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Vulcan Captain
Solok brings his starship to Deep Space Nine for repairs made
necessary from combat skirmishes. Convinced his all-Vulcan crew
is the finest in the fleet, he challenges former classmate and
longtime rival Sisko to a baseball game in the holosuite. With
only two weeks to whip his team into shape, Sisko vows he's
going to beat Solok — even though Jake is the only other person
residing on the station who has ever played baseball.
The training sessions are
grueling. Sisko's team is plagued by injuries and inexperience.
When one such injury sidelines O'Brien, Sisko makes him a coach,
then pulls some strings to enlist his traveling girlfriend
Kasidy Yates — who knows how to play — as a replacement.
Unfortunately, Sisko has neither the time nor the patience to
train his weaker players, and in a fit of frustration, he throws
a well-meaning but inept Rom off the team.
Rom's abrupt dismissal nearly causes Sisko's squad to quit in
protest, but Rom insists they continue on without him.
Privately, Sisko confides in Kasidy the real reason why he's
taking Solok's challenge so seriously. He recounts how Solok
once humiliated him publicly when they were both in Starfleet
Academy. Ever since, Solok has always gloated about Vulcan
superiority in all things, and now Sisko can't bear the thought
of Solok beating him at his own game.
 Game day arrives. The teams gather in the holosuite. The first
Vulcan who steps up to bat slams a home run — and the game goes
downhill from there. By the top of the fifth inning, Sisko's
team is losing to Solok's, 7-0. Just when things couldn't get
any worse, Sisko gets thrown out by Odo, who's umpiring the
game.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Rom's son Nog manages to make
it to third base. The crew is down 10-0 and they'd desperately
like to score a run. Realizing that Rom's feelings are more
important than winning, Sisko arranges to put the Ferengi into
the game. Rom accidentally hits a perfect bunt, which brings Nog
home and unleashes a joyous celebration — so joyous it stops the
game and disturbs Solok. Later, celebrating at Quark's, Sisko
and his ebullient crew toast the triumph of team spirit over
Vulcan "superiority."
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