Chapter Summaries

Seido opened its game against Yakushi with Tanba facing the fearsome Raichi at the top of the batting order. Tanba struck out Raichi and retired the side, while Kataoka considered rotating pitchers to keep Yakushi from adapting.

• Kōshū saw that Yakushi had moved its Central Batting Lineup to the top of the order, with Raichi leading off.
• Coach Todoroki urged Raichi to exploit Tanba’s shaky mentality, while Miyuki carefully planned how to attack him.
• Tanba followed Miyuki’s calls and struck Raichi out with a Curveball after Raichi fouled off several pitches.
• Raichi praised Tanba’s pitch as he left the Batter’s Box, and Seido’s fielders encouraged Tanba.
• Tanba got Yakushi’s next batter to ground out and struck out Mishima with a Forkball to end the inning.
• Kōshū urged Tanba to accept water from the other pitchers, reminding him that Seido’s Pitcher Lineup was united.

Seido built a 4–0 lead over Yakushi before Sanada replaced Mino, and both teams tested each other’s pitchers. Tanba then faced Todoroki Raichi with their signals breaking down, leaving the inning’s outcome unresolved.

• Isashiki, Yuki Captain, and Masuko helped Seido score four runs in the first inning, while Miyuki made the final out.
• Yakushi’s batters forced Tanba to throw aggressively in the second inning, and Coach Todoroki replaced Mino with Sanada before Seido’s next at-bat.
• Sanada struck out Kominato Ryosuke with a Cutter, then got Isashiki to hit an infield grounder.
• Ichidai Third’s players arrived and saw Seido leading Yakushi 4–0, while Tanba struggled to keep Yakushi’s runner at first.
• Todoroki Raichi fouled off Tanba’s pitches, and Tanba refused Miyuki’s signal to walk him, choosing to duel the batter.

Tanba refused to walk Raichi and struck him out for the second time, drawing strength from his teammates’ support. Seido held its 4–0 lead through the third inning, while Yakushi’s Sanada continued to limit their offense.

• Tanba rejected Miyuki’s suggestion to walk Raichi, and Yuki and the other third-years encouraged him to challenge the batter.
• Tanba and Miyuki worked together to strike out Raichi, and Tanba’s teammates retired the next batter with a runner stranded on second.
• Yuki grounded out in the bottom of the third, while Masuko reached first on an error.
• Miyuki reached first on a ground ball that forced Masuko out at second, leaving Sanada with two outs.
• Kōshū fouled off strikes and took balls to reach a full count, but Sanada’s outside-breaking Cutter was caught by the second baseman for the third out.

Todoroki Raichi hit a two-run home run off Tanba, but Tanba recovered and kept Yakushi from scoring again before Kawakami took over. Haruichi pinch-hit, while Kōshū realized the seniors’ final summer was nearing its end and resolved to give his all.

• Todoroki Raichi hit Tanba’s curveball into the stands for a two-run home run, narrowing Seido’s lead to two runs.
• Miyuki and the other Seido players gathered around Tanba, who admitted he could no longer handle Raichi and would walk him next time.
• Tanba walked a batter but induced a ground-ball double play to end the inning without allowing another run.
• Kataoka praised Tanba, announced that Kawakami would pitch the next inning, and sent Haruichi in as a pinch hitter.
• Haruichi connected the batting lineup before Seido’s turn ended, while Kōshū reflected on the seniors’ final summer and resolved to give his all.

Kawakami held Yakushi to one run before Seido brought Kōshū in to face Todoroki Raichi with two outs and a runner on first. Kōshū and Raichi squared off for the crucial at-bat, with the story ending before the first pitch.

• Kawakami allowed Yakushi to score once in the top of the seventh, then got Sanada out.
• Masuko hit a fast line drive, but Yakushi's shortstop caught it and helped turn it into the third out.
• Kawakami nearly ended the next inning, but Yakushi's ninth batter reached first on a difficult play.
• Kataoka substituted Kōshū for Kawakami, bringing him in to face Raichi with two outs and a runner on first.
• Coach Todoroki urged Raichi to treat Kōshū as a step toward facing Narumiya Mei, and Raichi entered the Batter's Box fired up.
• Miyuki set his glove inside for Kōshū's fastball as the two players prepared to face off.

