Safe!
And that makes it three for today!
Mitsuru Adachi
（Serialized in Shogakukan's 「Weekly Shonen Sunday」）
Created by
Toshihiro Nakazawa
Nobumasa Sawabe
Planning
Masato Hayashi
Rei Anami (TV TOKYO)
Shin'ichirou Tsuzuki
Planning Assistance
Toshisato Okuno Shin Omura Takenori Ichihara
Tetsuya Takeda
Supervisors
Original Planning Assistance
Michihiro Tsuchiya
Series Composition
Yuji Kondo
Main Character Design
Maho Takahashi
Tomoyuki Matsumoto
Koichi Imano
Art Design
Subcharacter Design
Prop Design
Kayoko Ono
Miki Tsubouchi
Hiromi Komine
Yutaka Kuramoto
Art Director
Color Design
Photography Director
Editing
Nobuhide Tanaka Toshiyuki Kuroiwa
Kotaro Nakagawa
Takeshi Takadera
HALF H・P STUDIO
Music Producer
Music
Sound Director
Sound Production
「Summer Rain」
Lyrics／Composition: Kentaro Kobuchi
Arrangement: Kobukuro
Kobukuro
（Warner Music Japan）
Opening Theme
Shogakukan Music & Digital Entertainment
TV-TOKYO Music
Warner Music Japan
Music Assistance
Ryosuke Sakurai
Animation Producer
Animation Production
Shin'nosuke Wada (TV TOKYO) Naohiko Furuichi
Producers
Osamu Sekita
Director
Shogakukan Shueisha Production
Production Studio
SUBTITLED BY ANBU
Strike three!
Game set!
That was close.
We finished just in time.
No, we finished too fast, dumbass.
Why did you keep ignoring my calls and throwing strikes?
It flashed again.
Is it just me,
or are his fastballs getting faster with each game?
Unfortunately,
it's not just you.
Oh man.
Judging by that, I guess our baseball team won again.
She said our cleanup hitter got three RBIs, and our ace threw a shutout.
It'll be bad for me unless they lose soon.
I can't make plans for a Tsukishima family camping trip at this rate.
You'd probably find Aoba's foot in your behind if you told her that now.
But it's not like they're going to be able to make it to Koshien anyway.
Ow!
I'm going back to training camp, Dad.
Yeah, say "hi" to everyone for me.
Huh?
Where's Akane?
Oh, she's taking the day off because she's not feeling well.
I see.
Do you want to take the Baumkuchen that Mr. Takeda gave us with you, Aoba?
As if I could!
Those hungry wolves back at the team would gobble it up the instant they saw me with it.
You're right.
I guess I'll just let Momiji—
Coffee, please.
I said I wouldn't take it,
but I didn't say that I wouldn't eat it, did I?
What are you doing?
Oh, I wanted to make sure that I don't forget today's form.
I was throwing fast in today's game even though I didn't put as much power into it.
Did I do anything different?
I wouldn't know.
I've never thrown a ball as fast as you, unfortunately.
Hey, Tsukishima.
You're back, huh?
That late home run you hit today provided a nice cushion for us.
That extra run was useless, though, given the way Ko was pitching today.
Oh yeah, have you heard anything about Akane?
Didn't she say that she'd come see today's game?
Well, actually...
Did something happen to her?
Oh, she got stuck with something she couldn't get out of.
I see.
Oh, is that all?
So that's why you were playing harder than usual today.
Dumbass!
I always give my best on each play!
Forget that lousy home run;
today's spotlight was definitely on the leadoff hitter who reached base three times.
Right, Tsukishima?
According to the official records, all three were due to fielding errors.
What?
Ridiculous!
Anyone could have seen that those were proper hits!
All three of them!
Right, Tsukishima?!
I think you might have been taking wider steps than usual.
I don't know if that's the reason,
but your elbow stayed up the whole time with each pitch.
I could just be imagining things, though.
Don't blame me if I'm wrong, okay?
I was taking wider steps than usual...
Ball four!
And here's another walk on base.
What exactly is going on here?
Seishu's ace, who's known for his pinpoint accuracy,
has now walked his eighth batter of the game.
He's stepping a lot wider than he used to before.
I'm sorry.
Did you say something?
Oh, nothing.
His control has gotten worse...
And he swings on a ball!
That's a strikeout!
...but his speed's now up to the upper 150km's.
No way.
It's in the upper 150's.
What kind of guys do you like, Aoba?
A guy who can throw a 160km/h fastball.
Strike three!
A strikeout, and that ends the game!
Nicely done, Ko Kitamura!
Any batter would freeze against a pitch like that!
You can't steal him away from me, okay?
Seishu Academy advances into the quarterfinals!
Ao—
I mean, have you seen Tsukishima?
She went out.
She said she was going for a run.
I see.
It's been a while since she left;
exactly how far does Aoba run each day?
I don't know about distance,
but she probably runs the most out of everyone on the team.
One time, this team I played against had this really amazing pitcher.
"Cool" couldn't begin to describe that pitcher's form.
So I thought, "I bet it'd feel really good if I could pitch like that, too..."
At least I did, back then.
"I bet it feels really good," huh?
I'm the one who's saying that now!
You might be right about that!
Right?
Don't mind our trespassing, Captain.
Why aren't you at the training camp?
I'm just here to pick up some change of clothes.
Oh yeah,
the girl from the Soba restaurant...
W-What about Akane?
Boy was that a surprise.
Here I was thinking, "he's pitching like that again today after yesterday's game?"
Her pitching form is just like his.
That's because she's my teacher.
If it weren't for her,
I might not even have been able to play catch properly right now.
