高校野球 (Kokoyakyu)

So, this will be short, mostly because I'm still disgusted about what happened yesterday (it looks like perhaps the powerhouses are not letting the cinderella teams get away anymore):

Niigata - Sekine Gakuen v. Nihon Bunri
Ishikawa - Komatsu Ootani v. Seiryou
I'm lumping these together because I don't want to dedicate time to these games.

Sekine Gakuen led Nihon Bunri 2-1 going into the bottom of the 9th.  Single, flyout, walk, 3-run gyakuten sayonara HR, Bunri wins 4-2.

Komatsu Ootani led Seiryou 8-0 going into bottom of 9th. They cannot record 3 outs as Seiryou scores 9 in a slow-motion collapse as they win 9-8.

You can see my twitter feed to see my feelings regarding this.  I may even do a post about this before the finals today.

Gunma - Kendai Takasaki v. Isesaki Seimei
The score itself was close, but the game perhaps wasn't.  Kawai, Takahashi and Matsuno combine on a no-hitter as they defeat Isesaki Seimei 1-0.

The only run was scored in the 3rd when after a double to LCF by then starter Kawai, Hoshino goes for a safety bunt with 2 out and brings the runner home.

Tochigi - Sakushin Gakuin v. Sano Nichidai
Sano Nichidai opened the scoring with a run in the first, but Sakushin Gakuin eventually wore down their opponents, scoring 7 runs in the 6th and 7th innings en route to a 7-1 win and their 4th consecutive trip to Natsu Koushien.

Saitama - Shiritsu Kawagoe v. Kasukabe Kyouei
Shiritsu Kawagoe and Kasukabe Kyouei did not have to play any powerhouse teams for the title, and avoided the pitfalls that are associated with playing in big prefectures such as this one.  Both schools had been to Koushien before, Shiritsu Kawagoe as Kawagoe Shougyou back in 1971, and Kasukabe Kyouei 4 times, the most recent being in 2005.

The game was very close with the teams trading runs in the 4th and 5th ending with Shiritsu Kawagoe leading 2-1.  It stayed that way until the 8th when Kamijyou couldn't hold the lead for Shiritsu.  Kasukabe Kyouei would score 6 in the bottom half of the frame, leaving them with almost no time to respond.  Kasukabe Kyouei would advance for the 5th time with a 7-2 win.

Nagano - Saku Chousei v. Nagano Shougyou
Nagano Shougyou had been a powerhouse back in the day, but has ceded way to the private schools such as Saku Chousei, Matsushou Gakuen and the like.

But they reached the final where they would have to exorcise the demon by defeating Saku Chousei to take the title.  And when I saw them score 6 in the 2nd, I thought perhaps the trend of upsets would continue.

Sadly it would not be.  A 4-run 7th was the key in Saku Chousei's comeback as they would win 10-9 to claim their 6th title.

Hyogo - Kobe Kokusaidai Fuzoku v. Sanda Shousei
Even though neither school had reached Natsu Koushien before, Kobe Kokusaidai Fuzoku had at least gone to senbatsu.  So Sanda Shousei could have easily been called the underdog.

But the game was over early.  7 runs in the 3rd for Kobe Kokusaidai Fuzoku and that pretty much sealed things.  Kobe Kokusaidai Fuzoku would go on to win 11-1.

Tottori - Yazu v. Tottori Jyouhoku
In recent times Tottori Jyouhoku has dominated the prefecture leaving schools like Yazu who used to go to Koushien behind.  Yesterday was a chance for Yazu to perhaps claim something from past times.

Yazu would take an early lead when with the bases loaded and 2 out, Nishigaki would deliver a base hit to center scoring 2.

Kamatani for Yazu would hold off the Tottori Jyouhoku offense, but in the 5th he would cede a run due to a wild pitch.  Later on, after an intentional walk to load the bases, he would get out of the jam with a fly to center.

Kamatani wouldn't let them get any closer as he gave up just the 1 run on 6 hit to win 2-1.

Okayama - Okayama Ridai Fuzoku v. Kanzei
There would be no Cinderellas in Okayama as 2 familiar foes met up for the title - though neither had really been to Koushien in a couple of years, as Kurashiki Shougyou had stolen the show for most part.

Kaznei would score early and often against Okayama Ridai, putting up all their runs before the break.  It would be more than enough as they would win 9-4.

Hiroshima - Hiroshima Shinjyou v Kouryou
Kouryou and Jyosuikan have given up control of the prefecture to the masses the last 2 years, but Kouryou returned to the finals this year looking to reclaim the throne.

Hiroshima Shinjyou had gone to senbatsu earlier this year and was looking to perhaps make a return trip this summer.

Things looked good in the first, as Nishijima's timely triple gave them the 1-0 lead.

Kouryou would strike right back.  1 out, runners at the corners and cleanup batter Oota delivers a hit to left to tie the game.  Kita would give his team the lead right after with a single to center.

That would be all the scoring in the game as Kouryou would go on to punch their ticket with a 2-1 win.

