sakura taisen (C) red co. sega co. overworks 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002
Kasumi: Once again, we welcome you the Teito League Championship! Let's go over the starting lineup for the Hanagumi, who shall lead off the inning.
Yuri: First up to bat is right fielder, Ichiro Oogami, the league-batting champ. Followed by Center Fielder Soletta Orihime, Second Baseman and home-run queen Sumire Kanzaki, Left Fielder Kanna Kirishima, First Baseman Kohran Ri, Designated Hitter Iris Chatueaubriand, Third Baseman Reni Milchstrasse, Catcher Kaede Fujieda, and lastly Shortstop Sakura Shinguji.
Tsubaki: Now the defense Lineup for the Tsukigumi. At first base is Keppi Sukiyabashi, second base Keisuke Izumi, Shortstop Joe Ishida, his younger brother is at third base Mikey Ishida, left fielder Ken Tanaka, Center fielder Jiro Yamaguchi, Right fielder Takashi Oyagata, Catcher Yuuichi Kayama... and on the mound is left-hander Rachette Altair.
Kasumi: We will have the first pitch thrown by honorary guest, Count Hanakoji Aritune.
Hanakoji went to the mound with a baseball. Kayama held out his mitt and awaited the throw. Hanakoji threw it right on the button, Kayama running up to him and shaking his hand.
"Good lucky today, Kayama-kun." "Arigatou gozaimasu."
Kasumi: Today, the umpires will come be the Baragumi. Kotone-san on the first base line, Kikunojou-san at the third baseline, and behind homeplate is Yokihiko-san.
Yokihiko put on his mask and called, "Let's play ball!"
Yuri: The players take the field, and here comes Oogami-san to the plate.
"Oogami!" Kayama said, looking up at the batter, "Good luck!"
"You too, Kayama."
"Arigatou... But you know, I was just thinking... when we go to the ocean, can we hold hands and watch the sunset together??"
"K-Kayama?!"
"Ha ha ha, just kidding!" Kayama replied, putting on his mask, "Especially if you react like that..." Oogami's face remained pale, as he stared on ahead at Rachette, waiting for the pitch.
Yuri: The pitch is a fastball! Oogami-san swings, and makes contact...! Everyone watches as this line drive sails over the head of the center fielder and over the wall for a homerun!
Tsubaki: Amazing! Oogami-san hit the first pitch and just like that, the Hanagumi is in the lead!
Erica jumped on her feet, put her hands around her mouth and hollered, "Oogami-san~! Su-te-ki~!"
"Heh! Looks like I will win that bet after all." Lobelia noted.
"Masaka, Lobelia-san..." Erica gasped, "Did you bet money on this game? But gambling is a sin!"
"Oh, ho-hum, I'm sinning..." Lobelia said, looking bored. She nudged Hanabi. "Hora, what are you doing? Taicho just hit a homerun and you're reading books??"
"Well, I..." Hanabi uttered. The title of the book was: The mechanics of baseball. Hanabi blushed and closed it. "I have never been to a baseball game before, so I checked this out at the library...(Pou)"
"What else do you have there??" Coquelicot asked, looking in her bag. "Ice-sculpting for Dummies... and... a h-hentai book...??!"
Everyone repeated, "Hentai Book...?!?"
"H-Hanabi..." Glycine uttered, "W-Why would you have a perverted item??!"
"I... I don't know... I never checked it out...!" Hanabi stammered, her face all red, "I... I've been framed...!"
Glycine took out her ax and faced the crowd. "All right! Who did it?!" Everyone became quiet as security arrived to confiscate the ax. "Hey! That is a family heirloom!!"
After Oogami finished running the bases and tagged home, he gave Orihime a high five. "Umm... what's going on in the stands??" he asked, looking to where the Paris Kagekidan were being surrounded by security staff.
"I have no clue... but way to go, Chuui-san!" Orihime replied. She then stepped up to the plate. "It's my turn now. Give me your best shot, Rachetto!"
Tsubaki: Altair-san looks calm, despite giving up a homerun. Here's the windup, and the pitch... It's a breaking ball - Orihime-san swung right through it!
"STEEEE-RIIIIIKE!!" went the home-plate umpire Yokihiko.
Orihime looked over her shoulder in surprise. "... For a second there you sounded really manly, Yokihiko-san..."
"Atashi?! S-Sonnaaa!!"
Kasumi: The next pitch is a fastball. Orhime-san completely froze on that one.
"Strike 2!"
Yuri: Orihime-san calls time and steps out of the batter's box for a moment.
"Mou..." Orihime sighed, practicing some swings, "That Rachette is so unpredictable... Let's try again!"
Tsubaki: Orihime-san goes back to the plate. The next pitch is a fastball, but Orihime-san gets a piece of it... right to the mound. Rachette-san will pick it up and throw it to first base for an easy out.
Yuri: That brings Kanzaki Sumire-san to the plate. Kayama-san the catcher is holding out his glove, so it looks like they are going to intentionally walk her.
Kasumi: That's a smart play... Don't want to give up two runs in one inning. It's known for Sumire-san to hit anything that is a strike...
"Mattaku," Sumire sighed, as the four pitch was made, "Happens every time..." But as she made it to first base, something caught her eye. "Ara? " There sitting in the bleachers were her parents. 'I can't believe it...'
Tsubaki: Next to the plate is Kirishima Kanna-san!
"Yare, yare..." Kanna sighed, as she got ready for the next pitch, "Why do I always have to bat after that beast of a woman..."
Kasumi: The pitch is a fastball. Kanna-san swings - ground ball to shortstop Honda, who gets the force out on Sumire-san at 2nd. 2nd baseman Izumi's relay to first base is in time to get Kanna-san for the doubleplay.
