Recaps

Kōshū hid an ankle injury and returned to the mound against Inashiro, but his control faltered as Miyuki and Kataoka began to suspect something was wrong. After deciding to tell the manager when he came off the mound, Kōshū settled down and helped get Inashiro’s third batter out.

• Kōshū concealed his swollen, injured left ankle and chose to pitch the seventh inning against Inashiro’s central batting lineup.
• Kōshū threw a wild warm-up pitch, drawing concern from the dugout and prompting Kataoka to watch him closely.
• Miyuki noticed Kōshū’s pitches were drifting off target but held back from calling time.
• Kōshū recalled a conversation about the meaning of the collective and resolved to confess his injury to the manager after leaving the mound.
• Kōshū controlled an outside pitch, and Maezono fielded the batter’s weak hit and stepped on first base for the out.

Kōshū faced Inashiro’s cleanup hitter Yamaoka in the bottom of the seventh, relying on Miyuki’s pitch calls while struggling with his control and his thoughts about his teammates. Yamaoka struck out, and Narumiya Mei came to bat with renewed seriousness.

• Kōshū threw Yamaoka an outside-corner slider, and Yamaoka swung and missed.
• Yamaoka fouled off another outside slider, bringing the count to two strikes.
• Kōshū missed with a high inside fastball, and Miyuki grew concerned about his control.
• Kōshū struck out Yamaoka with a changeup after Yamaoka swung for the inside pitch.
• Narumiya Mei passed Yamaoka on his way to the plate, determined to take over.

Kōshū faced Narumiya Mei with two outs and, after a tense conference with Miyuki, struck him out with a pitch that broke back into the zone and induced a weak grounder. Narumiya returned to the dugout shaken by his repeated failures against Kōshū, but Hayakawa reminded him he would soon face him again as a pitcher.

• Kōshū and Miyuki struggled to agree on how to pitch to Narumiya Mei after two balls, while Kōshū concealed his lingering ankle trouble.
• Miyuki encouraged Kōshū to challenge Narumiya, and Kōshū agreed to try for the strikeout.
• Kōshū’s outside pitch broke into the strike zone for a strike, then his next pitch drew a weak hit toward third base that Seido turned into an out.
• Narumiya returned to the dugout questioning why his preparation had not helped him beat Kōshū at the plate.
• Hayakawa pushed Narumiya to focus on pitching and reminded him he would face Kōshū again, prompting Narumiya to resolve to strike him out.

After Seido defeated Inajitsu, Narumiya Mei urged Kōshū to trust his teammates and revealed that he knew Kōshū was injured. Kōshū’s injury was diagnosed as a strain and bruising, leaving him to rest and reconsider the professional baseball goal he had neglected.

• Kōshū defeated Narumiya Mei for the fourth time, and Mei advised him to trust his teammates instead of carrying everything himself.
• Haruichi noticed Kōshū’s swollen foot, and Kōshū admitted his injury to Kataoka Manager after Eijun drew everyone’s attention to their conversation.
• Kataoka took Kōshū to the hospital and asked him to rewrite the half-year plan he had made when he first joined the school.
• The doctor diagnosed Kōshū with a slight strain and soft-tissue bruising and recommended that he rest.

After injuring his ankle during the game against Inashiro, Kōshū learned that Chris would guide him while he recovered. His teammates reassured him that Kataoka still trusted him, and he hurried to meet Chris.

• Kataoka told the team that Kōshū had injured his ankle, assigned Miyuki to coordinate the remaining pitchers, and gave Asou the starting left-field position.
• Kataoka arranged for Chris to guide Kōshū and explained how Chris's past injury had harmed his career.
• Kuramochi and the others asked Kōshū when he was hurt, and he admitted it happened when he charged home plate.
• Miyuki told Kōshū that Kataoka's decision showed he still favored him, despite Kōshū hiding his injury twice.
• Kōshū remembered Chris was waiting and hurried down the dark path to meet him.

Kōshū watched a Tokyo Swallows Second String game with Mr. Sasaki, who encouraged him not to put too much pressure on himself about reaching professional baseball. Back at Seido, Kōshū returned to writing his proposal and began planning how to improve his physique.