Kagawa - Sakaide Shougyou v. Ootemae Takamatsu
We really hadn't heard from either of these schools, though both are more than decent teams within Kagawa.  Sakaide Shougyou time was in the 80s and early 90s where they went to Natsu Koushien 4 of their 5 prior times.  Ootemae Takamatsu has been forever a Tier 3 school, but with none of the current powerhouses in the final (and having survived Jinsei Gakuen 8-7 in 13 in the semifinals), they had a chance to make their first trip.

Perhaps the extra inning game though hurt Ootemae Takamatsu, because despite going out to a 3-1 lead through 6, Saji couldn't finish it off.  He would give up 2 in the 7th to tie the game, and then 2 more in the 9th giving Sakaide Shougyou the 5-3 win.

31 down, 16 to go.

Trying to catch up as best I can today...

Kagawa - Best 8 (en route)
Kagawa is the first Shikoku prefecture to enter the round of 16 and already have some quarterfinalists.

Just to show how useless seeding can be, top seed Sanbonmatsu were mercy ruled in their round of 16 game 10-3 by Sakaide Shougyou.  They will face Kannonji Chuo who briefly trailed against Takamatsu Kita but went on to win 7-4.  And Eimei, a 3-4 seed, was blanked in their first game by Takamatsu Sakurai 2-0, so they didn't even make the round of 16.

The remaining games to be played for the right to be in the Best 8 are:

• Takamatsu Sakurai v. Takamatsu Higashi
• Kagawa Nishi v. Kasada
• Ootemae Takamatsu v. Takamatsu
• Iiyama v. Sakaide Kougyou
• Marugame Jyousai v. Kagawa Chuo
• Takamatsu Shougyou v. Jinsei Gakuen

With some of the upper tier schools have been eliminated, it means that the remaining ones have a better shot at punching their ticket - such as Kagawa Nishi, Marugame Jyousai and Jinsei Gakuen.

Tokushima - Round of 16
With 31 teams, one game gets you to the round of 16 in Tokushima.  Ikeda as the top seed actually got a bye.  Interestingly it doesn't get easy for them to start out, they draw Komatsushima!

• Ikeda v. Komatsushima
• Tomioka Nishi v. Tokushima Shougyou
• Tokushima Kita v. Naruto
• Jyoutou v. Anabuki
• Seikou Gakuen (no there are many of them) v. Tokushima Kagaku Gijyutsu
• Jyouhoku v. Aratano
• Naruto Uzushio v. Kaifu
• Anan Tousen v. Anan Kougyou

While many will be happy that Ikeda and Komatsushima will be beating each other up, the fact that Naruto Uzushio is on the other half means there is no easy road to the title.

For Nichinan Gakuen, they needed the late innings to put away Miyazaki Oomiya 10-0 in the full 9 innings.  They will play Miyazaki Nichidai who responded to a 3 run inning by Nobeoka Seiun with 3 of their own to win 6-3.

Nisshou Gakuen actually trailed Nobeoka Shougyou twice, but 3 unanswered runs post-break allowed them to move on 6-4.  And finally Sadowara put up a great fight against Nobeoka Kougyou, but like many other schools, broke down late falling 8-4.

Kumamoto - Best 4 (en route)
Unlike other prefectures, while there are 8 seeded teams, they are not drawn into the edges of the bracket.  Instead they are put in pools and drawn into a section of a bracket.

And not all of them survived into the best 8 (in order of the brackets):

• #8 Kyushu Gakuin - 3 strong games put them into the Best 8, but...
• #1 Taragi - They had the unfortunate luck to have to replay their first game when rain made their first attempt against Yuushinkan.  They eventually won, but it was an extra 5 innings of work to be put on the team.  The pitching would fall apart against Jyouhoku in the round of 16 giving up 4 runs late to fall 7-4.  There would be more to come...
• #4 Shuugakukan - They couldn't even reach the round of 16.  Against Toukaidai Seishou, they threw 5 different pitchers at them, but it was the offense that failed to deliver.  They would fall 1-0 in 11.
• #5 Kumamoto Kougyou - They almost blew a 6-0 lead against Kumamoto Kokufu with 5 runs in the 7th, but pulled away to win 11-6.
• #3 Buntoku - They have yet to yield a run in their games so far.  They may look the strongest.
• #6 Seiseikou - They have uncharacteristically scored a lot of runs in their games so far, their last being a more normal 6-2 win over Kumamoto Dai-ichi.
• #7 Senshuudai Tamana - In their 2nd game against Chiharadai, they rallied from behind to take a 5-3 lead, but 2 HRs from Chiharadai were too much as they lost 8-5.
• #2 Chinzei - Chinzei went from a defensive low scoring team, to a complete offensive one it seems.  Problem is, you have to outhit your pitching and survive a possible power outage.  It worked for the first couple of games, but against Kumamoto Kokusaidai Fuzoku in the round of 16, their pitching faltered, giving up 3 runs in the final 2 innings, and then the sayonara run in the 11th to fall 5-4.

Earlier today, Jyouhoku led Kyushu Gakuin 4-0, blew the lead in the 8th and 9th, but managed to stem the momentum, walking them off in the bottom of the 9th!

Kagoshima - Best 4 (en route)
Their PDF don't show any seeds, but the strong teams do occupy the normal seeded spots.

