Recaps

Kōshū replaced Furuya with the bases loaded and no outs, then deliberately threw a high inside fastball to disrupt Inajitsu’s sacrifice-bunt attempt. As the batter prepared to bunt again, Miyuki wondered whether he could still control Kōshū.

• Kōshū took over for Furuya in the seventh inning with the bases loaded and no outs.
• Kōshū told Miyuki he would pitch at full power, while Miyuki reminded him that the team trusted him and could afford to concede a run.
• Hirai squared to bunt, and the runners moved off their bases as Kōshū began his delivery.
• Kōshū threw a fastball toward Hirai’s face, forcing him to dodge, and Miyuki threw to third to catch Harada returning to the bag.
• Hirai prepared to bunt again, while Miyuki questioned whether he could control Kōshū.

Kōshū tricked Inajitsu into running on a sacrifice bunt and threw Harada out at home, turning a bases-loaded, no-outs situation into two outs. He then struck out Ban to end the inning, leaving Seido with the momentum.

• Kōshū used a non-Fixed Stance pitch to make Inajitsu underestimate his timing, then switched to a Fixed Stance as the runners broke on Hirai’s sacrifice bunt.
• Hirai bunted the ball back to Kōshū, who threw home as Harada charged from third, and Miyuki tagged Harada out by a difference of milliseconds.
• Kōshū celebrated the second out as the crowd rallied behind Seido, while Miyuki realized Kōshū had deliberately taken control of the play.
• Kōshū struck out Ban with two high inside pitches and an outside low pitch, ending the inning with three outs.

In the eighth inning, Narumiya Mei continued to overpower Seido’s batters as Furuya and Shirazu struck out. Kōshū finally connected with Mei’s pitch, but the chapter ended before revealing the result.

• Kunimoto Manager told Narumiya Mei to follow Harada’s signs and avoid letting the game reach extra innings.
• Narumiya Mei struck out Furuya after Harada recognized that Furuya was waiting for a fastball and called for a Forkball.
• Narumiya Mei jammed Shirazu with an inside pitch, leaving Seido with two outs.
• Kōshū stepped into the batter’s box as Seido’s ninth batter while Tanba worried that Kōshū was taking on the team’s ace responsibilities.
• Kōshū tracked Narumiya Mei’s pitch and swung, making crisp contact.

Kōshū battled Narumiya Mei through a long at-bat, reached first, and watched Kuramochi get retired before taking the mound to defend Seido’s precious one-run lead. He struck out Fujikawa and challenged Carlos, whose bunt feints failed to unsettle him.

• Kōshū fouled off Narumiya Mei’s pitches, then drove a grounder through the gap and reached first safely.
• Kōshū stole second, but Narumiya Mei retired Kuramochi to end the inning.
• Kōshū reshaped the mound and told Miyuki he would protect Seido’s one-run lead.
• Kōshū struck out Fujikawa, who warned Carlos that the fastball was exceptionally fast.
• Carlos tried repeated bunt feints, but Kōshū stayed focused and caught him looking at an inside pitch for a strike.

Kōshū struck out Carlos with a changeup and continued to challenge Shirakawa as Seido’s defense held Inashiro scoreless. After the inning ended, Narumiya confronted memories of last year’s collapse, then resolved to take the field.

• Carlos swung through Kōshū’s changeup, which Narumiya recognized as his own signature pitch thrown by a right-handed pitcher.
• Kōshū struck Carlos out with a pitch aimed at his chest, and Carlos warned Shirakawa not to let Seido’s strategy unsettle him.
• Shirakawa fouled off Kōshū’s heavy fastball but was eventually called out as the inning ended.
• Narumiya remembered his Wild Pitch ending Inashiro’s Koshien run the previous year and feared his early Four Balls Walk might doom them again.
• Harada told Narumiya it was time to take the field, and Narumiya raised his head and agreed to go.

Seido tried to rally in the top of the ninth against Narumiya Mei, but Inashiro held its lead with Carlos's catch at the wall. The chapter left Seido heading into the last half-inning with the crowd urging a comeback.

