Episode 9

## Let's Do This!

* Title Screen
* Screenshot

## Episode Guide

**Let's Do This!** is the ninth episode of the *Cross Game* anime.

The varsity team and the prefab team at Seishu Academy High School finally begin their practice match. The prefab team has a slight advantage as Aoba Tsukishima knows the strengths and weaknesses for each member of the varsity team and shared her knowledge with Osamu Akaishi, however clean up hitter Yuuhei Azuma's strengths and weaknesses remain a mystery.

## Plot

The starting line up for the varsity squad is introduced. Eitaro Shidou is puzzled by Keiichirou Senda, the starting pitcher for the varsity squad. Coach Shuugo Daimon has a plan though. The team's real ace pitcher would be too much of a match for who Daimon calls 'small fry' and he wants Shidou to see the varsity's defense first. Coach Sentarou Maeno tells Akaishi that the varsity team messed up their plan because they were going to gamble everything on Kou Kitamura, their secret weapon. But the plan was messed up when the varsity squad decided to use Senda, who's pitches even the third years can hit. The game begins.

Tsuneki is up to bat first for the prefab team. His first swing misses. Senda says that was scary because Tsuneki almost hit the ball that would have resulted in a home run. Senda pitches again, and once again Tsuneki misses and one last pitch, Tsuneki is struck out. Up next is Kayama, the prefab team's shortstop. Kayama too, is struck out. Two outs. Senda tells the third years that they would never make it onto the varsity squad if they don't try harder. That angers Sekiguchi who is up to bat next. Sekiguchi hits the ball but gets out at first base. Three outs.

Back in the varsity team's dugout, Daimon apologizes to Shidou, saying he didn't know the prefab team was so bad. Shidou just laughs it off. Aoba asks the old man if it was hard for him to see the field as far back as he was. She tells him there are seats up front, closer to the field. The old man tells her that he's fine where he is and Aoba drags him to the front anyways. The game continues. Back on the field, Kou and Akaishi are warming up and Azuma is watching Kou with interest. Daimon asks Shidou if he had taken a bathroom break because the varsity offense will last a while. The announcer starts announcing the players of the varsity team as they take their place at bat. Kou points out that the didn't announce the prefab members when they were at bat. First up to bat for the varsity squad is center fielder, Tatsumasa Miki. Miki is a skilled hitter who likes hitting in the outer half of the zone. First pitch, Miki doesn't swing and it was a strike. Miki will not swing at outside pitches until he gets two strikes. Miki doesn't swing at the next pitch. Strike two. Kou pitches the same pitch, and Miki who wasn't expecting the same pitch, sees it as an insult and swings. However Kou is able to catch the hit ball and throw it to Daiki Nakanishi at first base. One out. Daimon passes it off as luck. Next up to bat is Tooru Onoda. Aoba says that Onoda likes low balls. Onoda is easily struck out. Daimon is shocked. The team of who he claims are a bunch of nobodies, seem to be besting his squad of elite players. Two outs and no runners on base. Shidou asks about Kou and of course Daimon doesn't know who he is since he didn't bother looking at the prefab squad's line up. Azuma introduces Kou as a first year pitcher on the prefab team and the son of the owners of Kitamura Sports. The game continues.

Batting third, the shortstop, Keisuke Kishibe. Aoba reveals that Kishibe's swinging speed is the second best on the varsity squad. High pitches is ill advised against him. Kishibe's first swing results in a foul ball. The plan to get four foul balls on Kishibe fails when he hits the ball and makes it to first. Azuma is up to bat next and says the prefab squad has been collecting data on the varsity members, a statement in which Akaishi neither confirms nor denies. Azuma immediately knows it was Aoba who told the prefab members about the strengths and weaknesses of the varsity squad. Azuma asks Akaishi if they know what his weakness is. Akaishi answers with 'who knows?" Aoba does not know Azuma's weakness but says he will hit the ball, no matter what pitch is thrown. On the sidelines, Daimon is confident in Azuma's slugging ability and Kishibe's speed and is confident the varsity team will be able to get one or two runs with two outs. Maeno comments on Akaishi, saying he's pretty good and Aoba, up in the stands, asks the old man if he knows who Akaishi is and the old man responds that he does but not well.

The top of the second inning. and the game is still scoreless. Makihara is up to bat. Senda throws a curve ball which Makihara easily hits, but it's caught by second baseman Minoru Ishiguro who throws it to Azuma at first. Makihara is out. The game plan is set in motion: using the seniors as decoys then surprising the varsity squad with the team's secret weapon (Kou) then finishing it off with the best bunter on the team, Toshio Miya. Miya is going to do a sacrificial bunt to advance Kou then either Akaishi and Nakanishi would bring Kou home. Instead of the plan being set in motion, Kou unexpectantly hits a triple, shocking everyone. Miya bunts the ball and Senda has a hard time catching and hanging onto the ball. While Senda is fumbling with the ball, Miya is able to make it to first base. Akaishi is up next and is easily able to hit the next pitch. The score is now 3-0 with the prefab team leading. Shidou demands an explanation, to which Daimon says the varsity squad has some bad players on it as well. Senda tries desperately to make a comeback but fails when Nakanishi and Tetsu Iwai are able to easily hit the next pitches. Kazuo Ogura and Ishiguro are able to catch the balls hit by Nakanishi and Iwai, respectively resulting into both players being out. As the teams are switching sides, Senda tries to head back to the varsity dugout but is officially kicked off the varsity team and isn't allowed back into the dugout. Back in the prefab team dugout, Maeno notices that Kayama has disappeared; he was revealed to be in the bathroom, sick from something he had eaten. The prefab team doesn't have a shortstop. Luckily, Senda was just kicked off the varsity squad and appears behind Maeno in the dugout. Senda is assigned as the new shortstop for the prefab team.