Kanoya Chuo didn't give up a run until their 3rd game vs. Tsurumaru in the round of 16.  Still, they have kept their opponents at arms length, defeating Sendai 4-2 for a spot in the semifinals. (Sendai had upset seeded Reimei earlier 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th).

Kokubun Chuo and Kagoshima Jyouhou are playing right now for the final spot in the best 4, both upsetting seeded teams in the prior round (Shounan and Kagoshima Jyousai respectively).  Kokubun Chuo leads 2-0 after their half of the 4th.

Ooshima couldn't keep the momentum from the spring, much like last year.  They fell in the round of 16 3-1.  That opened the door for Kanoya, who upset Kagoshima Gyokuryuu with 7 runs in the final 4 innings to win 7-6.

Kamimura Gakuen had a close game against Kounan in the 2nd round 2-1, but have defeated the rest in decent fashion.  Kanoya should prove to be a good challenge.

Two more to go...

Kagawa
Kagawa may still be in a down cycle.  Natsu representative Marugame couldn't get out of the first game, falling to Sakaide 12-3. Interestingly, this is a case where the team defeating the summer representative actually delivers.  They edged by both Tonoshou (9-8 in 10), then Jinsei Gakuen (7-6) before getting an "easy win" over Takamatsu Dai-ichi 7-3 to secure their appearance in the super-regionals.

They will play Eimei in the finals for fall bragging rights.  Eimei did not concede a run until their quarterfinal game against Marugame Jyousai, then outlasted Kagawa Nishi 7-6 in 12 innings.

As noted, Takamatsu Dai-ichi and Kagawa Nishi will play for the 3rd spot.

Tokushima
Naruto may be back on the rebuilding path as they can only get to the quarterfinals before falling to Ikeda in 12 innings after rallying from down 4-1.

Naruto Uzushio, a possible candidate to replace them, actually had fallen a round earlier to Itano 3-2.  And with Tokushima Shougyou failing late to Kaifu 10-7 also in the quarterfinals, it opened things up for the final 4 with no main threat.

Ikeda may be building back up to being a Tokushima powerhouse, but they haven't gotten there yet it seems. They fell behind unknown Seikou Gakuen 3-0 early and couldn't recover falling 3-2 and being sent to the 3rd place game.

The other team looking to break through in recent years is Komatsushima.  And it seemed like they would have a great opportunity to win the fall with the other major competitors gone.  And after outlasting Kaifu 5-4 they guaranteed themselves at least a spot in the Super-regionals.

With Ikeda going to the consolation game, the prospects looked bleak for Kaifu.  Indeed, Ikeda's ace (Myouzai?) pitched a complete game no-hitter sending Ikeda to a spot in the super-regionals.

In the final it was all Komatsushima going out to a 7-0 lead.  And it would have been all theirs if the game lasted 7 innings.  Because ace Matori completely fell apart in the final 2 innings, giving up 2 in the 8th and then 5 in the 9th sending the game into enchousen.

Apparently there would be no relief for the ace, and that would prove costly because in the 12th Seikou Gakuen would complete the comeback claiming their 2nd fall title!

Ehime
Anraku didn't look right at Natsu Koushien, and after Saibi's loss in the first round of the prefecturals to Saijyou 4-2, something had to be up.  Now we know that Anraku probably had an injury that finally was reported (which I'm sure the MLB teams are all up at arms about because after all he'll end up being their property...)

Anyways, that opened the prefecture to the rest of the field who may have thought that there was no hope at all.

Sadly though, even though it opened up it only really did for the other powerhouses.  Saijyou and Imabari Nishi were not challenged to the title game.  In that final, Saijyou had a 5-1 lead late, allowed Imabari to tie the game with 4 in the 8th before avoiding extras with 3 in the 9th to claim their 15th title.

Touon would battle Teikyou Dai-go for the final spot, but sadly couldn't compete. They would give up runs in just 2 innings, but were mercy ruled 7-0 in 8 innings.

Kochi
Kochi belonged to Meitoku Gijyuku, by a wide margin.  Despite losing a majority of their natsu roster, they still had ace Kishi - and that's a big plus.  Kishi's closest game was a 5-2 win over Ootemae in the semifinals.  That would be before a 17-3 win over Kochi Higashi Kougyou in the finals.

Where was Kochi and Kochi Shougyou? Kochi was actually shutout by Kochi Higashi Kougyou 4-0 in the quarterfinals.  Kochi Shougyou actually lost 3-2 to Kochi Higashi in the 2nd round.  Kochi Higashi actually made it to the semifinals before losing to Kochi Higashi Kougyou.  They could not however reach the super-regionals as Ootemae would defeat them 7-3 to claim the last spot.

Ok, 17 champions have been crowned the last 2 days.  Let's see who has advanced to Koushien:


7/26 Title Games
Iwate - Hanamaki Higashi (7th title, 1st in 2 years)

After a rainout on the scheduled day, Moriokadai Fuzoku and Hanamaki Higashi finally clashed.

Moriokadai jumped on Hanamaki in the first inning with an RBI by ace Matsumoto to score Saitou.  Matsumoto would hold that lead until the 5th when back to back hits by Motegi and Hosokawa would give Hanamaki Higashi the 2-1 lead.  One inning later, it would all fall apart for Matsumoto as Tadano and Motegi (who ended up going 2-3 on the day) would tally 3 more runs to put it out of reach.  Hosokawa would scatter 1 run on 5 hits giving Hanamaki Higashi the title!