• Kataoka urged Seido's batters to swing boldly, while Eijun asked Kōshū whether he should warm up to put pressure on Inashiro.
• Narumiya struck out Kominato Ryosuke, who warned Isashiki that the ace still had stamina and power.
• Isashiki fouled off a pitch before Narumiya struck him out with a Forkball.
• Yuki hit a long ball toward the wall, but Carlos leaped onto it and caught it to end the inning.
• Seido returned to the dugout as spectators called for the team to make a comeback in the final half-inning.

Kōshū took the mound for Seido in the bottom of the ninth and struck out Inajitsu’s third batter with a changeup before finishing his at-bat with an inside fastball. With Harada stepping up as Inajitsu’s last hope, Kōshū and Miyuki prepared to attack the inside corner.

• Kataoka encouraged Seido’s players and urged Kōshū to trust his pitching, while Kunimoto told Inajitsu’s lineup that one run would force extra innings.
• Kōshū dismissed the crowd’s influence and said the players could control the stadium’s emotions through their performance.
• Kōshū opened against Yoshizawa with a changeup that fooled him, then got him out with an inside fastball.
• Narumiya Mei became furious after seeing Kōshū use a changeup like the one he had used against Seido earlier in the game.
• Harada crowded the plate, and Miyuki recognized that Kōshū’s aggressive spirit called for an inside pitch.
• Kōshū prepared to throw at Harada’s inside corner as the crowd’s support for Inajitsu faded.

Kōshū struck out Harada and Narumiya to secure Seido’s victory over Inashiro and send the team to Koshien. Narumiya broke down in tears as Harada urged him to line up, and Seido celebrated the win.

• Kōshū struck out Harada with a Slider after fooling him with a change in the pitch’s path.
• Narumiya stepped into the batter’s box and fouled off Kōshū’s powerful fastballs.
• Kōshū used a Fast Cutter to induce a weak ground ball from Narumiya, ending the game.
• Harada told the tearful Narumiya to line up as Seido celebrated its trip to Koshien.

After Seido defeated Inashiro and secured a place at Koshien, Kōshū slept through the celebrations and the ride back to school. Kataoka announced that the First String would spend two days recuperating before preparing for Koshien’s opening ceremony in a week.

• After the victory, Kuramochi and Kataoka found Kōshū asleep in the Dugout, and Kōshū woke confused about whether a game had taken place.
• Eijun, Haruichi, and Furuya packed Kōshū’s things while Kuramochi and Isashiki teased him for falling asleep.
• Kōshū slept on the bus as his teammates discussed Koshien, while Lang Zhi reunited with his family and promised they would cheer for Kōshū there.
• At Seido, Yuki and the others marveled at how deeply Kōshū had slept, then Miyuki sent him off with his luggage.
• At the celebration banquet, Kataoka told the First String to rest for two days before Koshien’s opening ceremony in a week.

Seido finalized its eighteen-player Koshien roster, traveled to Hyogo, and drew Ichizen as its first opponent. After Kataoka named Tanba to start the opening game, the team prepared for its long-awaited Koshien debut on August 10.

• Kataoka announced the eighteen-player Koshien roster, including four first-years, while leaving two backup outfielders off the team.
• Kōshū practiced pitcher fielding with Eijun and Furuya as Seido intensified training before departing for Hyogo.
• Yuki drew Seido's tournament slot, setting its first game against Ichizen for August 10 and its second game five days later.
• Kataoka chose Tanba to lead the team in the first game and said Seido would use relay pitching throughout Koshien.
• Seido borrowed a nearby elementary school's baseball field to practice, and August 10 arrived as the team's first Koshien game approached.

Seido arrived at Koshien for its first tournament game, where Kataoka planned to rotate pitchers and keep Kōshū as a late-game option. Tanba started strongly against Ichizen, and the chapter ended with him striking out the opposing third batter on a sharp breaking pitch.

