Cross Game

On one summer day, Wakaba leaves for camp after making a promise to Ko. A few days later, Ko happens to turn on the television, and a high school baseball game is on. During the exchange, a news report comes on, and Ko can't believe what he hears.

Wakaba asks Aoba what kind of boys she likes, Aoba says, "One who can throw a 100 mph fastball." Wakaba says that Ko may one day be able to throw that fast. Ko and Nakanishi's team faces Aoba's pitching in a sandlot baseball game. Aoba wins, but...

Ko and Nakanishi organize a sandlot game with some old friends from elementary school. Ko stands on the pitcher's mound with Nakanishi as catcher. But after Ko throws a few practice pitches...

An unfriendly man comes to hit at the Tsukishima Batting Center. He hits homerun and homerun, and the other patrons are astonished. When a group of students come check out the high school, the homerun hitter is among them.

Aoba tries to make porridge for Momiji, but then Ko proceeds to skillfully prepare some food for Momiji, and the three of them end up spending New Year’s Eve together. And then, the cherry blossoms bloom and…

Ko, Akaishi and Nakanishi are starting high school, but under the new coach, only a few players make varsity. So Ko and the others join the Portables, the JV team who use a portable for a clubhouse. At the Jr. High, Aoba is the team’s new captain.

The coach invites Aoba to the team’s batting practice. When Ko, Akaishi and Nakanishi hear of it, they go over to confront Daimon. Aoba is getting warmed up when she starts striking out the varsity batters. But when Azuma steps up, she may be too tired...

Aoba feels disgruntled when she hears that Momiji has gone to the park with Ko. Meanwhile, Coach Daimon and the principal discuss the baseball teams' futures. Daimon declares he has no intention of bringing any of the Portables up to varsity, but...

It’s the Portables vs. varsity! Ko takes the mound in the bottom of the first. He uses Aoba’s notes to his advantage and strikes out the first two batters, but later in the game, Azuma hits a home run off of him. And Senda...

Ko hits a triple off of Kamikawa's fastball, but he’s getting more and more exhausted. With his fatigue at its peak, Ko tells Akaishi that he’s going to forget about control and focus on speed.

The seniors on the Portables start sulking when they realize they have no shot at joining varsity, and their unmotivated playing drags the whole team down in the scrimmage against the varsity team.

Ko and Senda visit the junior high to watch the scrimmage game. Aoba is pitching, and she’s so in control she purposely lets the batters get a few hits.