We know them for their grittiness.  Will we see it again this year?

Yamagata - Nichidai Yamagata (16th appearance, 1st in 6 years)
The Yamagata final was also rained out.  It perhaps allowed Yonezawa Chuo to contemplate rallying for the final against Nichidai Yamagata.

One day however, would wind up making little difference.  For Nichidai Yamagata would put the game out of reach early.  Takeda would start with squeeze bunt in the 2nd for a run.  In the 3rd Mineta would deliver a 2-run HR to right in a 3-run 3rd.

It was all Nichidai Yamagata after that, as ace Shouji and Aoki would later add HR's of their own in a 7-3 rout for the title.

Yamagata has been winless in the last 6 Natsu Koushien tournaments.  If there is any hope, they did to go the Best 8 in 2006.  But does such a run exist for them?

Toyama - Toyama Dai-ichi (1st appearance!)

Toyama Dai-ichi was looking for their first title against Sakurai who was looking for their 5th.

Ace Miyamoto would help his own cause opening the scoring for Toyama Dai-ichi in the 2nd with a sac fly to center.  3 innings later Fukui would extend the lead with a base hit to left.

Sakurai would pull within 1 in the bottom of the 5th, but Terazaki and Miyamoto would drive in 2 more runs in the lucky 7th.

That would be enough for Miyamoto as Kuroda-kantoku would finally celebrate his schools first ever title!  Now, can they parlay that into a win?  Over the last decade, teams from Toyama have advanced to the next round just 40% of the time.

Fukui - Fukui Shougyou (22nd appearance, 1st in 2 years)
So Fukui Shougyou (though not a no-name team by any means), was on the verge on a unique double upset.  If they managed to defeat Harue Kougyou in the final, they will have won the Fukui tournament defeating both Hokushinetsu senbatsu representatives!!  And with Tsuruga Kehi looking the stronger of the two representatives, it looked certainly possible.

Cleanup batter Ooishi would open the scoring against ace Tsubota with a timely hit to center.

And, that's all that Fukushou would need!  Nakamura Fumihide (中村 文英) would completely stifle the Harue offense giving up just 3 hits while striking out 9 in a 2-0 win to give Fukui Shougyou the title and completing the double upset!

Gifu - Oogaki Nichidai (2nd appearance, 1st in 6 years)
Despite having more Natsu Koushien title, Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou looked to be facing an uphill battle against Oogaki Nichidai.

Indeed, 3 straight hits ending with Naitou's 2-run triple followed by a sac fly from Takino would give Oogaki Nichidai a very quick 3-0 lead.  Starter Nagano for Shiritsu Fukushou would be pulled after just 1/3 of an inning giving way to Koedo.  Oogaki would add a run in the 3rd to make it a 4-run lead.

Starter Takada for Oogaki however would be unable to hold it.  Over the next 3 innings, Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou would come back to tie the game.

But just when Shiritsu Gifushou got back into the game, it would slip away yet again.  2 on, and the new Oogaki pitcher Hashimoto would come up big with a 2-run double to right.  One more run for good measure in the 7th, and Oogaki Nichidai would defeat Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou 7-4.

Shimane - Iwami Chisuikan (8th appearance, 1st in 8 years)
Iwami Chisuikan, formerly known as Gonokawa, would be looking for their first title since the name change.  In their way was Risshoudai Shounan.

It did look like Iwami Chisuikan would be pulling off the rout jumping out to a 5-0 lead early.  Ace Tanabe though would let Risshoudai get back within 1 over the next two innings.

But Risshoudai Shounan seemed to have troubles on the mound the entire game.  After pulling starter Shimozono after just 2.1 innings, Yoshihara would give up just one run until the 7th when he was pulled after letting the leadoff runner on.  Yoshimura would come in, but wound up giving up 4 runs (1 charged to Yoshihara), and that pretty much ended it for Risshoudai as Iwami Chisuikan would win 10-6 to claim their first title in 8 years!

Okayama - Tamano Kounan (3rd appearance, 1st in 11 years)
My dear Kanzei was just one game away from making it to Koushien.  And with 4 quick runs early on, it seemed like perhaps they'd get there.

But in the 5th errors would plague Kanzei.  4 runs would come in, giving Tamano Kounan the 5-4 lead.  Tamano ace Hoshi settled down after the shaky first 2 innings and would wind up striking out 7 and giving Tamano Kounan the title.

Kagawa - Marugame (4th appearance, 1st in 13 years)
To claim the title, Marugame would have to defeat the defending champions Jinsei Gakuen.  It wound up being easier than anyone expected as they would break to a 3-0 lead over the 1st 3 innings, then blow it open late all while ace Miyazaki would give up just 1 run on 6 hits, striking out 9 in a resounding 8-1 victory.

Sorry, a headache pretty much KO'd me during games so I wasn't able to do an update.

Anyways, we're in crunchtime now as the number of teams qualifying by the day starts to ramp up hard.

First our qualifiers.  The established guard ruled the day on the 25th.

