In the top of the eighth, Seidou makes a surprise pinch hitting decision taking out the reliable third year Ryosuke for his younger brother Haruichi. The younger Kominato is hitting 3-for-3 with an RBI in the series so far.
What They Say:
“The Three-Hole”
I want to pitch to that mitt again… A meeting with catcher Kazuya Miyuki changed the 15-year-old Eijun Sawamura’s life. He said goodbye to all his friends and knocked upon the door of Seidou, a prestigious baseball school, intent on testing his own strength. There, he met many proud baseball players who were betting everything on the sport! A classic tale, yet new and fresh. All the emotion and excitement of the popular baseball manga is at last coming to television in the form of an anime!
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With two outs and runners in scoring position, Seidou puts in Haruichi. He’s come through in pinch situations thus far, but Narumiya and Harada want to get him out quick and end the inning. Pitching aggressively to the inside, Haruichi hits a strong fly to the shallow outfield and breaks the bat. That makes the kid 4-for-4 in four at-bats.
Seidou’s three, four, five batters are up next and Isashiki. On a 2-2 count, Narumiya throws the slider and it’s almost strike for Isashiki. His just stops his bat for the third ball and Narumiya throws a ball on the next pitch to load the bases with the cleanup hitter up and captain up next. Only one run up, it isn’t an option for Inashiro to walk Yuki and allow the run. They have to face him man-to-man with the advantage in Seidou’s corner.
Yuki’s hitting 0-for-3 today, but he’s the only one that got a clean hit in the last game against them and Narumiya’s tense. Yuki swings from the first pitch, a forkball, for a strike. The second pitch gets past the catcher and the third base runner starts to move. Yuki stops him, only a testament to the play by the catcher. The third ball is a fastball that goes behind him foul, swinging too late. The fourth and fifth pitches go foul and Narumiya calls hard for the changeup again. Harada reveals that the changeup goes a little higher every time Narumiya throws it, which would put it right in the batter’s sweet spot if done wrong.
In Summary:
Ace of the Diamond has taken watching baseball to another level. In 24 minutes, we went through just three batters! Not even, actually, because Yuki is still at bat. It was an excellent 24 minutes filled to the brim with tension. Beginning with Haruichi, the young first year has to step up for the team and live up to the expectations on him being a 1.000 batter right now. Isashiki, being the three-hole, has to get the ball into play. Yuki, the captain and cleanup, has to speak with his play with the bases loaded. It looks like the changeup is coming and this could spell the end for Seidou’s run at the Koushien this year. But it could also break the game open with a clean single.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Equipment: PS3, LG 47LB5800 47” 1080p LED TV, LG NB3530A Sound Bar