• Kōshū left Seido with Mr. Sasaki, who took him to watch the Tokyo Swallows Second String play.
• Mr. Sasaki explained why he liked the Second String games and pointed out players’ paths through professional baseball.
• Kōshū relaxed while watching the game and realized he had not thought about Seido during the trip.
• Mr. Sasaki told Kōshū he still had two years to prepare for professional baseball and urged him not to pressure himself.
• Kōshū returned to Seido and began outlining his proposal, deciding to change his meal plan to gain weight and build muscle.

During the Autumn Tournament group stage, Kōshū and Kanemaru bonded over their frustration at being unable to play, while the first-years gathered around Kōshū in the Dugout. Kuramochi suspected Kōshū was deliberately drawing the first-years together, but Miyuki defended him as an ordinary teenager with his own worries.

• Kōshū told Kanemaru that his stepfather had taken him to watch the Swallows Team's Second String, whose players felt more relatable than stars.
• Kanemaru admitted that he wanted to get on the field, and Kōshū said he felt the same way but could not play.
• Kōshū and Kanemaru chatted about Eijun and Haruichi as Haruichi made a diving catch, and Toujou joined them after leaving the field.
• Haruichi, Furuya, Lang Zhi, and Eijun gathered around Kōshū in the Dugout, where Eijun praised Toujou and Haruichi's defensive plays and bantered with Lang Zhi.
• Kuramochi accused Kōshū of gathering the first-years to protect his position, but Miyuki told him to stop demonizing Kōshū.

Seido defeated its opponent after Furuya pitched five innings and Eijun took over, while Kōshū worried about his recovery and prepared a plan for Kataoka Manager. As Yakushi awaited Seido in the semifinal, Kōshū began focusing on his body and the gap between himself and professional prospects.

• Kuramochi wondered why Kōshū irritated him, while Kōshū quietly felt anxious about his pitching and future.
• Furuya pitched five strong innings, then Eijun took over and was pulled in the ninth after allowing a runner.
• Kōshū noticed the opposing players staring at him, while Yakushi’s Todoroki Raichi said he wanted to see Kōshū pitch again.
• Kōshū considered the upcoming Yakushi semifinal and worked out what to include in the plan Kataoka Manager required before clearing him to play.
• Kōshū thought about his velocity, pitching ability, and injury history as he assessed his prospects with professional teams.
• Kōshū told Haruichi and Eijun that he planned to eat six meals a day to build his body.

Seido’s coaches debated who should start against Yakushi and what would make someone the team’s ace, while Raichi trained to hit Kōshū’s pitches. As the game approached, the seniors continued practicing and Yuki discussed his prospects in the professional draft.

• Kōshū recalled his earlier encounter with Yakushi and worried that the available pitchers had little experience facing their cleanup hitter.
• Ochiai Coach and Kataoka Manager agreed that the ace would be whoever combined strong pitching with the ability to lift the team’s morale, and Kataoka said he would not overlook anyone’s growth.
• Ochiai and Kataoka leaned toward starting Furuya against Yakushi, with Kawakami as a reliable reliever and Sawamura available depending on the situation.
• At Yakushi, Raichi kept swinging and said he could finally hit Kōshū’s pitches, while Sanada looked forward to the game.
• Seido’s third-years kept training, and Yuki told his teammates that scouts expected him to be drafted in the third or fourth round.

Kōshū was allowed to travel with Seido for its game against Yakushi after Kataoka promised he might play, though the coaches had already decided not to risk his injured foot. As Seido and Yakushi battled, Furuya faced a bases-loaded crisis in the fourth inning, leaving Kōshū hoping he could hold on.

• Kōshū stayed behind to write a pro baseball proposal while Seido's seniors prepared for the game and teased Kuramochi, Kawakami, and Haruichi.
• On October 20, Kataoka told Kōshū he might play depending on the situation, and Kōshū boarded the bus believing he still had a chance to take the field.
• Furuya struck out Todoroki Raichi with a Forkball in the first inning, and Seido scored once in the second to force Yakushi to bring in Sanada.
• Miyuki intentionally walked Todoroki Raichi in the fourth, but Sanada hit Furuya's fastball for a double and advanced the runner to third.
• Yakushi loaded the bases with two outs, and Kōshū watched as Furuya faced the pressure of the inning.