Ibaraki - Jyousou Gakuin (15 appearance, 2nd consecutive)

There were very few surprises in Ibaraki this year.

Top seed Kasumigaura almost stumbled out of the block, sort of expected for a team newly in the upper ranks, in a 2-1 win over Hokota Dai-ichi.  That would wake them up as they would outscore their opponents 22-2 thereafter to reach the semis.  That shouldn't take away from their quarterfinal opponent Meishuu Higashi who had defeated Fujishiro in the prior round as flurries of runs were scored in the final innings.

On the other part of their half was Kashima Gakuen who clawed their way through the quadrant, which included a late game pull away from #5 seed Tsuchiura Kohoku 6-4, and Hitachi Dai-ichi who survived Tsuchiura Dai-san 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th then an upset of #4 seed Ishioka Dai-ichi 7-5.  The two teams would be tied at 1 until Kashima Gakuen broke out for 4 runs in the 9th for the win.

In the other half of the quadrant, #2 Jyousou Gakuin breezed through their games, and in the quarterfinals continued to roll with a mercy rule win over Mito Kougyou who respectfully got through the bracket.

Meanwhile, both #3 Shimotsuma Dai-ni and #4 Suijyou were methodically working their way through.  Suijyou after a pair of mercy-rule games, took an early lead over Tsuchiura Dai-ichi 5-0 then held off to win 5-3.  Shimotsuma Dai-ni you could say slowly warmed up.  After a 4-3 win over Tsuchiura Dai-ni, had a better 5-2 win over Mito Sakuranomaki before blowing away Taga. The warming up though wouldn't be enough as Suijyou's RBI by cleanup batter Hayashi Ryou (林 涼) would be enough to send them to the semis.

Both semfiinals wound up being one-sided.  Both Kasumigaura and Jyousou Gakuin cruised through to the finals.

Kasumigaura had a chance this year to finally breakthrough.  In 2011, they lost in the bottom of the 9th against Fujishiro, and last year they fell in the quarterfinals.  Now, prefectural stalwart Jyousou Gakuin stood in the way.

But much like 2011, Kasumigaura took the early lead with a run in the top of the first, and then even added a run in the 8th for good measure.

The pitching side seemed to be holding.  Starter Ueno went short of  5 innings but didn't allow a run.  Ichige came in relief and continued to shut down the favorites...

Until the 8th.

Ichige would be tagged with back to back RBI hits by Yoshizawa and Ikezawa and before you knew it the game was tied.  Katano, who was part of that 2011 game, came in relief and got out of the inning.

But something was probably in the back of Kasumigaura's minds.  Perhaps the shades of 2011 haunted them.  Perhaps my theory of what the schools just below the "powerhouse" tiers holds true - that teams need to learn how to win the big game, to not be intimidated by their history or the history of the other teams.  To just play with no abandon regardless of the opponent.

Because with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Kasumigaura would suffer the same fate as 2011.  Cleanup batter Uchida would blast a sayonara 2-run HR off Katano to give Jyousou Gakuin their 2nd consecutive title... and leave Kasumigaura broken for 2 of the last 3 years.

Niigata - Nihon Bunri (7th appearance, 1st in 2 years)
This year may have been Murakami Sakuragaoka's best chance to win the title.  Constantly exiting either in the 3rd round or the semifinals, they finally got to the title game.  But Nihon Bunri stood in the way of them and the title.

Murakami Sakuragaoka looked really good in the title game, pinging Nihon Bunri for a run in the first 2 innings.  And even after ace Shiina gave up a 3 spot in the 4th, Murakami pocked ace Ooyanai? Yoshinori (大谷内 睦規) for another run in the 5th and 6th innings to take the lead.  However, Shiina's downfall would be the big inning.  Nihon Bunri would score 4 in the 7th knocking Shiina out of the game and giving themselves a lead that just forced their opponents to get a run an inning.  After a scoreless bottom of the 7th, it was all but over as Nihon Bunri won the title 7-5.

Kumamoto - Kumamoto Kougyou (20th appearance, 1st in 4 years)
Buntoku had been to Koushien twice before, both summer appearances.  And they performed very well in recent years, losing in the 3rd round or the quarterfinal game.  This year though they would have to defeat Kumamoto Kougyou, who had been to Koushien quite often in the 2000's, but was quiet so far in this decade.  Still, they have a much bigger history at Koushien than Buntoku.

Once again, it was the underdog who jumped out ahead with a run in the bottom of the first.  Kumamoto Kougyou would respond quickly tying the game in the 2nd.  Forward to the 5th inning and an error would help Buntoku take a 4-1 lead.  Ace Honda seemed to make that lead stick... that is until the 8th where with 2 down and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Nishiyama and ace Yamashita would deliver back to back hits to tie the game.

The game would stay tied until the 10th where Kudou, who entered the game as a PH earlier, would deliver what would end up being the game winning RBI to give Kumamoto Kougyou their first appearance in Koushien this decade.


And now for our final games today.

Iwate
When play finally started in Iwate it became clear that being a seeded team didn't mean a whole hill of beans. 3 seeded teams failed to get past their first game! Kurosawajiri Kougyou, Touno and Morioka Shiritsu all fell flat.  Even Moriokadai Fuzoku narrowly beat Morioka Nougyou 5-3 in their opener.  Senshuudai Kitakami fell one round later to Kuji Kougyou 6-4.

