At the end of the fifth inning, after three batters fail to bunt against Ko, Sanno's coach describes Ko's pitching as the sort seen only once every ten years. When Seishu starts scoring in the sixth, Maeno attributes this to Seishu's players being too inexperienced to have consistent weaknesses or strengths. Meanwhile, at Ryuo, Mishima tells two classmates he does not mind staying away when reporters interview Shimano because he himself will ultimately have a better career. After Seishu wins 8 to 1, newspaper coverage highlights Ko's 151 km/h fastball. When Mizuki comments that this was not Aoba's ideal of 160 km/h, Aoba retorts that she wanted many things when she was a child. Aoba remembers Wakaba describing her last dream, which included Aoba playing center field at Koshien. When Aoba forces Ko to tidy up before meeting reporters, he comments she reminds him of Wakaba. During the interview, he claims Mishima is the Ryuo batter he worries about the most. The day before the game against Ryuo, Azuma tells Ko that they have a chance of winning if Mishima stays on the bench.
星秀学園対参能高校戦は5回を迎え、1対0で参能がリード。参能はバント攻めを続け、光のスタミナを削ろうとするが、光の豪速球はバントすら許さぬ威力で、参能の打者を次々とアウトにしてゆく。光の投球はマスコミに注目され始め、取材を受けるほどになっていた。そして、遂に竜旺学院との試合を迎える…。
5회를 맞이한 시합, 점수는 1대0으로 산노가 앞서는 상황. 산노는 번트 공격을 계속하며 코우의 체력을 떨어뜨리려 한다. 하지만 코우는 번트조차 못 댈 만큼의 위력을 지닌 공을 던지면서 산노의 타자를 차례로 아웃시켜 간다. 세이슈의 타자들도 나카니시가 홈런을 치는 등 데이터 야구를 뒤집는 플레이로 역전한다. 코우의 빠른 공은 매스컴의 주목을 받게 되고, 드디어 류오학원과의 시합의 날을 맞이하게 되는데...
