Kamijo Seiseisha
A dramatic walk-off hit!
The team advancing from the first quarterfinal will be Osaka Seiseisha!
Kawasaki!
Keep going to the championship!
Nice game!
It was close!
Come back in the summer!
Well fought!
The second quarterfinal game between Yamamori Academy and Yakushi High School
...will begin at 11:00.
It was Kawasaki's bat that won them the game.
That was a slider.
Too bad for Sasaki on Kamijo.
Is it cold today?
It hasn't gotten much warmer.
Maybe we won't need any ice.
How many pitches did he throw?
I'm pretty sure he won't be pitching tomorrow.
Kawasaki-san looks scary, but he's got excellent control.
Guys!
The bus is here!
Yeah!
Let's get going!
Yeah!
Two games until the final!
This is when the going gets tough!
Yeah!
What? Tickets are sold out?
It's cold!
I couldn't sleep last night.
Me, neither!
The games today are crazy!
Day 9 First base line Third base line Seiseisha – Kamijo Academy Yamamori Academy – Yakushi Hakuryu – Yoshinaga Seido – Komadai Fujimaki
Seido Komadai
Game 1 Seiseisha 6 Kamijo 5
Game 2 Yamamori 2 Yakushi 4
Game 3 Hakuryu 7 Yoshinaga 1
It's time for the much-anticipated fourth game.
Seido from Western Tokyo will face Komadai Fujimaki from Southern Hokkaido.
The game will begin soon!
Isn't that Todoroki and Mishima from Yakushi?
Keep it down. They'll know we're here.
This is incredible. The seats are practically full.
Yeah.
I really wanna see the two 150-km/h pitchers battle it out!
They both give really bland interviews.
Seido Komadai
It had better not rain.
Seido's batting first.
Seido Komadai Fujimaki
1
Kuramochi
Aku
2
Tojo
Nishi
3
Kominato
Taninaka
4
Miyuki
Aoyanagi
5
Furuya
Enjo
6
Shirasu
Hongo
7
Kanemaru
Habu
8
Yamaguchi
Eto
9
Aso
Sasaki
Furuya's starting today, huh?
Putting him on the mound first...
Well, it's not unreasonable.
Komadai Fujimaki will be fielding first.
On the mound is #1,
second-year ace Hongo Masamune, starting for the first time this tournament.
The catcher is also a second-year, Enjo Renji.
So we'll get to see the aces face each other in the first inning!
Coach Nitta knows what we want.
He didn't do it for us!
He finally steps up in the quarterfinal.
Aren't Coach Nitta's rotations usually set in stone?
Maybe he switched things up for a reason.
He may have been preparing for this match.
You mean the quarterfinal?
Coach Nitta from Komadai Fujimaki...
and Coach Kataoka from Seido High School.
Both teams have relied on their deep pitching relays to make it this far.
The timing of how they swap their pitchers may decide this game.
The third baseman's on alert.
Yeah.
Seido Komadai
Top of the first inning.
Batting first for Seido High School, shortstop Kuramochi-kun.
This is much better than making us wait to face him.
Either way,
we'll have to overcome this pitcher
or we have no hope of winning.
Play!
Here comes the highly awaited first pitch!
Well, I did tease drag bunts in the first and second rounds.
But I'm swinging at the first pitch here!
Strike!
His first pitch is 150 km/h!
All-out already?!
And he put it on the inside corner!
Hongo is incredible!
Well, damn.
No, he's swinging just fine!
Strike two!
Outside corner!
After that inside pitch, no way he could swing at that!
Incredible! He won't hit anything!
The way he pitches inside and outside so naturally is part of his strength.
He looks wild, but has excellent control.
Now the third pitch!
Will it be a slider? Or something else?
A splitter.
Keep your strike zone high in this game.
Got it?
Yes, sir!
Let the low balls go, even if you're down in the count.
It's a fastball!
He goes down swinging!
Ace Hongo takes down lead-off batter Kuramochi with a splitter!
He swung at a pitch that bounced?
Shows how good his fastballs are!
Don, don, don't!
Shut up!
They drop so steeply at that speed?
I wanna hit that!