With one exception (Fukuoka), the schools who upset the seeded teams joined the remaining seeds (who had no trouble at all) in the Best 8.

Oddly enough, all 4 seeded teams were facing no seeds in the quarterfinals.

Morioka Dai-yon and Hanamaki Higashi handled their games easily over Fukuoka and Kuji Kougyou respectively, Ichinoseki Gakuin not surprisingly struggled with Kamaishi Shoukou but won 5-4, and in a bit of a surprise Mizusawa played to a 2-2 draw with Moriokadai Fuzoku!  However, a replay generally favors the favorite and true to form Moriokadai won 8-3 in the replay.

So the semifinals would feature Moriokadai Fuzoku facing Ichinoseki Gakuin, and Morioka Dai-yon squaring with Hanamaki Higashi.  Ichinoseki Gakuin fell flat once again, providing little resistance to Morioka Dai-ichi, while Hanamaki Higashi gritted their way with a 2-run 8th to get past Morioka Dai-yon and ace Nagasuzu 4-3.

And while they had to wait a day due to rain, familiar foes in Moriokadai Fuzoku and Hanamaki Higashi will face off for the Iwate title.

Yamagata
As much as Tenri has disappointed me over the years, so has Haguro in Yamagata.  In fact, they stooped to a new low.  Earning the #1 seed, they promptly lost their first game 3-1 to Tsuruoka Higashi.

The 4 seeded teams to reach the semifinals may not have been high seeds, but they are established strong teams within the prefecture.

With top seed Haguro out of the way, #6 Nichidai Yamagata was able to easily win their 3 games to reach the semis.  They will play #3 seed Sakata Minami who needed no help, outscoring their opponents 37-3.

On the other half, #2 seed Kunori Gakuen has been better as of late, but doesn't have the experience it seems losing in the 3rd round 2-1 in 14 innings to Shinjyou Higashi.  They would face #5 Yamagata Chuo for the right to be in the semis.  And while they made a great rally, a 7 run deficit was just too much to overcome as they fell 7-6.  #4 seed Yonezawa Chuo was in dire straits after ace Satou surrendered 3 runs to Toukaidai Yamagata in the final 2 innings.  But amazingly down 7-5, his team rallies for 3 runs for the comeback victory!

So two veterans on one side of the bracket and two hopefuls on the other.  Both semifinal games  expected to be very close affairs.

But interestingly, the game between Sakata Minami and Nichidai Yamagata almost was a blowout!  After a 5-run 1st by Nichidai it looked rather bad for the defending champs.  But they were not defending champions, nor representative 5 of the last 10 years for nothing.   They would claw back to within 2 runs by the 4th inning.  However, that would be as close as they would get as Nichidai would put up a pair in the 7th to put the game out of reach winning 8-5.

In the battle of Chuo schools, Yamagata Chuo was marked as the favorite - especially since they were able to reach senbatsu earlier this year.  But Yonezawa Chuo was not fazed at all.  For each time Yamagata was able to get to ace Satou early on, his offense would come right back to level the score.  Finally in the 8th, Yonezawa was able to pull ahead as Kusano delivered a timely hit on reliever Ishikawa.  Satou was almost able to close it out, but gave up the douten run in the bottom of the 9th.  Yonezawa brought them on the precipice of the finals again with a run in the 10th over ace Takahashi (who returned back to the mound), but once against Satou was not able to keep the lead.

Wouldn't you know it though, Yonezawa would do it again in the 11th.  Kouchi, easily the man of the game, got his 3rd RBI with his 3rd hit of the game.  This time, Satou would finally pitch a clean inning to win the game and send the team to the finals.

Toyama
Toyama went surprisingly smoothly if you were a top seeded team.

Well, almost.

1-2 seed Toyama Shougyou was actually upset by Himi in their 2nd game 4-2 in 12 innings.  Himi almost pulled off the double upset, but Jige was unable to hold, resulting in a 2-1 loss to Sakurai.  The only other seeded team to lose prior to the quarterfinals was Takaoka Shougyou who fell 6-4 to Takaoka Dai-ichi.

Otherwise, fellow 1-2 seed Toyama Dai-ichi, and 3-4 seeds Tonami Kougyou and Shin-Minato were able to reach the semis.  Toyama Dai-ichi blowing through the field, Tonami Kougyou having a little resitance, and Shin-Minato just getting by Tonami Kokusaidai Fuzoku 2-1.

Shin-Minato would narrowly lose to Sakurai 3-2, while Toyama Dai-ichi would mercy rule Tonami Kougyou in 5 innings.  Suffice it to say that the title appears to be Toyama Dai-ichi's to lose.

Fukui
So, the final shouldn't have been a surprise really.  The Hokushinetsu region was represented by 2 teams from Fukui, so why wouldn't Tsuruga Kehi and Harue Kougyou reach the finals?

Well, for Tsuruga Kehi, their draw included possible games against Fukui Koudai Fukui and Fukui Shougyou, and that is no easy task.  They got through Fukui Koudai Fukui 5-1, but wound up stumbling against Fukui Shougyou 5-1.  With the major competition out of the way, a routine 5-1 win over Fukui Nourin put them in the finals.