Miyuki guided Furuya through a tense inning against Yakushi, while Eijun and Todoroki Raichi struck up an unexpected connection. In the top of the sixth, Miyuki chose to have Furuya face Raichi instead of walking him, and Raichi began adjusting to Furuya’s pitches.

• Miyuki encouraged Furuya to strike out Yakushi’s next batter after Eijun gave up his bullpen spot to the ace.
• Eijun and Todoroki Raichi silently agreed to exchange LINE contact information after the game.
• Furuya struck out Yakushi’s seventh batter with three fastballs, ending the inning.
• In the top of the sixth, Mishima hit Furuya’s high pitch and reached base, bringing Todoroki Raichi to the plate with one out.
• Miyuki signaled for Furuya to challenge Raichi rather than walk him, and Raichi fouled off two pitches while adapting to Furuya’s speed.

Seido escaped a dangerous inning when Furuya got Todoroki Raichi out, then seized its chance against Sanada in the bottom of the sixth. Maezono bunted to bring Haruichi home, giving Seido a 2:0 lead.

• Miyuki called for an inside pitch, and Furuya used a Changeup to induce Raichi into a grounder that Lang Zhi fielded for the second out.
• Miyuki set the infield in against Sanada, and Seido retired Yakushi without allowing another run.
• Haruichi and Miyuki hit consecutive singles in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners on first and third with one out.
• Maezono bunted Sanada's Changeup toward first base, allowing Haruichi to score as Seido took a 2:0 lead.

Seido held a two-run lead over Yakushi in the top of the seventh as Furuya used his remaining strength to finish the inning. Kataoka announced that Sawamura would pitch next and named Kōshū as a pinch hitter, leaving Furuya stunned.

• Sawamura cheered for Seido's fielders, then watched Miyuki and Furuya face Yakushi's lineup in the top of the seventh.
• Furuya struck out Yakushi's sixth batter and forced the next two batters into a groundout, ending the inning with Seido still ahead by two runs.
• Furuya's all-out pitching exhausted him, and Kataoka looked toward the bullpen as Sawamura eagerly waited to enter.
• Kataoka announced that Sawamura would pitch the next inning.
• Kataoka then named Kōshū as a pinch hitter, surprising the team and enraging Furuya.

Kōshū entered as a pinch hitter and reached base after Lang Zhi singled, then drew a walk by patiently tracking Sanada’s pitches. Seido advanced the runners and scored twice, extending its lead to 3–0.

• Lang Zhi overcame his nerves, hit Sanada’s pitch for a single, and pointed toward Kōshū as he reached first base.
• Kōshū took his place at the plate, hoping to prove himself and earn a chance to play defense.
• Kōshū watched Sanada’s pitches and refused to swing, drawing a four-ball walk.
• Asou laid down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third with one out.
• Kuramochi hit a fly ball, and both runners scored to give Seido a 3–0 lead.

In the top of the eighth, Yakushi trailed Seido by three runs as Eijun replaced Kōshū in left field and took the mound. Kōshū reconsidered his resentment toward Eijun and found new meaning in Senior Nozawa’s advice about an ace, while Eijun began his brief appearance with two strikeouts against Yakushi’s ninth batter.

• Coach Todoroki urged Yakushi to get runners on base so Raichi could try to erase the deficit with a grand slam.
• Seido substituted Sawamura for Kōshū in the field, and Kōshū moved to left while Sawamura took the mound.
• Kōshū realized he had misread Eijun’s straightforward words as a challenge to his position and recalled Senior Nozawa’s advice that an ace needed an even mind.
• Kōshū cheered for Eijun as the game resumed, and Eijun entered the zone determined to make an impression in his limited time on the mound.
• Eijun struck out Yakushi’s ninth batter with two pitches, leaving the batter and dugout struggling to adjust to his pitches.

Seido held a 3–0 lead over Yakushi in the top of the ninth, but Todoroki Raichi hit a home run off Eijun. Kōshū helped Eijun recover from fearing the coach’s disappointment, and Seido finished the game with its lead intact before Eijun and Kōshū argued over Kōshū’s bag.

