Ep 4. The Play

In Big Windup season 1 episode 4, entitled "The Play," the Nishiura High School baseball team finds themselves up against a formidable opponent, Sakitama High. With a history of being one of the strongest teams in their prefecture, Nishiura knows they have a tough game ahead of them.

The episode opens with the Nishiura team arriving at the field, where they see Sakitama already warming up and looking confident. Their ace pitcher, Mishima, is known for his intimidating presence on the mound, and Nishiura's players can feel the pressure mounting.

As the game begins, Nishiura's pitcher, Mihashi, struggles to find his footing. He is clearly nervous and overthinking each pitch, leading to several walks and a run scored by Sakitama early on. However, Nishiura's catcher, Abe, notices a pattern in the way Sakitama's batters are approaching Mihashi's pitches. He suggests a new strategy to Mihashi, and as they work together to execute it, the tide of the game begins to turn.

The rest of the episode centers around the execution of this new play and the mental and physical challenges that come with it. The Nishiura players must stay focused and work together to execute the play perfectly, while Sakitama tries to anticipate their next move and counteract it.

Throughout the game, we also see glimpses of the individual struggles and triumphs of each member of the Nishiura team. Some, like Tajima, embrace the pressure and thrive on the challenge, while others struggle to overcome their nerves and doubts. But as the game progresses and they begin to see how their individual efforts contribute to the success of the team as a whole, they gain confidence and become more cohesive.

Ultimately, the outcome of the game is not revealed in this episode, but we see the Nishiura team leave the field feeling proud of their efforts and more confident in their abilities as a team. They know they still have a long way to go to reach their ultimate goal of making it to the nationals, but this game has shown them that they have what it takes to compete at a high level.