How are you two related?
Could you elaborate a little on that story?
I see.
You there.
Do you think we could take a picture of you and Kitamura together?
Sorry, I'm practicing.
Oh my, she stared us down.
You wouldn't think she's so harsh with that cute face, huh?
I told you she'd refuse.
That's rare these days,
especially when you know that your picture might end up in the paper.
But I'm sure she realizes that she won't be able to play in any official games no matter how hard she practices.
I should be returning to practice, as well.
W-Wait a minute, Kitamura!
Could you tell us more about your 156km/h fastball—
The area ahead is restricted to team members and personnel only.
Don't go around telling them useless things about me, okay?
Yeah, sorry.
I tried really hard to tell them about how great you are,
but it seems like they got nothing out of it.
I'm going to start knocking these back!
Yes, sir!
Center field!
Now that I think about it,
she didn't come to yesterday's game either, did she?
Catch the ball, you dumbass!
Who didn't?
Akane.
Next, right field!
Three more games, three more!
I can just see it now;
my wedding day is coming!
She was probably busy with something else.
Besides, it's not like she goes to our school.
We can't expect her to just come and support us in everything we—
Are you worried about something?
Yeah.
The other day she told me that she suddenly started feeling sick after she got off the train.
Worrying about it won't get you or her anywhere.
I bet you weren't worried at all.
Huh?
Back during that summer.
You waited for her to come back, without a single worry in the world, right?
Like I said—
It looks like she's been hospitalized.
Akane, that is.
We're going to the Koshien!
I'm going to submit our marriage papers!
Bring on the wedding reception!
One, two...
They're playing hard, just as we've been wanting them to.
Seishu, I mean.
They're the only school in this tournament whose ace and cleanup hitters are as good as ours.
Although they clearly don't match up to us when it comes to collective strength and overall depth.
They have one thing that's clearly better than ours, though.
Their catcher, right?
Yeah.
Akaishi!
My bad.
Tsukishima hasn't come back yet?
Doesn't look like it.
It's the room next to that one.
Is it okay for you to be up and about right now?
I see.
So Akaishi found out, huh?
But then again his dad does deliver alcohol to our restaurant.
I wanted it to stay quiet since you guys are at the crucial stage of the tournament.
I'm fine, I said.
I've been going in and out of hospitals ever since I was little.
They're just keeping me here for tests, that's all.
Tell Kitamura not to worry and just think about the upcoming game for me, okay?
They're playing in the quarterfinals tomorrow, right?
He'll think about you, Akane.
And he'll play even harder than usual.
I'm going to blame you if we lose, okay?
Kitamura's at a loss, isn't he?
He always tries so hard when no one's looking,
but no one seems to be able to tell that he is.
O-Oh, it's nothing.
There you are, Miss Takigawa.
It's time to draw some blood.
Oh, sorry.
See you, Aoba.
Can I come visit you tomorrow, too?
I'll be waiting for news of victory.
And that's what's going on.
Feel better now, Akaishi?
We haven't gotten the results of her test yet, right?
We have not.
Don't worry about me!
I always give my best on each play!
I haven't said a thing.
Welcome back to the North Tokyo Regional Qualifiers for the Summer Koshien Tournament.
The atmosphere here at Jingu Stadium is white-hot today,
as Seishu Academy and Kicchoji face off in today's quarterfinals.
Seishu had a runner on second with one out in the first inning,
and they drew first blood with a double off the bat of their third batter, Nakanishi.
Moving on to the fourth inning.
Seishu started things off with their big bat, Azuma,
who hit a spaceship-wrecking triple.
Sixth batter Kitamura then brought him home, making the score 2-0.
But at the bottom of that inning, with Kicchoji at the plate,
the fleetfooted Yoshinaga stole second after drawing a walk.
Then the runner made it all the way to third base thanks to a wild throw from the catcher.
Yoshinaga then brought a runner home in the nick of time through an infield grounder.
Kicchoji has cut the deficit by one.
At the end of the sixth inning, the score is now 2-1.
It's a close game here, as expected from a quarterfinals game.
I'd expect no less from Kicchoji.
It'll be hard for our batters to make good contact if he keeps throwing submarine changeups like that.
Not to mention that Senda has a tendency to go overboard.
Bring it!
I'll hit the next one, I tell you!
All right!
Strike three!
That's a strike out at 154km/h!
Kitamura continues to top 150km/h with ease today.
Sakata's finesse against Kitamura's power;
we're witnessing yet another breathtaking pitching duel here today.
So he was able to improve his control without dropping his speed, huh?
He's only walked one today, right?
Yeah.
Although I'd have to remind you that his walk was what led to the only run we've given up today.
I wouldn't mind scoring one more run.
And here it is!
The cleanup hitter, Azuma, belts it out!
Seishu Academy has just gotten a valuable insurance run.
Their ace and cleanup hitter are as good as ours, all right.
Yeah, but their catcher...
Strike three!
And there's another strikeout!
That's the third strikeout for fifth batter Akaishi today.
He sends it flying!
And that wraps up the game!
And Seishu wins it by two!
Nice pitching.
He got lucky.
Oh, shut up.
Seishu Academy now advances to the semifinals.
I might end up going under the knife.
It'd be my fault if you were to start playing badly now, right, Akaishi?
Yeah.
But I won't let that happen.
Aren't you worried about her?
I'd be worrying from dusk till dawn for days on end if worrying could cure people.
Next time, on Cross Game Episode Forty-Six:
I'm getting a bad feeling about this.
Say, Ko,
everyone's free to like whomever they choose, aren't they?