高校野球 (Kokoyakyu)

Ok, heading into the meat of the schedule now. This is where for the most part everyone is in play to face the top teams. Draw right, you could go far, draw wrong, and well, enjoy your summer.

Clark Kokusai I think gets a dream pairing in Seikou Gakuin. It could be better (easier), but to have a decent shot at defeating a 10-consecutive appearance team in your first?

Seikou Gakuin (Fukushima)
3B Matsumoto Kouki (松本 康希)
LF (15)Satou Shunya (佐藤 駿矢)
RF Kanou Satsuki (加納 皐)
CF Suzuki Shunsuke (鈴木 駿輔)
2B Koizumi Teppei (小泉 徹平)
1B Isobe Reiya (磯辺 伶也)
SS Segawa Kouki (瀬川 航騎)
C Kadoi Taijyu (門井 泰寿)
P Suzuki Takuto (鈴木 拓人)

Clark Kokusai (Kita Hokkaido)
LF Abe Yuuto (阿部 勇斗)
2B Fukuda Kengo (福田 健悟)
P (6)Hirasawadzu Toraki (平沢津 虎揮)
1B Yasuda Toshiyuki (安田 世幸)
3B Karasawa Shuuto (樺沢 脩斗)
CF Kanahara You (金原 瑶)
C Kishi Seiya (岸 誠也)
RF (17)Hamamoto Daichi (浜本 大地)
SS (18)Chiba Keita (千葉 慶大)

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08:00 - First pitch!

Top 1st
Hirasawadzu's sidearm action is actually generating velo similar to regular overhand pitchers.

Matsumoto hits a ball to shallow right center, but Kanahara charging dives and makes the catch! Great play right off the bat!

Satou tries to lay down a safety bunt, but Karasawa charges in and just makes the throw to 1st over the runner.

The inning is almost a complete success, but Kanou singles to center, and Hirasawadzu plunks Suzuki. He still gets the 0 on a fielder's choice but it's extra work.

Bottom 1st
Clark Kokusai's motto is "打て！打て！打て！" which means "Hit! Hit! Hit!", so they're pretty aggressive with the bats if they like a pitch.

Abe goes down chasing a curveball, and Fukuda grounds out on the first pitch.

But Hirasawada the man of the minute right now as he reaches out and takes an outside pitch the other way into the right center field gap for a double!!

Yasuda follows that up with a single to right and Clark Kokusai has the 1-0 lead!

Karasawa strikes out to end the inning, but that motto seems to be working so far.

Top 2nd
Hirasawadzu missing the zone a bit on Isobe and walks him to lead off the inning.

2 down and Isobe on 2nd now, Suzuki hits a grounder to 2nd. Fukuda looked to have it, but instead he double clutches and his throw to 1st is wild! It goes into the camera well and Isobe scores! 1-1!

Bottom 2nd
Another leadoff walk, this time given by Suzuki. But after a bunt, Kanahara makes the mistake of breaking to 3rd on a grounder to short! Segawa goes to 2nd instead and starts the rundown for the 2nd out!

That really hurts because after that Chiba hits a grounder to 3rd that Matsumoto can't handle, and Abe singles to center. That would have easily scored 1 run there.

Instead it's manrui with Fukuda up, and he grounds to 2nd again to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd
Hirasawadzu leading off the 3rd, goes after a high pitch, but drives it deep to right! Kanou goes back, but it's over his glove! Hirasawadzu is in with a leadoff triple!

And Yasuda on the first pitch singles to left! The tandem does it again, and it's 2-1!

Bottom 4th
All scoring opportunities are belonging to Clark Kokusai. though when Fukuda gets a walk ahead of the combo of Hirasawadzu-Yasuda it seems to throw things off.

Hirasawadzu does gets on base via error when his slow chopper is booted by Koizumi, but Yasuda flies out to right.

Bottom 5th
Man, it's amazing what Clark Kokusai is doing. More often than not we're seeing teams unable to get that timely hit, yet when there's a big hit for the team, it's followed up by one more!

Here it's Kishi that hits a ball to the right center field gap for a triple! And then soon afterwards Hamamoto hits a ball over the drawn in outfield and it's a 3-1 ballgame!

(Entered meeting, so was able to watch, but unable to comment).