• Akiha and the next Yakushi batter struck out quickly against Seido’s pitcher, while Sanada rallied Yakushi before allowing Seido only one run in the bottom of the eighth.
• Todoroki Raichi hit Eijun’s pitch for a home run, cutting Seido’s lead to 3–1.
• Eijun thought the coach was replacing him, but Kōshū reassured him that Kataoka had left him in and helped him regain his composure.
• Eijun returned to the mound, and Seido finished the top of the ninth without surrendering its lead.
• After the teams exchanged bows, Eijun and Kōshū argued over who would carry Kōshū’s bag until Kōshū took it himself.

On the ride back to Seido, Miyuki questioned his relationship with Kōshū as Seido prepared to face Ichidai Third in the final. Narumiya Mei and Ichidai Third’s coaches studied Seido’s win, while Amakuhisa trained with renewed determination.

• Eijun realized he had forgotten to add Yakushi’s cleanup hitter on LINE, while Lang Zhi teased him about his excited expression.
• Kuramochi challenged Miyuki about whether Kōshū liked being his battery partner, prompting Miyuki to reflect on how he treated people.
• Narumiya Mei watched Seido’s game and worried that Kōshū and Seido’s pitchers would grow stronger while he had no major tournaments to play.
• Ichidai Third’s scouting team returned with footage of Seido’s victory, and the coaches discussed how Seido had preserved its ace and contained Yakushi.
• Amakuhisa, having returned to Ichidai Third’s baseball club, refused to stop practicing and said he could keep throwing.

After Kōshū was cleared to start Seido’s Autumn Tournament final, Miyuki asked Chris how a catcher could earn pitchers’ trust. Chris explained that Miyuki’s role was to understand each pitcher and draw out their strengths in service of the team, leaving Miyuki clear about the catcher and captain he needed to be.

• Kataoka announced that Kōshū’s foot had healed and that he would start the final against Ichidai Third.
• Kōshū reassured Furuya and Eijun, then Miyuki admitted that partnering with Kōshū felt best to him.
• After Kōshū pointed out that Miyuki valued him for helping execute pitching strategy, Miyuki wondered what kind of catcher pitchers liked.
• Miyuki met Chris and asked how a catcher could make pitchers like him.
• Chris told Miyuki to understand each pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses and draw out their abilities to lead Seido to victory, and Miyuki realized what kind of catcher and captain he needed to be.

Kōshū started the Tokyo Autumn Tournament final as Seido’s pitcher and dominated Ichidai Third’s first inning with precise fastballs. In the bottom of the first, he studied Amakuhisa’s extraordinary Slider at bat, and the chapter ended with Amakuhisa choosing to challenge him with it despite the open first base.

• Kōshū practiced fastballs with Miyuki, rebuilding his accuracy and spin before the final.
• Kōshū struck out Ichidai Third’s leadoff batter with three pitches placed along the Strike Zone’s edges.
• Amakuhisa struggled with his control, and Kuramochi hit a high fastball into the infield as Seido scored a run.
• Amakuhisa threw his signature Slider to Kōshū, who tracked its startling trajectory and hoped to learn from it.
• Kōshū fouled off pitches while waiting for the Slider, and Amakuhisa rejected the safer option of an intentional walk and prepared to throw it again.

Kōshū struck out Kousei Amakuhisa, then shut down Ichidai Third’s lineup with powerful pitching. Seidō scored another run in the bottom of the second, leaving Amakuhisa to regroup after his team fell further behind.

• Amakuhisa struck out Kōshū with a Slider after Kōshū tried to study the pitch.
• Kōshū returned to the mound and retired Ichidai Third’s batters, including the sixth batter on a Two-Seam Fastball.
• Amakuhisa admired Kōshū’s fastball and decided he would ask for his LINE later.
• Toujou singled off Amakuhisa, and Lang Zhi followed with a hit to put runners on first and second.
• Kuramochi advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Shirazu drove in another run for Seidō.
• Amakuhisa regained his composure, then struck out Haruichi to end the inning.

Seido and Ichidai Third settled into a pitching duel after Amakuhisa regained his form, while Kōshū managed Ichidai Third’s lineup and worried about his own batting. Seido’s offense stalled after its early two-run lead, and Maezono’s flyout ended another scoring chance.