Kōshū entered a brief Flow State and struck out Raichi, helping Seido extend its lead and close out the game against Yakushi. Afterward, the narrator described personal memories of experiencing Flow State.

• Kōshū threw a devastating inside fastball to Raichi, then struck him out with a sequence of pitches.
• Miyuki and Kōshū exchanged a fist bump as Seido prepared to bat in the bottom of the eighth.
• Seido scored a run during the eighth inning, widening its lead to 6:3.
• Kōshū and Miyuki struck out Yakushi’s batters in the top of the ninth, ending the game.
• The narrator recalled entering Flow State as a student and shared a memory of freezing during a final exam.

After Seido’s win, Kōshū reunited with his family and was teased by his teammates before being assigned to start in left field against Sensen. As the team prepared for the coming games, Kōshū practiced imagining his showdown with Todoroki Raichi.

• Kōshū shook hands with Todoroki Raichi and promised to strike him out next time, making Raichi cry again.
• Kōshū reunited with Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki, while he and Lang Zhi noticed their mother had dressed up for the visit.
• Eijun and Seido’s upperclassmen joked about Kōshū spending time with his family, then put him through a morning of live batting practice.
• Kataoka Manager announced that Seido would rotate its pitchers against Sensen and assigned Kōshū to start in left field.
• While the other pitchers trained, Kōshū stood before a net and mentally replayed his confrontation with Raichi.

Seido faced Senzen in the semifinal at Jingu Stadium, where Furuya started and Kōshū played left field. Kōshū and Furuya hit back-to-back home runs, and Seido defeated Senzen while testing its pitchers.

• Kōshū reflected on how aggression had shaped his pitching and resolved to keep it within bounds.
• Kataoka named Furuya the starter against Senzen, with Kōshū in left field.
• Miyuki singled with runners on first and third, bringing in a run and leaving runners on first and second for Kōshū.
• Kōshū hit Maki’s inside pitch for a three-run home run, then urged Furuya to attack the next pitch.
• Furuya hit a home run to center field, giving Seido consecutive home runs by first-year pitchers.
• Eijun took over on the mound in the fifth, and Senzen’s manager acknowledged Seido’s victory and strategy after the game.

Seido studied Narumiya Mei’s pitching and prepared its pitchers and batting strategy for the upcoming game against Inashiro Industrial. With Tanba set to start and the team traveling to Jingu Stadium, the chapter left their summer tournament fate undecided.

• Kōshū and Lang Zhi tracked Narumiya Mei’s pitches as Seido watched Inashiro Industrial defeat Sakurazawa.
• On the bus, Kōshū reviewed his pitches and considered how to face Narumiya Mei, while Miyuki urged him to focus on effective combinations and strategy.
• Kataoka Manager assigned Tanba to start, Kawakami to warm up from the third inning, and Furuya and Sawamura to enter from the sixth.
• Kōshū and Lang Zhi finished their limited analysis of Narumiya Mei, and Kōshū fell asleep after mentally rehearsing his pitching rhythm.
• The next morning, Seido warmed up and boarded the bus for Jingu Stadium.

Seido used relay pitching to protect an early lead against Inashiro, and Kōshū entered as the closer in the bottom of the sixth. Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki arrived just as Kōshū was called to the mound.

• Kōshū recalled Kataoka Manager assigning him to pitch from the seventh inning through the end of the final game.
• Seido scored once in the first inning, while Tanba held Inashiro scoreless through the third.
• Kataoka Manager replaced Tanba with Furuya in the bottom of the fourth, and Furuya struck out Harada Masataka with his fastball.
• Seido and Inashiro remained scoreless after Seido's first-inning run through the sixth inning.
• Shen Qing and Mr. Sasaki arrived at Jingu Stadium and heard that Kō-kun was replacing Furuya as pitcher.

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.