Kō strikes out the last Ryuō batter, sending the game into extra innings, tied 1–1. At the top of the tenth, Kō loses control of his bat before successfully bunting, but is left on base. In the bottom of the inning, after fouling off Kō's fastball, a Ryuō batter loses his bat because his hands are numb from the previous pitch. With a runner on second, Oikawa hits a line drive that Kō fails to catch because he is still numb from Mishima's hit. The runner scores, and Ryuō wins the game. After the game, Kō apologizes to a disappointed Aoba for losing, but she manages to smile. Ryuō easily wins the prefectural tournament and their first game at Kōshien. When Kō apologizes to Azuma for failing to make the play, Azuma tells him to focus instead on Aoba's disappointment at not being able to play in official games. As Kō and Azuma walk past the construction next-door to Kitamura Sports, they are told it will be a soba restaurant by a young woman with an uncanny resemblance to Wakaba.
