“It’s tears of accomplishment and relief.”
On the mound of Koshien for the first time, contributing to the team’s advancement to the finals with a strong performance, allowing only one run over five innings, was Kanto Daiichi’s No. 11, pitcher Takesato Oago, who had red eyes.
In the last summer of his third year, he couldn’t help but think, “I want to pitch.” “I want to pitch.” “I want to pitch.”
Oago had been making a “strong appeal” to his teammates and coach Takamitsu Yonezawa in his dorm room and at meal gatherings.
Kanto Daiichi had advanced with two ace pitchers from the same grade: Ryo Sakai in No. 1 and Tetsushin Hatanaka in No. 10. Oago continued to dash and maintain his conditioning so that he could be ready to pitch at any time in practice.
The opportunity suddenly arrived.
In the semifinals, it was a game that carried the weight of the team’s first-ever chance to reach the finals. After entering the stadium and warming up in the indoor practice area, Oago was informed by Coach Yonezawa that he would be the starter. Coach Yonezawa revealed his reasoning: “I watched video of Kamimura Gakuen until late last night and had the impression that they would be hitting the ball consistently without swinging wildly. I thought it would be tough for Hatanaka with his changing pace, so I entrusted the game to Oago, who has sharpness and power.”
Oago swore to himself that he would “show that Kanto Daiichi has more than just two pitchers.” Maybe out of nerves on the mound at Koshien for the first time, he issued a walk to the first batter right away in the first inning and faced a two-out, runner on second crisis against Kamimura Gakuen’s steadfast cleanup hitter, Teruaki Masabayashi. From a 1-ball, 2-strike count, he got the fourth pitch with a sharply dropping split to induce a ground ball to short, escaping the danger.
After that, he mixed powerful fastballs around 140 km/h with sharp off-speed pitches, using his signature pitching style to induce ground balls effectively. Although he gave up a timely hit in the fourth inning, he pitched well, allowing only one run through five innings and successfully setting the stage for ace Sakai.
Meanwhile, the batting lineup was held to no hits by Kamimura Gakuen’s ace, Takumi Imamura, until the sixth inning. Oago was watching from the bench with a worried heart, thinking, “Am I going to lose because of my own earned runs?” Nevertheless, the team finally broke through in the seventh inning with their first hit, leading to a comeback with a timely two-base hit from No. 7 Tsunetoshi Kumagai.
Overcome with joy, Oago’s eyes welled up with tears even during the game. Coach Yonezawa reminded him, “It’s not over yet.”
In the end, he overcame a major crisis and reached the finals for the first time. Coach Yonezawa praised Oago’s effort, saying, “For your first appearance at Koshien, you pitched very well. I believe there was a lot of pressure, but you did a great job.”
With eyes red from emotion during the interview, Oago said, “This is the first time I’ve been this happy about winning a game. I’ve practiced hard enough to not lose out to pitchers Sakai and Hatanaka, so I trusted myself and pitched. I want to deliver Kanto Daiichi’s first championship to Coach Yonezawa. I’ll do my best with the ‘three’ pitchers next time.” He was filled with determination for the finals.
Adding Oago’s impressive performance on this big stage to the two ace pitchers Sakai and Hatanaka seems to indicate that they are well prepared for their long-cherished goal of their first championship.