I wouldn't swing at an obvious ball like that.
Batting second, center fielder Tojo-kun.
Wow.
And we're in the same year.
Foul!
My swing's late.
It sank... at that speed?
Strike! Batter out!
How does that pitch's arc look?
Batting third, second baseman Kominato-kun.
Like he's taking out the stress of not getting to start until now on the batters,
he lets his irritation, worries, frustration,
and his anger at me explode.
He can express all of his feelings through his pitching alone.
His extraordinary ability allows him to do that.
The speed... No.
The pressure is so intense.
I wanted to get a hit without getting to two strikes.
He is truly...
blessed by the baseball gods.
Three fastballs.
And that's strike three!
He takes down Seido's top three batters in an incredible start!
He has yet to allow a run at Koshien Stadium!
No one knows the depths of his talent.
I'll gladly be the bad guy if it means helping Masamune grow.
That's Komadai... Hongo Masamune's pitching.
So Kominato couldn't even get his bat on the ball.
We need to hit those fastballs if we hope to score.
Miyuki, get us some momentum.
Don't be passive.
If you show weakness, they'll jump on it.
Yes, sir!
Okay, things are just getting started!
Let's stay tight on defense!
Yeah!
Furuya, I think you know, but get the first batter out!
Take them one at a time.
Komadai Fujimaki's ace, Hongo, had an impressive start in the top of the first.
Now in the bottom, the pitcher who threw
an incredible 154 km/h against Nihon Shono,
Seido's ace Furuya is on the mound.
Now it's Furuya-san's turn.
How fast will he throw today?
It's cold today.
Komadai Fujimaki
Aku
Nishi
Taninaka
Aoyanagi
In the bottom of the first inning, Komadai Fujimaki High School is up to bat.
Batting first, center fielder Aku-kun.
After Hongo's impressive start,
what kind of pitching will we see
from Seido's Satoru Furuya?
This team likes to swing.
They'll be looking for a meatball.
A strong pitch to the outside.
Got it.
Two pitchers from Hokkaido are battling at Koshien Stadium!
The first pitch is hit into short left field!
Seido Komadai
Komadai Fujimaki has a chance to extend their first-inning lead.
How will Seido's Furuya work through this situation?
A strong hit between third base and shortstop!
Nice, third!
Third baseman Kanemaru makes a great stop!
That's three outs!
Komadai Fujimaki's eighth batter Eto is out, leaving a runner on base,
and the score remains unchanged.
After giving up two runs in the first,
Seido Komadai
Seido's ace Satoru Furuya has been showing real tenacity.
After the lead-off batter's base hit,
they moved the runner to second with a hit-and-run.
The third batter walked, and the fourth struck out.
The fifth batter, Enjo, got a two-RBI hit to right-center field.
They scored pretty quickly.
Even the runner on first made it home because the return wasn't great.
Furuya-kun has settled into a rhythm.
Yeah, and the other fielders have his back.
His pitches are still erratic,
but that's just part of who he is as a player.
Miyuki-kun is calling a good game, too.
He gave up some runs, but he's doing his job as the ace.
But two runs...
Those will be hard to get back.
In the top of the fifth, Seido High School is up to bat.
Their only time on base was when Shirasu was walked.
Seido High School has yet to get a hit off of Hongo!
Start with one!
Get on base and create opportunities for the team!
Yeah!
In the top of the fifth, Seido High School is up to bat.
Batting fifth, pitcher Furuya-kun.
Swing for the fences, Furuya!
If you make contact, something will happen!
I'll get back the runs I gave up.
This guy can knock it out of the park, Masamune.
Right, he doesn't go easy on anyone.
He's the most competitive guy I know.
Three years ago
Game over!
Nice, Masamune!
Nice game!
That's Aoba Middle's Hongo?
He's a second-year, right?
He's got a bad attitude, but he's a really good pitcher.
Hongo's crazy!
But doesn't that other guy pitch faster?
Who do you mean?
Satoru Furuya at Tomakomai Middle.
Oh right, him!
The catcher couldn't catch his pitches, so the game didn't go well.
I've never seen anyone pitch like that.
Compared to him...