Up to bat for the varsity squad is Azuma. Kou pitches and it's a strike. Daimon is shocked. Akaishi tells Azuma that it would be a waste throwing pitches to him when Kou can just stick to throwing inside pitches. Azuma just smirks at that statement. Next pitch is thrown lower and results in another strike. The old man tells Aoba that Kou is either not a smart pitcher or is one of the few pitchers who could actually put up a real fight against Azuma. Back at the game, Azuma his the next pitch out of the park. While the crowd cheers around them, Aoba tells the old man that Kou is just an idiotic pitcher. Akaishi assures Kou that it might be better if they are up by two runs than have the varsity have two runners on base with no outs. Next up to bat is third baseman Yuuji Kubo. He hits the ball but it's caught by Tsuneki. However Kubo makes it to first base. Next up to bat is catcher, Kinji Takizawa. Senda tells Kou not to worry since he now has a demoted ace player on the team. Senda gets his chance to shine as the team's new shortstop when the ball is hit to him, he catches it, his left foot sliding and touching second base, resulting in Kubo getting out, Senda then throws the ball to first base before Takizawa makes it there, resulting in him being out as well. Double outs thanks to Senda! He starts celebrating. Aoba explains that it was just a grounder to shortstop and that Senda is celebrating too much. The old man realizes that he never asked Aoba her name. She introduces herself and asks the old man what his name is, he tells her everyone just calls him 'Gramps.'

Next up to bat for the varsity is second baseman Minoru Ishiguro. Kou pitches an unexpected curveball and Ishiguro hits it, however Daiki catches it. Three outs. Azuma warns Daimon that the prefab team has inside information on the varsity squad and that the information is pretty accurate. Noboru Kamikawa is now replacing Senda as pitcher for the varsity squad. Senda tells the prefab members that Kamikawa is a control pitcher, meaning he focuses on the control and accuracy of his pitches rather than speed. Senda warns his teammates not to expect to get any runs from Kamikawa, however no one is listening to Senda. Maeno is surprised with how many breaking balls Kamikawa has and wishes the team had gotten more hits when Senda was pitching. Senda tries to say something but is pushed aside by a fired up Tsuneki. Makihara tells Senda that he's replacing Kayama at bat. Hiroko Oukubo, the prefab manager, hands Senda his glove. Senda asks Kou about Hiroko and Kou tells him she's the manager.

Varsity squad is up to bat again. Up next is Kazuo Ogura. Ogura doesn't have long ball power and he always aims out to right field. Ogura's weakness is various breaking balls. Ogura gets a strike his first pitch. Kou fumbles the next pitch and throws an unintended low breaking ball, which Ogura is able to hit and is able to make it to third base. Up next to bat, pitcher Noboru Kamikawa. First pitch is a strike, second pitch Kamikawa is able to hit but it was a foul ball. Last pitch is a fastball that Kamikawa isn't able to hit. Strike three. Azuma tells Kamikawa that fastball Kou threw was the same one he wanted from Kamikawa. The score is now 3-2 with the prefab team leading. Daimon is unhappy they went from a runner on third with no outs and that one runner only made it there from a sacrificial fly, to three outs and having to switch sides. Azuma reminds Daimon that there was still plenty of time left in the game. Kou tells Akaishi that pitching is exhausting. The game continues.

## Characters

### Order of appearance

* Tatsumasa Miki
* Tooru Onoda
* Keisuke Kishibe
* Yuuhei Azuma
* Yuuji Kubo
* Kinji Takizawa
* Minoru Ishiguro
* Kazuo Ogura
* Shuugo Daimon
* Eitaro Shidou
* Keiichirou Senda
* Sentarou Maeno
* Osamu Akaishi
* Makihara
* Tsuneki
* Kayama
* Sekiguchi
* Aoba Tsukishima
* Yokomichi Oukubo
* Kou Kitamura
* Daiki Nakanishi
* Tetsu Iwai
* Toshio Miya
* Hiroko Oukubo
* Risa Shidou (flashback)
* Noboru Kamikawa
* Nomo

## Important Events

* The first match between the prefab and varsity teams at Seishu Academy High School officially begins
* Keiichirou Senda is kicked off the varsity team and joins the prefab team as the shortstop

## Trivia

* **Title drop/reference**: "Let's Do This!" is said by Hiroko to pump the team up
* This is the second episode in the anime that does not features Wakaba Tsukishima either in flashback, memories or mentions.
* This is also the first episode in the anime to not feature any of the Kitamura or Tsukishima other family members
	+ Not counting Nomo who was just randomly appears in the episode