Cinderella Nine

On her very first day at Satogahama Municipal High School, Arihara Tsubasa steps onto the stage while the school's clubs are being introduced and declares, "The girls' hardball baseball team is looking for members!" Since it was originally a girls-only school, Satogahama doesn't even have a baseball team for boys. Tsubasa is scolded for making this declaration about a club that doesn't exist, but at her homeroom teacher's suggestion, she decides to start an association. Later, Nozaki Yuuki, a new student who can't decide which club to join, runs into Ukita Akane, who says she's looking for the girls' baseball club...

To start a new association requires five members... but the main thing the girls need in order to play baseball is a place to practice! But there are no suitable locations at the school for playing baseball. Tsubasa and the others are worried, but they tell themselves that all they can do is start with whatever is possible right now. They start by visiting a baseball shop to buy equipment. As they're picking out gloves, they realize that Suzuki Waka, a classmate of Tsubasa and Yuuki's, is also at the shop.

With a field, an advisor, and five members, the girls' baseball association is officially in action! They finally begin to practice using the training regimens devised by Waka... and as they do, second-year student Iwaki Yoshimi of Satogahama's cheer squad pays them a visit. Then another second-year, Asada Aoi, also shows up, and the two of them end up becoming members of the association! The girls are thrilled to add two unique new members to their ranks, And what's more, Nakano Ayaka of the newspaper club shows up, as well...

The semifinal round of last year's Senior Little League tournament came down to Fujiura High versus Kuramoto Chuo High. Recalling that game is vexing for Ryou, but to Tsubasa, it's a precious memory. Tsubasa opens up to the other members about why she decided to start a girls' baseball team at Satogahama instead of joining a club team. One year ago, Tsubasa was facing the decision of whether to keep playing baseball or quit.

With the addition of Ryou, the club now has nine members, so Tsubasa suggests that they play a practice game against another school. The Sato High Baseball Association is newly formed, so they have little chance of winning, but the members are happy to finally have a chance to play.

The girls work even harder than before at practice after their game with Seijo. They`ve started to train more like a real baseball team, and the members are even more determined to improve. However, it`s exam season at Satogahama High, and they`re forced to put practices on hold until exams are over. Tsubasa is having trouble studying, so she`s having Tomoe help her get through the exams, but Tomoe is under pressure of her own while the team can`t practice...

The bat breaks, the rake falls apart, the net has a hole in it... The baseball association has reached the limit on equipment they can afford with their current funding. But to be formally recognized as a club, they have to be evaluated by the student council. Thus, Tsukumo Kana of the student council joins the association in order to evaluate its performance. Meanwhile, Yuuki is working at her weekend job to make money for club necessities when she runs into a former elementary school friend, Kurashiki Maiko.

The team is practicing as usual on a hot, muggy day, when Tsubasa and Tomoe bring up the idea of participating in a summer tournament for high school girls` baseball teams. The girls` feelings on the idea of playing in an official tournament range from excited to nervous, but all are intrigued. They all happily decide to enter. Now all that`s left is to be officially recognized as a club so they`ll have the budget for it...

At Ryou`s suggestion, the girls of the Satogahama baseball team begin a week-long training camp at a local temple in preparation for the tournament. Their goals for their first training camp are to improve their skills and to become better friends. Yuuki and Akane are excited to spend the week with their teammates, but Ryou comes up with a tough training menu and enforces it strictly. And so their week of training camp passes by...

With two weeks left until the national tournament the Sato High girls are abruptly challenged to a practice game by Kosaka Tsubaki of the highly competitive Kogetsu High School. Why does such a strong team want to challenge Sato High? The girls are uncertain, but they cheerfully accept. Tsubasa decides to announce the starting positions and batting order that they`ll use for the game as well as the tournament, but Tomoe and Akane are left off the roster...

The national tournament begins at last. The Sato High team arrives at their lodging near the venue a day in advance, and shortly afterward, the brackets for the tournament are announced. It turns out they`ll be playing in the first game, and their opponent is Seijo High. Just then, the Seijo High team members arrive to stay overnight at the same lodging, and the two teams have a barbecue together that night for dinner. Each member of each team has her own feelings toward the tournament as the night comes to an end... and then, at last, the Sato High baseball team takes the field for the first day of the national tournament.

An error by Yuuki allowed Seijo to tie up the score, but the Sato High girls sharpen their concentration further as they go on the offensive in the top of the third inning. Jinguji Sayaka of Seijo High, on the other hand, is feeling under pressure due to a sense of responsibility as captain that differs from that of Sato High`s captain, Tsubasa. The moment that pressure is relieved, both teams face each other in their top form, and the game continues. As the white sun travels through the blue sky, all of the girls feel their passion for the game rising...