But I haven't heard his name lately. Is he still playing?
Is that guy even real?
Well, if he is as good as they say, we'll face him eventually.
We never faced him in middle school.
But last fall,
at the Jingu tournament,
we saw a closer wearing #1.
That was him.
Masamune knew the moment he saw him.
Have you ever seen...
a white ball flying across the snow?
Have you ever seen...
a demon of a man who has sold his soul to baseball?
That's all of today's snow.
Now get practicing.
We didn't come from Hokkaido to enjoy baseball.
We came to take the championship banner.
And that's what we'll do!
Strike!
Batter out!
As if you big-city pansies could ever stop us!
Top of the seventh inning
Snow?
Sleet?
I just saw some.
No, that can't be. Not this late in the year.
Maybe I imagined it.
Seido Komadai
We're counting on you, Kominato!
Let's go!
Ball!
Yes! Good eye, good eye!
Pick your pitch, Harucchi!
Kominato hits to the third baseman, who sends the ball to first.
One out!
Yeah!
Nice, third!
Nice pitch, Masamune!
One out!
It wasn't a bad hit! Don't!
Seido still doesn't have a hit.
Seido Komadai
This is nuts.
They won't hit!
Hongo is on a roll today.
His splitters are too sharp!
Pick your pitch!
Now it's time for cleanup Miyuki's third at-bat!
A splitter on the first pitch!
You can't help but swing at those.
Three innings left.
If they don't get a hit soon, this game really might end up a no-hitter!
That would be interesting to see.
You're there representing Tokyo.
Start playing like it!
Miyuki connects!
Yeah!
Yes, our first hit! That's our captain!
Yes, yes, yes!
Way to go, Captain!
We won't let it end like this.
Our ace is pitching just as well as you.
Batting fifth, pitcher Furuya-kun.
Will he do a sacrifice bunt?
Maybe, but they're down by two.
If it fails, they're screwed.
It comes down to how well they can use the runner.
Another hit!
He caught it!
Out!
Second baseman, Captain Hideo Nishi (third-year)
Sorry, Masamune!
We couldn't get a double play!
But that's two outs!
Look at me!
I'm your senpai, and the captain!
Ignore
Masamune, two outs!
Two outs!
A defense trained on snow-covered ground!
The Komadai Fujimaki fielders have the ace's back!
Let's finish the inning!
Yeah!
Seido High School has two outs,
but with a runner in scoring position for the first time this game.
Go!
Shirasu!
Now it's up to the sixth batter, Shirasu!
Can they make use of this opportunity?
You can do it, Shirasu!
You're on target!
Yeah!
It dropped away!
He swings and it's strike three!
Komadai's Hongo again leaves Seido scoreless!
We're just getting started!
Hold them off and go again in the next inning!
Masamune!
Get us another run!
Keep it going, Furuya!
Focus on the lead-off batter!
In the bottom of the seventh, Komadai Fujimaki High School is batting.
Up at bat is their ace, Hongo Masamune!
He has a sharp swing.
Be careful on the height.
Swing and a miss on an outside pitch!
No more runs.
Bring it.
Not a single one.
You won't even get on base!
Bring it on!
And it's caught!
Right to the left fielder!
This round of the ace battle goes to Furuya!
Those two are crazy!
They're on fire!
Two in a row!
That's his tenth strikeout!
What kind of game is this?
They're too good!
With his form improving,
he's pitched the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings perfectly!
Looking at this, it's hard to tell who's winning the game.
That pitcher's good.
Nice pitching, Furuya-kun!
Nice pitch!
There are two innings left in the fourth quarterfinal game.
Will Seido High School be able to catch up?
"Blessed by the Baseball Gods"
"Blessed by the Baseball Gods"!
Start with the lead-off batter!
Make sure to get him out, Furuya!
Everyone in the field, help him out!
He's thrown over 120 pitches,
but Furuya keeps improving in response to Hongo.
Only one inning left to score.
We won't let this end yet.
I'll make sure to get Miyuki-senpai to bat!
Next Time
"The Day It Began"
On the next episode of Ace of the Diamond Act II: "The Day It Began."
Let's win the national title!