• Seido entered Koshien, and the players marveled at the professional stadium and its facilities.
• Kōshū told Eijun that Tanba would start, Kawakami would follow, and the younger pitchers would each get an inning, while Kōshū remained the emergency closer.
• Haruichi recognized that Kataoka's pitching rotation would force opponents to prepare for Seido's entire staff.
• Seido lined up on the field as Eijun encouraged his teammates and was scolded by spectators for showing off.
• Tanba induced Ichizen's third batter to miss a pitch that broke back into the strike zone, completing the inning with three outs.

Seido defeated Ichizen, then trained for five days before beating Yozei 7–0 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Before the Yozei game, the players briefly noticed a Hokkaido team called Great Troll Wisteria, unaware it would become a major obstacle to their Koshien hopes.

• Seido's defense supported Kawakami, Furuya, and Eijun as they shut out Ichizen.
• Kataoka and the coaching staff discussed whether to hold an intra-squad match, while the players soon returned to their training routine.
• Before facing Yozei, Seido's players read newspaper coverage and briefly noticed Great Troll Wisteria, a Hokkaido team using relay pitching.
• Kawakami started Seido's August 15 game against Yozei, and Seido won 7–0 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

Seido prepared for its game against Seihō, studying Sano Shuzo and assigning its pitchers to cover the innings. After Tanba rallied the Pitcher Lineup to share responsibility, the chapter ended with a personal note about the narrator’s father’s recent mishaps and the family deciding he should see a doctor.

• Seido learned that Sano Shuzo had hit a decisive home run to eliminate Osaka Kiryu and reviewed Seihō’s strengths before their game.
• The coaching staff assigned Tanba to the first four innings, Furuya to the fifth and sixth, and Kōshū to start in the seventh, with Kawakami and Sawamura ready as relievers.
• Chris explained Seihō’s roster, Sano’s dangerous hitting, the likely fatigue of Seihō’s ace, and the risks of playing in rainy conditions.
• Tanba gathered Seido’s pitchers and catchers, promised to attack Sano in his first two at-bats, and urged every pitcher to take responsibility as the team’s ace.
• The narrator described how their father put toilet cleaner in the washing machine, lost his phone, and flooded the house while trying to fix the heating, prompting the family to plan a doctor’s visit.

Seido faced Seibo at Koshien, recovering from an early deficit and keeping the game tied through the fifth inning. After Haruichi singled as a pinch hitter, Kōshū went to warm up in the bullpen.

• Kōshū dreamed that his Wild Pitch cost Seido the game, and Miyuki woke him after hearing him cry.
• At breakfast, the team teased Sawamura for crying in his sleep, while Miyuki asked Kōshū how he was feeling.
• Seido arrived at Koshien, where Kuramochi led off against Seibo as the game began.
• Tanba gave up a two-run home run in the first, but Seido tied the score with two runs in the second and Tanba retired the side in order in the bottom half.
• With the game tied 2:2 in the fifth, Kataoka sent Haruichi in to pinch hit, and Haruichi singled through the infield.
• Miyuki sent Kōshū to warm up in the bullpen as Furuya had only two more innings left to pitch.

Seido took a one-run lead over Seibang, but Masuko’s chance to bring home two runners ended in a groundout against Seibang’s newly entered ace. Furuya stayed on the mound to defend the lead as Seibang’s ninth batter prepared to face his high-velocity pitching.

• Senior Kominato’s sacrifice bunt advanced the runners and brought Seido the go-ahead run.
• Furuya’s pitching grew faster under pressure, and Kōshū signaled for Miyuki to call Changeups to help him relax.
• Senior Kominato feinted toward home, drawing a throw to third while Yuki advanced to second; Seido had runners on second and third with two outs.
• Seibang’s ace entered and struck out Masuko with a breaking pitch that Kōshū suspected was a previously unseen Cutter.
• Eijun prepared to relieve Furuya if needed, while Seibang’s ninth batter, Shirayama, planned to watch Furuya’s pitches and help his teammates adjust.

