batters who came to bat consumed nearly 30 pitches from Uchida Saint.

The teams switched sides, and in the bottom half of the inning, it was Waseda Jitsugyo's turn to bat.

Leading off was Chongxin Shen Zhong, who, after battling to 2 strikes and 2 balls, was baited by an outside corner pitch, resulting in an easy pop fly out caught by Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School.

Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School's star pitcher, second-year Ono Yohei, is a very typical power pitcher. Standing at less than 1.8 meters, he can throw fastballs over 140 km/h and has a mature slider; however, it's noteworthy that his control is somewhat average. He's had some good outings in the local tournament, but his walk rate is relatively high.

With his weaknesses and the fatigue of continuous games, facing the second and third batters, Matsunaga Kenta and Kenshu Yasuda, Ono Yohei allowed a walk and then hit Kenshu Yasuda, pegging him hard with the ball.

One out, runners on first and second—Lin Guanglai came to bat in this situation.

"Clang!!!"

On the first pitch, Lin Guanglai swung decisively, and the baseball was blasted out by the black-gold bat, swiftly penetrating Chiben Gakuen Junior & Senior High School's infield defense; Matsunaga Kenta, who started running early, took advantage of the situation to make it back home.

"Lin Guanglai! A run-scoring hit at the start of the game—The Senbatsu champions take the lead!"

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