"Hagiyama-senpai—you really didn't have to go all out on that last ball..."

After finishing the top half of the fifth inning and once again shutting out Koushing Academy three-up and three-down, Lin Guanglai said this to Hagiyama Mitsuo beside him on their way back to the dugout.

After all, from the situation at that time, at most it would have become a single to first base, and with one out, even if the opponent got on first base, the threat it posed wasn't that great;

Hagiyama Mitsuo indeed made a desperate but also dangerous play when catching that ball—as the team's main first baseman and today's key hitter, if he got injured while fielding, the impact would probably be much greater than a single.

Because of this, after completing this half of the game, Lin Guanglai shared his thoughts with him.

Surprisingly, after hearing Lin Guanglai's words, Hagiyama Mitsuo shook his head and voiced his disagreement:

"Guanglai, do you remember what you told me in the dugout after the semifinals?"

The sudden question puzzled Lin Guanglai, then he began to recall what he'd said yesterday. Even though only a day had passed, he really couldn't remember what he'd said.

Seeing this puzzled look on his junior's face, Hagiyama Mitsuo reminded him:

"Yesterday's match where my mistake caused you to miss a rare opportunity—how did you comfort me at that time?"

"You told me to forget the mistake and perform better in the finals—'Tomorrow's final, let's give it another go,' that's exactly what you told me yesterday!"

"I've already shown my determination not to make mistakes with my actions—what, Guanglai, are you afraid you can't do it, that's why you're hoping I will?"

Bringing up the topic of a perfect game again, Hagiyama Mitsuo even gave a "provoking" look, glancing sideways at Lin Guanglai.

Hagiyama Mitsuo wasn't worried at all that his actions would put any pressure on his pitcher. After two years of working closely together, he knew too well the qualities of this junior—this guy was born with a big heart, meant for the sport of baseball.

Sure enough, faced with such provocation, Lin Guanglai just gave a faint smile and extended his fist towards him, not forgetting to reply:

"Then watch closely, senpai—but next, it's your turn at bat, Senpai Hagiyama. Since you said you'd help me achieve a perfect game, you better put more effort into your hits, so I can focus more on pitching, right?"

"You rascal..." Hagiyama Mitsuo shook his head, chuckling; but he didn't forget to extend his own fist in response.

The two fists lightly bumped and then quickly separated again.

Last inning's offense, after Yagaki Kentaro sent Lin Guanglai back home for a score, ended with Egami Kenji at the seventh position, entering the bottom of the fifth. Waseda Jitsugyo's batting rotation started with Sato Ken at the eighth spot.

Although Waseda Jitsugyo had scored 2 points in the last inning, after some adjustments, Akita Kyoyoshi's condition had almost returned. Against the average-bat Sato Ken, he had no difficulty and struck him out with just four pitches, getting the first out.

At this point in the game, the advantage of Waseda Jitsugyo altering their batting lineup last minute today became apparent:

Leaving aside whether the prior fifth batter, power hitter Hagiyama Mitsuo, could have brought Lin Guanglai home for a score in the last inning, just Egami Kenji and Sato Ken as the latter batters had no edge against Akita Kyoyoshi; if these two were dismissed sequentially at the start of this inning, the upcoming top batters would face a stressful situation with two outs, incomparable to now.

Placing Hagiyama Mitsuo at ninth, his natural talent and batting skills posed an inherent threat to Akita Kyoyoshi—once he hit a long ball, Waseda Jitsugyo's offense could flow like mercury, becoming unstoppable.

Holding the bat with one hand, Hagiyama Mitsuo walked steadily to the home plate, contemplating his first at-bat against Akita Kyoyoshi and what he had observed over the past innings.

As he stood firmly in the batter's box, Hagiyama Mitsuo had already devised an offensive strategy: this at-bat, he would focus on breaking balls.

To entice Akita Kyoyoshi into throwing a breaking ball in the strike zone, Hagiyama Mitsuo maintained discipline at the plate while increasing his swing rate against fastballs, occasionally fouling off borderline fastballs.

After engaging in a seven-pitch duel with his opponent, the count reached full.

From the pitcher's mound, Akita Kyoyoshi nodded acknowledgment to the catcher's sign, adjusted slightly, and delivered the ball—this decisive pitch, catcher Matsuboto Kenji opted for the safest, most conservative outside low slider, which Akita Kyoyoshi executed with excellent angle and plate approach.

Just as Matsuboto Kenji opened his wide catcher's mitt, ready to catch that perfect pitch, a black-lacquered metal bat swung out of the batter's box beside him like a surprise guest.

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