Seido’s Furuya faced Seihō’s cleanup hitter Sano Shuzo in a tense inning, walking him after a foul-producing Fast Forkball but keeping him stranded at third. With Seido still leading by one run, Kōshū prepared to take the mound in the seventh inning.

• Shirayama struck out against Furuya’s fastball, and Seihō’s batters considered the threat posed by Seido’s next pitcher, Kōshū.
• Seido’s battery tested Furuya against Sano Shuzo, who fouled off a Fast Forkball on the first pitch.
• Furuya’s control wavered, and he walked Sano before throwing several pickoff attempts at first base.
• Furuya’s pitching stopped Seihō’s sacrifice-bunt advance, and Sano was stranded on third without scoring.
• Kōshū announced that he would pitch the next inning and went to warm up in the bullpen.
• Kōshū stepped onto Koshien’s mound for the first time as the game turned to the seventh inning.

Kōshū took the mound for Seido and struck out Seihō’s eighth batter with precise pitches. He then faced Seihō’s leadoff batter, who swung through a changeup on the first pitch.

• Kōshū opened the inning with a sharp fastball that Seihō’s eighth batter watched for a strike.
• Kōshū threw a bait ball in nearly the same location, and the batter swung and missed for strike two.
• Miyuki called for an outside slider, and Kōshū struck the eighth batter out on three pitches.
• Shirayama encouraged his teammates as he went to bat, while Seihō’s players discussed Kōshū’s fearless pitching and accuracy.
• Seihō’s leadoff batter swung at Kōshū’s first-pitch changeup and missed badly.

Seido failed to capitalize on a bases-loaded chance against Seibo One, leaving the game still one run apart. Rival teams watching from Tokyo saw Seido’s batting weaknesses as the game continued.

• Kōshū struck out Seibo One’s leadoff batter with a fastball and slider, retiring the side.
• Shirazu and Masuko singled, Miyuki’s sacrifice fly advanced a runner, and Shirazu’s later hit put runners on first and third with two outs.
• Kōshū hit a towering foul ball, then walked to load the bases for Kuramochi.
• Kuramochi struck out and tapped the ball, but the catcher tagged out the advancing Masuko before Kuramochi could reach first.
• Narumiya, Coach Todoroki, and other rival teams watched Seido’s game and discussed the lineup’s emerging problems.

In the eighth inning, Kōshū and Miyuki outmaneuvered Seibo’s batters with a mix of pitches and deliberate choices. Kōshū struck out Seibo’s third batter with an almost middle-middle pitch, leaving Seibo’s cleanup hitter next.

• Kōshū opened the inning by catching Seibo’s second batter off guard with an outside-corner fastball for a strike.
• Miyuki recognized Seibo was targeting inside pitches, and Kōshū used a Cutter to induce a groundout to the second baseman.
• Miyuki chose to set up the cleanup hitter by attacking Seibo’s third batter with outside pitches and Changeups.
• Kōshū got the third batter to foul off an outside fastball and miss a Cutter for a strike.
• Kōshū threw an almost middle-middle ball, and the third batter’s hesitation let it cross the plate for an out.

Kōshū and Miyuki faced Sano Shuzo with two outs, and Kōshū struck him out to end the inning. Sano realized he would not get another at-bat.

• Sano told Kōshū that the third batter had been fooled by Miyuki's pitch selection, while Miyuki proposed walking Sano if he caught Kōshū's rhythm.
• Kōshū resisted the idea of deliberately walking Sano but agreed that a home run would worsen Seido's position.
• Kōshū opened the showdown with a high inside pitch that Sano avoided for a ball.
• Kōshū's rising fastball caught the back of Sano's bat for a foul, and a Two-Seam Fastball then fooled him into swinging at a ball.
• Kōshū threw a Changeup, and Sano swung through it for the third out, realizing he would not bat again.

Seido defeated West Tokyo in the ninth inning after Todoroki’s home run broke open the close game, securing a place in the Koshien quarterfinals. Back at the inn, Miyuki asked Lang Zhi about Kōshū’s emotional state and weaknesses, but their conversation had only just begun.

