Ep. 26: Ko's rare pitching and Aoba's childhood dreams shape the post-game aftermath.

26

After Ko strikes out three bunts in the fifth inning, Sanno's coach praises his rare talent. Seishu scores in the sixth, with Maeno blaming their lack of consistent weaknesses on inexperience. At Ryuo, Mishima dismisses Shimano's media attention, predicting a superior career for himself. Seishu wins 8 to 1, and newspapers highlight Ko's 93-mile-per-hour fastball. Mizuki notes this falls short of Aoba's ideal 100 mph, prompting Aoba to recall Wakaba's dream of her playing center field at Koshien. Aoba makes Ko tidy up before the interview, where he compares her to Wakaba and identifies Mishima as his biggest worry. The day before the Ryuo game, Azuma tells Ko they can win if Mishima remains on the bench.