Yuri: That's it for the Hanagumi, but not without scoring a run on the first pitch homer by Oogami-san! Next up, the Tsukigumi!
"Dammit," Kanna said to herself, as she put her helmet away. "Well, it's still early. I'll get in a hit later for sure! Ah, but I'm a little hungry..."
"Kanna-san!" Sumire came up next to her, the two of them putting on their gloves and heading out to the field, "Don't do anything to embarrass me today!"
"What's that supposed to mean?? You do that to yourself, Cactus-woman!"
"Then what was with that doubleplay??"
"Oi! I didn't do it on purpose!!"
Maria came between them. "You two knock it off. We've got a game to play."
Tsubaki: On the mound for the Hanagumi is left-hander Maria Tachibana. Her best pitch is a tricky changeup - the opposite of Altair-san's killer 90 MPH fastball.
As the Sannin Musume went over the batting lineup for the Tsukigumi, Mel arrived at the bleachers. "I thought you might want to try these... They're to keep score of the baseball game. We had so many extras, you can have them free."
"Ah, Mel-san," Erica said, as she filled the boxes for the top of the first inning, "Aren't you supposed to be at the shop?"
"It's okay. Ci and I are taking turns looking after it. And there's a new guy working for us now... But I'm actually worried leaving Ci alone though, so I better get back soon."
"Heeeh??" Lobelia said, "Is he one of those types??"
"Non, I'm worried Ci would stop working to play with him - she has a thing for his hair. She keeps chasing him with scissors."
"Heeeh?? Ciseaux?"
"Non, scissors... Ah, I better go back. Please excuse me." Mel tried to get up, but saw an oversized bunny in a suit sitting in the next row. 'What's that thing doing here... Oh well, I have to return before Ci makes trouble...'
'Mwhahaha... I'll get my revenge for sure!!' thought Ciseaux, 'Maybe in the fourth or third inning though... I'm craving chocolate malt... Yow, that female umpire at third base is real cute...'
"Strike 3!!" went Yokihiko, getting the girls' attention back to the game.
Kasumi: Maria-san strikes out the first batter, second baseman Izumi-san. Next to bat is center fielder Yamaguchi-san. One pitch and Yamaguchi-san hits it right to first baseman Ri Kohran who takes it to the bag for an unassisted out.
"Yossha!" Kohran chimed, " Maria-han sure is pitching good so far. Maybe we're going to win this one..."
"Maa!" Kotone said, standing next to her, "Don't jinx the thing with confidence. According to the stats, I'd bet my favorite pink tutu against your team."
"EH? Really??!" Kohran exclaimed, "You have a pink tutu... Ew, now I have this horrid image in my head."
Yuri: That's two outs for the Tsukigumi. Next up is Catcher Kayama-san.
Kayama walked up to the plate, giving the Hanagumi catcher a wide smile. "Yaa Kaede-san! How are you doing? Isn't it a lovely day for baseball??"
"Kayama-kun, shouldn't you concentrate on the next pitch??"
"Heh?" he asked, as the fastball went right by him. "Oh, my bad. Ahahahahah!!"
Tsubaki: It looked like Kayama-san wasn't even looking at the pitch... It seems like he's talking with the catcher and umpire, but he hasn't called time or stepped out of the batter's box yet. Maria-san looks a bit disorientated, but starts the motions for her next pitch anyways.
"Oh!! I'd love to go shopping with you, Yuuichi-chan!" umpire Yokihiko chimed, "I've been needing a new tube of lipstick..."
"Does Kaede-san want to come too?"
"You two..." Kaede sighed, as the ball went right into her mitt for strike two. Kayama and Yokihiko realized it, and then started laughing. Kaede buried her face in her mitt for a moment, before giving Maria the signs.
"Of course not this weekend, Yoki-san. You see, I'm going together with Oogami to the ocean..."
"Ha! That's what you think!" Kaede replied, "You know that swimsuit I stored away and swore I would never wear? I'm going to wear THAT when I go to the ocean this weekend with Oogami-kun!"
"Is that so?" Kayama said, with a very bright smile. He then turned his head and hit the ball.
Tsubaki: Kya! T-That ball was crushed!
Yuri: Oogami-san looks up in right field, but there's nothing he can do... It's out of here! Solo homerun for Kayama-san!
"Sonna!" Kaede gasped as she tore off her mask and stood up. She watched as Kayama ran the bases, laughing his heart out. 'That guy...' After he came home, she called time-out and ran to the mound to check on Maria.
"Gomen, Kaede-san, it's my mistake." Maria said, "I know you called for it to be on outside corner and I left it out in the middle..."
"It's okay. We'll get them back next inning. Just get one more out."
"Hai!"
Kasumi: The next batter is shortstop Joe Ishida. He hits the first pitch thrown at him. It's a one hopper to the Hanagumi shortstop, Sakura Shinguji. She takes a step and throws Ishida-san out at first base.
Tsubaki: Wow! Look at the crowd's reaction! It seems that there are some fans from Sendai, here to root for their hometown heroine.
Yuri: There are also a lot of other fans that traveled a long way for this game. Next inning we'll go down and interview some of the crowd.
Before running back to the dugout, Sakura looked over to the bleachers. "Heeeh?! My parents are here!?"
"Yaa Sakura~!" Kazuma chimed, waving his hands, "My baby's all grown up! I'm so proud!"
"Sakura, you okay??" Reni asked, wondering why she was kneeling in the grass covering her head. "The inning's over. Let's go."
Kasumi: That's it for the Tsukigumi. And at the end of the first inning, we are tied 1 to 1... Ah, could someone go to the food stand? I'm craving chocolate malt.
Yuri & Tsubaki: Me too!
* end of 1st inning*