• West Tokyo rallied in the dugout, but Todoroki hit a home run in the top of the ninth and Shirayama wondered whether the heavy rain during their defensive innings was a sign from heaven.
• Seido widened its lead to four runs and defeated West Tokyo, becoming the sixth team to reach the Koshien quarterfinals.
• Seido met the captain of Great Troll Wisteria in the Players' Tunnel, and Yuki told him they would meet on the field.
• At the inn, Miyuki asked Lang Zhi about Kōshū's emotional state and whether he had any weaknesses.
• Lang Zhi began thinking about what he could tell Miyuki about his brother.

Lang Zhi told Miyuki about Kōshū’s perfectionism, attentiveness, and struggles around strangers, prompting Miyuki to reconsider how he treated others. After Kōshū ran to clear his head, Seido learned it would face Ikuei High School the day after tomorrow.

• Lang Zhi told Miyuki that Kōshū had been a perfectionist since middle school and had worked hard to avoid falling behind in his studies.
• Lang Zhi explained that Kōshū won over their family by understanding their feelings and interests, leading Miyuki to reflect on his own bluntness.
• Lang Zhi recalled that Kōshū used to grow quiet around strangers, and Miyuki concluded that he had worked to change.
• Kōshū woke from a nap, worried about the exhausting season ahead, and went for a run to clear his head.
• Miyuki practiced swinging alone, while Kōshū noticed a hostile pitcher from Kyoma University at the draw.
• The draw announced that Seido would play Ikuei High School the day after tomorrow.

Seido defeated Ikuei 11–4 and advanced to the Koshien semifinals, while the media debated the team’s pitcher-rotation strategy. Kōshū rejected Miyuki’s questions about the ace position, and Tanba began weighing whether to continue playing baseball after high school.

• Miyuki tried to check on Kōshū’s mood, but Kōshū brushed him off and asked him to put a newspaper by the door.
• Seido’s Central Batting Lineup broke through Ikuei’s ace in the sixth inning, and Seido won 11–4.
• Newspapers and online commentators debated Seido’s pitcher rotation and whether high-school competition or protecting young pitchers mattered more.
• Kōshū spoke with his mother after a team meeting, then told Miyuki that Tanba remained the ace and that he accepted the coaches’ decisions about pitching.
• Tanba reflected on his loss to Ikuei and questioned whether he wanted to keep playing baseball in university.

Seido watched Great Troll Wisteria battle its way into the Koshien final, where they would face Seido after a day and a half of preparation. Hongo vowed to study Seido’s pitchers, especially Kōshū, as the chapter ended with the teams preparing for their showdown.

• Hongo studied Seido’s footage and decided their pitchers, particularly Kōshū, had to be understood before they could be beaten.
• Seido discussed Takeyama High School’s strengths before defeating them 9–2 in the semifinal.
• Seido watched Great Troll Wisteria repeatedly change pitchers and reclaim the lead against their semifinal opponent.
• Nitta Manager warned Hongo not to lose his temper while Seido watched from the stands.
• Great Troll Wisteria’s first-year pitcher shut down the opposition in the ninth, securing a 6–3 win and a place in the final against Seido.

Seido reviewed its tournament pitching statistics and compared them with Kyoma University's ahead of their matchup, finding the teams had the same overall ERA. The meeting then turned to Seido's weaknesses at the plate, leaving the lineup under scrutiny.

• Eijun celebrated that he and Kōshū had ERAs of zero, while the others reviewed Seido's pitching statistics and discussed how Kōshū had become the team's effective ace.
• Chris explained that Kyoma University's four pitchers had a combined 1.6 ERA, with experienced third-years Nakata and Fuji, steady left-handed reliever Motomura, and first-year Hongo Masamune.
• Isashiki said Kyoma's pitching staff resembled Seido's but had more experience, and Kōshū acknowledged his own major-tournament experience came from middle school.
• Chris concluded that Seido's lineup lacked offensive threat outside the third through sixth spots and that only the third and fourth hitters consistently connected, leaving Masuko and Miyuki uneasy.