Original subtitles

Yeah.

There's no doubt about it.

He's a knuckleball pitcher.

Yeah! We can do this!

We can put up a fight against Inashiro!

Hidokoro, eyes on the ball!

We've gotta score first!

Strike!

Batter out!

Bring it on.

Like I'd lose a pitching game.

Pitching of Despair

West Tokyo Semifinals Seido High School vs Sensen Academy Inashiro Vocational High School vs Sakurazawa High School

I'm swinging completely late.

I gotta swing at two.

A... changeup?

So this...

...is how the best pitcher in Kanto pitches.

No one's taking this game seriously!

It's a well-established breaking ball.

It is?

Narumiya's getting real worked up.

An eye for an eye, a pitch for a pitch.

That's the Mei I know too well.

Who would've thought this would be a pitching game?

Inashiro is having a hard time against the kunckleball pitcher.

What's going to happen this game?

Inashiro Sakurazawa

It's the top of the third,

and Inashiro has a runner on third with just one out.

It's their huge chance to score.

Out!

Yes! Two outs!

Nice, Akira!

Nice pitching!

Even with a runner on third, the pitcher's staying calm.

Yeah.

He walked a person with balls,

and he had bases stolen to third,

but he's continuing to pitch his knuckleball.

He acknowledges the pitch for all its pros and cons

and has made it his.

Batting first, center fielder, Kamiya-kun.

Strike!

Yeah, I'm not gonna get used to this.

Bring it.

There's no point being serious against a ridiculous pitch like this.

I'm going into ridiculous mode, too.

How's that?

He got a perfect hit!

The left fielder's running fast!

He's caught it!

A great catch from Furuki in left field!

Are you serious?

Man, I'm good.

Not bad.

Inashiro fell short of its great chance.

Sakurazawa High School managed to hold down Inashiro, once again!

No matter who we're up against,

let's play persistently and patiently...

...just like we always have.

If we do that, then...

Then we'll get a chance to score at some point.

No, you won't.

Strike!

Batter out!

Change!

L-Let's go.

Yeah.

That inning was way too fast.

We're doing everything we can to defend,

but they're...

Woohoo!

How in the world...

...are we going to score off him?

Everyone, be patient.

He can't possibly pitch like this until the last inning.

If you can defend until the end,

there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Batting first for Inashiro Vocational High School in the fourth inning...

...is their second batter and shortstop, Shirakawa-kun.

We can't give up any runs.

We can't make any mistakes.

Oh, no!

It went between his legs!

Sakurazawa has made their first error!

That's a runner with no outs for Inashiro.

First base runner quickly makes the steal!

The catcher can't make the throw!

That's no outs and a runner on second!

Inashiro is looking to score this inning!

You're fine! You're fine!

Don't worry about the runner!

One at a time, Tamuken!

Y-Yeah.

Let's switch gears!

Let's go!

Focus on the batter!

That's right.

Be calm and encourage each other.

This isn't the first obstacle you've hit

on your way here.

Second!

We can't make third!

First base!

Oh, no!

He fumbled!

He's too late for first base!

That's no outs and runners on first and third.

Yet another error from Sakurazawa!

Sorry!

Sorry, Akira!

Th-This isn't good.

Time out!

What's up?

You guys are all tense!

Sorry.

L-Let's switch gears.

It must be tough for the pitcher.

Those errors should've all been outs.

That's true.

But... why did they suddenly start making errors?

Because of Narumiya's pitching.

If they give up even a single run,

they'll lose the game.

He's been applying

a lot of pressure from the mound.

A-Applying pressure from the mound?

I assume...

...Sakurazawa can't imagine a way to score off Narumiya.

Yeah.

Sakurazawa has been winning their past games...

...because their opponents became flustered against their knuckleball,

and now they're experiencing a vast difference in skills for the first time.

So this is why Mei

was going all out from the beginning.

Did that surprise you?

I bet it did!

Akira?

Why do you all look like that?

We haven't given up any runs yet,

and it's only the fourth inning.

No one expects us to win, anyway.

We get to play baseball in such a huge stadium.

Let's not worry about the results,

and play like we usually do until the end.

Akira.

All right!

Let's play our best!

Yeah!

Akira-kun.

Akira.

One at a time!

Let's stay loud!

It's no outs with runners on first and third.

Inashiro's cleanup, Harada, is at bat.

Play!

Run all you want.

He steals the base!

That's no outs with runners on second and third for Inashiro.

If you can't hit here, you're fired from cleanup!

Shut up.

Hit it, Harada!

Masa-san!

You've got this!

Even if there's not a single person in this stadium...

...who wants us to win.

Even so, I still...

...believe in my pitch!

Your tempo is going up a bit.

Take your time and be careful with your pitch.

With this pitch,

I can accomplish my dreams.

D-Don't rush to pitch!

Akira-kun!

Remember the zen!

I want to go there.

With this guy,

I want to stand on the mound at nationals.

Inashiro Sakurazawa

Inashiro Sakurazawa

Inashiro Sakurazawa

That's the game.

Yeah.

Harada-kun's three-run homer in the fourth inning.

That completely took out Sakurazawa.

Nagao-kun pitched courageously, even with his teammates' errors,

but in the very end, he got a little too tense.

So when you're throwing knuckleballs,

even just a little bit of emotion can throw you off.

What's really scary here...

...is that Narumiya-kun's pitching affected the fielding

of his opponents.

Finish it.

I can't let it end without doing anything.

Strike!

He instills despair into his opponents.

And his consistent pitching...

...creates rhythm for his offense.

Just a single person...

...is making this all-star Inashiro team even fiercer.

This is what you call an ace.

The indestructable pillar that supports the team.

That's the game!

It's a called game after five innings with the score of 11-0!

Inashiro advances to the final after displaying their tremendous ability!

Bow!

Good game!

Hey!

You should go home with your head held high.

You only lost to the best team in the country this season.

See ya.

Sorry about that.

I'll kill him later.

The best in the country?

No wonder we lost.

We never even had a chance.

We got completely outplayed.

I have no regrets.

Now, I can just...

...give up on my dream.

I can...

Mei!

Nice game!

Inashiro's the best!

You've got one more win!

Masa-san!

Let's go again this year!

Yamaoka!

Yoshida!

Soyogi!

Mei-chan!

Narumiya-kun!

Narumiya!

Mei!

Hey!

We're gonna win!

We won't lose!

E-Eijun-kun.

Sawamura!

Stop barking like an idiot.

We're already pissed off,

thinking about what happened last year.

The winners go to nationals.

It's the best game to pay them back for last year.

Last summer,

they stood in our path.

They're back, and they're bigger and stronger.

Will Inashiro make two consecutive nationals?

Or will we make nationals

after being away for six years?

The final game to decide the West Tokyo representative...

...is about to start.

Kazuya, even without you,

we're as strong as ever.

What were you talking about with the enemies?

Nothing.

Were you leaking my information to them?

Didn't Inashiro invite you, too?

If I hadn't said I'd play catcher that day...

Maybe this was fate.

Next time on Ace of the Diamond: That Summer.

That Summer

Let's win the national title!