With Hiyama in Enatsu’s hands, Aniya and the rest of the team run to his rescue. They all want to save him… but Hiyama stops them. He doesn’t want his team to get involved in another fight that would hinder them from going to Koshien.
Hearing this, the very mean Enatsu raises his arm and prepares himself to struck Hiyama with a baseball bat on his head. Good thing, Kawato-sensei comes in just right in time. He suggests that they all settle their ill feelings towards each other with a game.
Kawato-sensei is able to set a game with the Megurogawa Senior High School Baseball club where Enatsu belongs to but Principal Fujimura disapproves of it. With the support of Vice-principal Ikebe, Kawato-sensei assures everyone that everything will be alright.
Aniya doesn’t want to play with Enatsu. He feels that replacing a fight with a game is just so superficial. But Kawato explains to them that when he saw Enatsu and his gang, he remembers the first time he saw Aniya and the rest of the baseball club…. having no aspirations in life, laughing at people’s dreams and expressing themselves through violence.
Vice-principal Ikebe becomes the new head of the baseball club. He wants to help the team become prepared to go to Koshien. He hands them a manual that he has written from his own experience during his baseball years.
And the Nikogaku team starts a serious training from the master himself…. I wonder how’s the bratty Megurogawa team doing…. :; Oh, there they are! Fooling around… playing golf with their baseball bats…. But take note: They are the top 16th out of the 260 schools last year.
Every night, Aniya practices on his own. He is very determined to become a better baseball player. Enatsu used to be with the Nikogaku team until he did that dreadful thing on their last game. Aniya was very angry with Enatsu. He didn’t understand why Enatsu had hit on the head their opponent. Enatsu told Aniya that even if they won that game, they wouldn’t still make it to Koshien…. not with Nikogaku’s level.
Meanwhile, Enatsu and his team start to train seriously. It seems like they’ve all got pumped up after learning that their game with Nikogaku team will push through. Kawato-sensei hids himself behind a tree to check on Megurogawa’s training and its members but he has been found out by Sawamura, the coach of Megurogawa.
Instead of getting angry, the kind coach Sawamura gives to Kawato-sensei a list of his players that will be playing in the upcoming game. Kawato-sensei refuses to have the list but the old man insists. When Yufune and Okada learn who they will be playing against with, they feel insecure and incapable that they want to back out of the game.

The following day, the baseball club is so amazed when they have entered their room. It’s very neat and all their things have been cleaned. But there is also one thing that they have noticed…. Their uniforms are missing! Oh no! While strolling, Okada and Yufune notice something from a far distance. Their friends see them and follow them to where they are going.
And what a surprise! Their unforms have not been stolen all along. They have just been washed and cleaned by the very loving Kawato-sensei. And who is that old man with Kawato-sensei? Isn’t that Coach Sawamura of Megurogawa Senior High School? What is he doing with him? Well, it just so happens that Kawato-sensei is not only a very supportive head coach but he also happens to be a very proud teacher of his students. He promises to cheer for them until they go to Koshien.
After hearing all those words, I don’t think Yufune and Okada have anymore reasons to quit the baseball club and stop dreaming of going to Koshien. So…. it’s nice to see them back! There’s no more time to slack. The rigorous training has begun.
Aniya promises that he won’t lose to Enatsu even if he dies. He is determined to strike him out. The weather is good. Everyone is ready. And the day has finally arrived. It’s time to redeem the past.
The first to bat the ball is the Phantom Thief Sekikawa. Enatsu pitches the ball and hits Sekikawa on the arm. Sekikawa falls down on the ground and walks to the first base.
It’s Mikoshiba’s turn to bat the ball… But wait…. behind Enatsu, Sekikawa runs to the second base! Wow! What a run! Mikoshiba bunts and runs to the first base. Safe!
Wakana prepares himself to bat the ball but Enatsu intentionally pitches the ball outside the strike zone. The referee calls it a BALL and Wakana walks to the first base. And now with all three bases loaded, it’s in Aniya’s hands to make sure that he hits the ball and have all the four of them safely run to the homebase.
A windup pitch from Enatsu First ball…. STRIKE!
Second ball… STRIKE! Third ball… STRIKE! Aniya OUT!
But despite of scoring 0 in their first inning, Aniya and his teammates are still happy. They believe that they now have a much better offense and they are delighted to prove that they have a much better defense as well. The harder the opponent, the happier they become. It’s the joy of challenging themselves to overcome that opponent. Go Nikogaku! Go!