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The previousEpisode9Now, I would like to introduce you to the season that brought us very close to winning three straight titles.

 

In this Episode 10, we will introduce the 2020 Autumn League, the Keio-Waseda game held during the corona wreck. The fall league match, which was held with a limited number of spectators and attracted more attention than usual due to the large number of notable players, was a dramatic ending.

 

At the draft meeting held during the autumn league that year, the ace of the four universities (Homei Keiso) was nominated in first place (for the first time in history!), and there were a lot of pitching competitions. In particular, in the Keio-Waseda game, not only did the cram school baseball team's pitcher Kizawa (now Tokyo Yakult Swallows) and Waseda's Hayakawa pitcher (now Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles) attract attention, but it was also a one-on-one battle that decided the championship. Therefore, it was a battle where the media and players from other schools held their breath and watched the outcome of the match.

 

The Keio baseball team will win the championship if either team wins, and Waseda University cannot lose. In front of pitcher Hayakawa, who has a variety of breaking balls and ball control, the bats of the Keio batting line cut through the air. However, Kizawa did not lose. Kizawa, who has an enthusiastic voice with every pitch, kept no runs until the 5th inning, focusing on fastballs, making it a pitcher's duel with a good tempo. However, in the bottom of the 7th inning, when the match was 1-1, Hiruma, a second-year student at Waseda University, carried him to the left stand, giving him the lead. With 15 strikeouts in front of Hayakawa, we decided to bet on victory in the second game.

 

In the second game, which they cannot afford to lose, both coaches decided to switch pitches as early as possible. Captain Setonishi (currently   ENEOS) scored two runs with a single hit, leading the team to 2-1 in the top of the ninth inning. At this point, Keio manager Horii sent Kizawa, the ace pitcher who pitched the day before, to the mound. After two deaths, Hiruma, who allowed HR yesterday, allowed him to get on base with a hit. It seems that they will be paying back yesterday's debt, but Coach Horii decided to make a substitution. Pitcher Namai, a sophomore southpaw who had a sense of stability in the league games so far. As pitcher Kizawa also said in a later interview, pitcher Namai was trusted by the entire team. However, the first pitch, the batted ball from Hiruma's bat, drew a wonderful curve and landed on the back screen. Dramatic HR for two consecutive days, at that moment, I felt as if time had stopped. The cram school baseball club was stunned, and on the other hand, Hiruma must have been overwhelmed, and his eyes were moist when he returned to the bench.

 

Hayakawa's back attacks were suppressed by pitcher Hayakawa, and Waseda accomplished the feat of winning the championship for the first time in 10 seasons without losing. With Hayakawa, who was both the captain and ace, playing a central role, Waseda won the championship with their comprehensive strength.

 

The 2020 Fall League match ended with a single shot from the young slugger, a battle that took place under a lot of attention and intense pressure.

　

​ A HR that greatly influences the flow of the game and sometimes determines the outcome. With a single swing, you can become the protagonist of the game and change your life. We will introduce the HR records of the six universities in the future!