What about Harue Kougyou?  They were admittedly the weaker team it seemed despite winning the Hokushinetsu region last fall.

Well, they've survived by the skin of their teeth.  Literally.

First up, Keishin.  Tied 1-1 going into the 9th, they get the sayonara run off reliever Kitada to advance.  Then was Sabae.  Despite getting out to a 3-0 lead in the first, Sabae would tie it at 4 by the 6th inning.  This game would go into extras before Harue Kougyou would again deliver the sayonara blow in the 11th by cleanup batter Ono.

Finally, Tsuruga Kougyou. Ace Hirata was able to limit their opponent for 4 hits through 10 innings as Kinoshita finally delivered the game winning sac fly to send them to the finals 1-0.

So, despite being at Koushien this spring, Harue Kougyou looks to be the underdog against Fukui Shougyou.

Gifu
Gifu was rather scratch as well.  The top 8 seeds advanced to the block finals with the only exception being C Block top seed Mashita Seifu.  With their early exit, Chuukyou breezed through to the block finals to face Nagara.

In A Block, Oogaki Nichidai continued their roll through by defeating a surely depleted Teikyoudai Kani squad who needed a sayonara 2-run HR by to rally to defeat Seki Shoukou 6-4 in the bottom of the 9th.

Moving on to B Block, and Kenritsu Gifu Shougyou got a big scare as they trailed Gifu Dai-ichi 2-1.  But they get to ace Koshikawa with a run in the 8th, then the sayonara run in the 9th to advance to the block finals.  They would face a Minokamo squad who like Teikyoudai Kani, rallied for down 6-3 with 7 unanswered runs in the 7th and 8th off off Kanou ace Gotou for the win.

Yet Minokamo was game for the vaunted Kengifushou.  They jumped out to a 2-0 lead right off the bat.  Ace Asano would try to hold the lead for the rest of the game, but would surrender the lead after giving up a run in the 4th and 5th.  The final blow would be in the 7th as cleanup batter Takenaka would deliver the gyakuten timely hit to win 3-2.

As mentioned in Block C, Chuukyou breezed through to face a Nagara team that had two close calls.  Nagara would put up a fight, but found themselves playing a game of catchup they couldn't win following a 3-run 5th.  Chuukyou would advance out of the block 7-5.

And finally in Block D, both Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou and Toki Shougyou would actually have a little difficulty getting through the block.  Both only had one mercy rule victory, and both needed to survive a close game against a no-name opponent (sorry Hida-Takayama and Oogaki Minami).

The block final would go to Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou as they would put up at least a run in 8 of the 9 innings defeating Toki Shougyou 14-8.

In the semifinals, Block D and Block C would play, leaving Blocks A & B to play in the other semi.

Chuukyou was game for Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou, taking the lead in the 6th with a timely hit from 2nd pitcher Takagi.  However, his lead would not last long as he would relinquish runs in the 7th and 8th innings giving Shigifushou the 2-1 win.

The other semifinal was not as competitive.  As much as perhaps people wanted an all-Gifu Shougyou final, ace Fujita just did not have it against Oogaki Nichidai.  A pair of runs in the 1st turned out to be enough as they pulled away 5-1.

So it will be Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou and Oogaki Nichidai in the final.

Shimane
Shimane looked to have two powerhouses barreling towards the final.  One one side Kaisei, who barred through their 3 games going just 17 innings.  On the other, Risshoudai Shounan, who wasn't as dominant, still got through their 3 games with relative ease (though against Matsue Kita in their 3rd game they had just one outburst in the 7th for the 3-0 win).

Standing in Kaisei's way to the finals was Iwamichisuikan.  They worked their way through the bottom of the bracket all the way to face seeded Hamada.  In that quarterfinal game, Iwamichisuikan would put Hamada behind the 8-ball early and often.  Despite Hamada tying the game in the 5th, the constant pressure on ace Miura would be too much.  4 runs in the final 3 innings sealed Hamada's fate.

In the semifinal, Iwamichisuikan's Tanabe would outpitch Kaisei ace Onda with cleanup batter Nishida delivering the fatal blow with a HR in the bottom of the 8th.  Iwamichisuikan would advance to the final game with a 2-1 win.

Risshoudai Shounan's opponent would be Matsue Shougyou.  Having upset Masuda Shougyou, ace Masumoto would outlast Matsue Nourin's Aoyama and and Kadowaki to win 8-5 in 13 innings.  An easy win over Masuda Higashi set up the semifinal matchup.

While taking the early lead, Masumoto would get rocked in the middle innings leaving Matsueshou trailing 4-1.  His offense would rally in the next 2 innings to tie the game, but bottom 9 Shimozono would deliver the sayonara hit for Risshoudai Shounan to move on to the finals where Iwamichisuikan awaits.

Okayama
Oddly enough, it was better to be a lower seeded team than a higher seeded team this year.

1-4 seed Okayama Jyoutou was the first to fall, being shutout by Kouyou 4-0.  Okayama Rikadai Fuzoku would be next to fall one round later, with a 6-2 loss to Kurashiki Kougyou.

