Seidou’s sourthpaw has put himself in a bad position here against a Yakushi team that will take offensive momentum and run with it.
What They Say:
“Next Stage”
After conceding three runs without getting any outs, Sawamura is switched out of the game. “If I walk off here, I’ll never…” Memories of the summer final resurface. Contrary to Furuya putting on a show on the mound, Sawamura sits in the dugout like a corpse.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Kazuya tells it like it is. He’s the catcher and captain, he has to tell it like it is. Eijun’s pitch hasn’t lost power, but he can’t pitch to the inside like he used to be able to. The hit-by-pitch in the Inashiro game is still affecting him. He’s out, Furuya’s back in. Through clenched teeth, Eijun leaves the game in Furuya’s hands. It’s not just a hit to his pride as a pitcher, but as a member of this team. He needed to be able to step up in a huge practice game, but blew it. If he tries to pitch to the inside, it goes too center and that’s an easy hit for the Yakushi team that does nothing but hit.
Seidou drops the game and Yakushi wins their 20th in a row. If not for Eijun’s appearance, Seidou might have won the game. In the seventh, they gave up four runs. In the eighth, three more. Both Eijun and Kawakami dropped the game after a strong performance from Furuya. A team that they struggled to beat in the tournament they lost decisively to without their power hitting third years.
The biggest question for Seidou now isn’t whether Eijun will bounce back from this or not. Already on the roster is a consistently great Furuya and the reliable upperclassman Kawakami. In addition to that, they have a newbie first year center fielder that recently transitioned from pitcher. If need be, they can move him back to pitcher and put a utility man in center.
No, the biggest problem for Seidou is that their defense isn’t good enough to hold opponents down and their offense isn’t good enough to make up for it. The loss of Isashiki, Yuki, and Masuko really hurt the offense for Seidou. Thankfully, they left behind a workman-like attitude for the rest of the team and everyone’s trying harder than ever to get into the first string.
In Summary:
The fall tournament will be telling for Seidou. They lost to Yakushi 7-2 and that’s the most concerning thing. Between now and then, they have to improve their hitting to score more than two runs per game. If they don’t, they have to greatly improve their defense to not allow seven runs in a game. That starts with the pitchers. Furuya’s good, but Kawakami has to step up in the reliever role and Eijun needs to get it together.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Equipment: PS3, LG 47LB5800 47” 1080p LED TV, LG NB3530A Sound Bar