• Kōshū and Miyuki used fastballs and Two-Seam Fastballs to retire Ichidai Third’s lower lineup, including Amakuhisa, who struck out while admiring Kōshū’s pitching as “Violent Aesthetics.”
• Amakuhisa insisted he could pitch through the tenth inning, while his teammates recalled that he had recently been pulled for exhaustion.
• After collecting six hits and scoring two runs in the first two innings, Seido’s offense struggled to connect against Amakuhisa from the third inning onward.
• Kōshū kept Ichidai Third scoreless while giving up two hits, and he resolved to move his contact point forward to improve his batting.
• Maezono hit a fly ball that the center fielder caught, stranding Kominato and Miyuki on base and ending Seido’s inning.
• Ochiai Coach privately questioned Kataoka Manager’s decision to keep Maezono in the fifth spot.

In the top of the sixth, Kōshū faced Ichidai Third’s ace Amakuhisa and threw an unusually sharp inside Slider. Amakuhisa recognized the pitch as his own signature Slider and responded with sudden intensity.

• Kōshū struck out Ichidai Third’s eighth batter with a Changeup before Amakuhisa came to bat.
• Amakuhisa chatted with Miyuki and admired Kōshū’s precise fastball, while Kōshū grew irritated by his attention.
• Kōshū chose to throw an inside Slider, and Miyuki agreed to the pitch call.
• Kōshū recalled the sensation of first throwing the Slider and released a pitch that appeared to aim at Amakuhisa before breaking into the Strike Zone.
• Amakuhisa dodged the pitch, then recognized it as his signature Slider and fixed Kōshū with a frightening stare.

Kōshū struck out Amakuhisa with an inside pitch after unexpectedly bringing back his Slider, and his confident turn toward the fielders left the batter eager to befriend him. Kōshū prepared to face the next batter while Miyuki wondered whether he had deliberately shown off.

• Kōshū successfully threw a Slider he had not managed to use in ages, though he knew the pitch was still unstable.
• Kōshū and Amakuhisa became fired up for a serious showdown, and Miyuki called for a low, inside pitch.
• Kōshū threw inside, and Amakuhisa swung and missed as Kōshū turned toward the fielders before the umpire called the strikeout.
• Amakuhisa admitted that Kōshū's confident back looked cool and decided to ask for his LINE after the game.
• Kōshū planned to strike out the next batter with fastballs inside and outside, while Miyuki suspected that Kōshū had turned around to show off.

Kōshū faced Ichidai Third’s ace Amakuhisa in the bottom of the sixth and entered a slow-motion state that let him read the pitch. He hit Amakuhisa’s Slider into the far right-field corner and reached second base safely.

• Ichidai Third failed to score in the top of the sixth, leaving Seido’s Kōshū with just one hit allowed after six innings.
• Narumiya Mei bristled when Hayakawa denied laughing at him, then fell silent as the game resumed.
• Kōshū stepped into the Batter’s Box and focused on Amakuhisa, determined to start a new contest between them.
• Amakuhisa’s catcher signaled for a Slider, despite worrying that Kōshū had already seen many of them.
• Kōshū tracked the Slider in a slow-motion state, struck it into the far right-field corner, and reached second base safely.

Kōshū experienced a fleeting glimpse of elite batting before Lang Zhi struck out against Amakuhisa’s Slider, ending the inning. Seido’s players rallied around their disappointed ace and sent him back onto the field, while Furuya and two first-year pitchers quietly reflected on wanting to become the ace; the chapter then noted grim layoff announcements and anxious messages from working people.

• Kōshū became absorbed in batting and briefly felt he had surpassed his limits, then mourned as the sensation faded.
• Amakuhisa struck out Lang Zhi with his Slider, and the inning ended with two outs followed by the third out.
• Kōshū returned to himself as he passed Ichidai Third’s players, and Kataoka Manager said nothing about his disappointment.
• Lang Zhi apologized, while Tōjō, Kuramochi, Eijun, and Miyuki tried to reassure Kōshū before Seido took the field.
• Furuya echoed Miyuki’s call of “ACE,” and two substitute first-year pitchers watched Kōshū enter the field and wanted to become the ace.
• Layoff targets were announced as people in chat groups shared complaints, worries, curses, and exhausted messages.