After the captain hits a home run off Sanada, Seido once again leads by two runs. We reach the bottom of the eighth inning, and Kawakami is struggling. He insists on connecting to Tanba in the next game, but when Raichi is walked and manages to steal second base he finds himself in a pinch. Kawakami is able to get two outs, but Raichi scores, making it 6-5, and Yakusi has runners on first and third. Kataoka steps up and calls for a pitching change. In comes Tanba with two outs for his first appearance for an ace vs. ace showdown.