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:: Episode 205: Rabid
   Yakyuu Yaritai (I Want To Do Baseball)

Summary


It's Hanai's turn to bat again, and he totally can't handle the pressure, screwing up and looking TOTALLY uncool (and rabid) in the process. Let's all point at Hanai and laugh, everyone! He goes back to the dugout to lamely apologize to Mihashi for not being able to help them get that called game, but Mihashi freaks out and runs off, giving Hanai ANOTHER thing to worry about!
It's Mihashi's turn to pitch again. As expected, he blames himself for Hanai's outburst and gets flashbacks from middle school. He has to remind himself that he did not get his position because of a favor this time. In the stands, Roka watches the match with great interest, and he immediately notices that something is wrong and that Tajima must have gotten an injury, and manages to diss both Nishiura AND Sakitama in the process. I'm not going to hold a childish grudge against ROKA for dissing Sakitama, though, 'cause it's just the kind of character he is.
But I digress! Harada goes straight out, and SAWA is up next! He's close, but alas, Tajima stops him. Oyama realizes that something is definitely wrong with Tajima, and it frustrates him so that they're unable to take advantage of it. Ichihara is up next and while he looks EVER so rabid while batting, he ALSO gets foiled by Tajima! Harsh.


Ichihara's turn to pitch, and Hanai angsts a bit while Ichihara throws another four balls at Suyama. Nishiura is getting dangerously close to their desired called game, so It-chan goes all out and throws screwball after screwball, totally screwing it up for Abe. HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, HUH, ABE?? Ichihara is determined to make Tai-san's last game a happy one, so he goes all out. Aww! It-chan, I didn't know you had it in you! Daichi is slightly worried about all the strain this must cause Ichihara's elbow.
So Sakitama manages to keep Nishiura out of their hair for now, and it's time for some ground maintenance. Hanai grabs the opportunity to apologize to Mihashi for earlier, but it's not easy since communicating with Mihashi is just kind of sort of like communicating with a rock. The subject somehow gets changed to Tajima being awesome, and then about pitching; if Tajima is so awesome at everything, what's stopping him from being awesome at pitching too and taking Mihashi's place? And what about Hanai and Oki, if they were to become serious about pitching, Mihashi wouldn't stand a chance. Hanai sort of wants to tell Mihashi that they're NOT competing with him, but he decides to leave it - having rivals to motivate you will often make you stronger... kind of like he feels about Tajima...? Seems like Hanai just learned a life lesson!
The rest of Nishiura returns looking rabid, and Tajima totally accuses Hanai of bullying Mihashi. Mihashi assures him that it was all a misunderstanding though, and all is well.


We joyfully return our attentions to Sakitama. Oyama, looking more like a muppet than a rabid person, is still trying to encourage his hopelessly losery team to continue playing until the very end. Daichi is quick to agree, but the others are a bit more reluctant... until Ichihara bellows out in agreement. Go Sakitama! YOU CAN STILL MAKE IT!!!
Back with Nishiura, Abe demands to know what he just missed, but Mihashi runs off to play with Tajima instead of explaining himself. Sakitama tries to get some points in again but fails some more, and it even gets to the point where the more dweeby Sakitamalings start sobbing a bit. Oyama desperately tries to tell them that it's not over yet, but it's all just sooo harsh!!
Nishiura's turn to attack, and Mihashi is up first. As a pitcher, he manages to put himself in Ichihara's position a little and predict where the ball is going, sends it flying, and gets on base! Tajima is next. Ichihara regrets not realizing his handicap from the beginning, but tries to make the best of it and gets him out, at the expense of his elbow. There's no backing out now, though. Hang in there, It-chan!
Izumi is next, and Ichihara decides to walk him because he's more of a threat than the next batter who just so happens to be Hanai (confusing Daichi with his signs in the process: "Is he calling for me? Or a timeout? ...OH, A WALK!!"), looking PARTICULARLY rabid while asking for Tai-san's approval.
Then it's Hanai again! He does pretty well, but Daichi's superhuman strength stops Nishiura from COMPLETELY getting their will. Hanai's spirits have been lifted, though.


With Sakitama, Sugita is tending to Ichihara's overworked elbow while Daichi watches in utter horror (and yes, he does look somewhat rabid while doing so). He doesn't get much time to think it over before he has to get ready to bat again, though. Oyama is up before him, and he considers the possibility of Nishiura going easy on Daichi if Oyama himself doesn't get on base, but he doesn't let that thought stop him from doing his best at batting. It is, after all, his final time! Buuut he fails pretty hard anyway, so no worries there. Daichi's turn, and Nishiura actually decides to NOT chicken out! They'll test Mihashi's abilities by challenging Daichi! Mihashi throws his very best, Daichi powerfully sends the ball flying, and...! Hanai easily catches it. Oyama, still proud of his team, watches as Kamimura continues but fails as well.
Game over! Nishiura got their called game! I HOPE THEY'RE HAPPY!!!
And so, as some of the dweebier Sakitamalings pull a Tosei again, Oyama gives them a touching grateful little speech about being very satisfied that they made it all the way to the third round of the tournament. Daichi, who thought he'd be able to hit a homerun just now, is feeling seriously disappointed, but it mostly makes him want to play baseball even better and more seriously from now on. Go Daichi! Go Sakitama!!
Nishiura talks about how dissatisfied they are. This totally means that Sakitama managed to do SOMETHING to hold them back, right? Yep, that's what I'll keep telling myself! Meanwhile, Roka is preparing himself to crush Nishiura, starting with their catcher. Aw yeah.


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