Ep. 24: Ko scouts Ryuo Academy and supports Aoba on Wakaba's seventeenth birthday

24

Ko, Akaishi, Azuma, and Nakanishi observe a practice match by Ryuo Academy, a team favored to win the prefectural tournament. During this scouting trip, they encounter a former teammate who transferred to Ryuo. Ko is impressed by Mishima, a non-starter batter, while Azuma recognizes him from a previous meeting. Azuma also speaks with Miki, who is scouting Ryuo for a different school; both express no regret regarding their decisions to leave or remain at Seishu. On Wakaba's 17th birthday, Ko purchases a shiny pendant as a scheduled gift. When the tournament bracket is revealed, Ryuo is seeded first, placing them against Seishu in the third game. Seishu’s opening match is scheduled for the fifth inning. Later, Ko catches pitches for Aoba, who was excluded from playing due to her gender, and encourages her not to abandon baseball as darkness falls.