However, neither would advance to the best 4.  5-8 seed Kanzei, who was not challenged up until that point, would pull away from Kouyou late to win 5-2.  As for Kurashiki Kougyou, while Koujyoukan did suffer a scare from Takahashi Nisshin,  ace Fukushima would throw a 4-hit shutout to eliminate the challengers.

In the other 2 quadrants, 1-4 seed Kurashiki Shougyou would face a surely tired 5-8 Okayama Higashi Shougyou squad.  They wound up playing Mizushima Kougyou to a 6-6 draw, then just survived in the replay 2-1, then won another 1-run game against Sakuyou.

Perhaps the close games helped Okayama Higashi Shougyou because ace Nogami made a 3-2 2nd inning lead stick to advance the team to a semifinal match versus Kanzei.

And finally, 5-8 Okayama Kyousei was no match for 1-4 Tamano Kounan.  Despite a small hiccup versus Mimasaka, where they just managed 1 run on 8 hits, they blew out Kyousei 10-0.

In the semifinals, the bottom of the order would stake Kanzei ace Kodama to a 2-0 lead as Tobe and Ichihara get back-to-back timely hits.  Kodama would make that lead stick winning 3-2.

The other semifinal was rather bizarre.  First Koujyoukan would go out to a 3-1 lead.  Fukushima would hold that score until the 7th and 8th when Tamano pulled within 1, then tied the game.  Reliever Satake would come in to try and keep the game level, but wound up giving up the gyakuten run to send the top seed to the finals.

What's so strange about that?  They did it on just 4 hits.

Kagawa
Kagawa's top 4 seeds this year did not seem like the usual suspects (with the exception of top seed Jinsei Gakuen).  #2 Kotohira and #3 Tadotsu both were teams that had not fared well, but for some reason had success in the spring.  Only #4 Marugame Jyousei made some sense as they have been one of the betters teams in prefecture.

And things played out like you expected.  Sort of.

Kanonji Chuo gave Jinsei Gakuen a proper fright, but reliever Nakayama kept the score at 4-3 in the final 6 frames. After that Kagawa Tousen Takamatsu actually led Jinsei into the 2nd half of the game, but reliever Yoshinari couldn't maintain the 3-1 lead.  A pair of runs in the 7th and 8th spelled their downfall.

So Jinsei Gakuen as a seeded team made the semifinals.  They would wind up being the only seeded team to do so.

After getting by a tough 1st round draw in Sangawa, Marugame Jyousei slid past Iiyama to reach the quarterfinals.  There they would face an Eimei team who had beaten an unknown Shido team 1-0, then jumped on reliever Matsumoto for Sanbonmatsu who proceeded to fritter away a 7-2 lead and then take the loss in the 10th.  Eimei wound up being up for the task, routing Marugame Jyousei 8-1 in 8 innings.

Things were even worse on the other half.  Tadotsu, despite just 5 hits, was able to defeat Takamatsu Nishi 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th.  But against Takamatsu Shougyou in the next round?  Annihilated in 5 innings 10-0.

And Kotohira?  Don't even ask. Takamatsu Minami limits them to just 1 run on 3 hits as they "upset" the #2 seed 4-1.

So who would jump on the opportunity?  Well, Takamatsu Kita game Takamatsu Minami a job well done, defeated them 5-3, and then 4-hit Shoudouhima to advance to the Best 4.  Marugame, despite needing to comeback against Ootemae Takamatsu's relief corps in game 2, took out Takamatsu Shougyou 5-2 to move themselves on the hill.

Semifinal 1 pitted the two heavyweights Jinsei Gakuen and Eimei.  The aces traded donuts for the longest time before Nakayama caved and allowed the first run in the 7th for Eimei.  Doi would come in relief for the 8th, but gave up 2 more runs.  All seemed lost for Jinsei, but Eimei's ace Akagawa cracked in the bottom of the inning.  A 2-run timely hit by SS Nishimaru, and another RBI from Oonishi tied the game at 3.  Fast forward to the 9th, and Nishimaru would get one more crack at Akagawa.  Sure enough, he delivered the sayonara hit to score Shinohara and send Jinsei Gakuen to the finals.

The 2nd semifinal was not exciting at all sadly.  Takamatsu Kita was definitely the odd man in the bunch, and well... Starter Horie would not even finish the first inning as Marugame scored 11 runs in the 1st inning.  They would win 11-0 on 5 hits and 8 walks...

So it's Marugame and Jinsei Gakuen in the final.

Most of Chuugoku and Shikoku have started along with most of the other prefectures.  Let's see where they're at.

Tottori
Nothing really of note so far in the 6 games played.  The closest game was Yonago Higashi rallying from down 5-0 to Tottori Nishi to pull within 2, but lost 6-3.  Tottori Jyouhoku has advanced easily past the first round.

Okayama
Much like Tottori, not many close games in Okayama to start either.  Okayama Gakugeikan and Okayama Shoudai Fuzoku both advanced on day 1.  Kanzei's attempt to return to 甲子園 started off with a 5-0 win over Okayama Housen.

The only really close games was at Acorn Stadium.  Tamano holding off Konkou Gakuen 5-4, and Okayama outscoring Wakeshizutani to win 9-6.

Shimane
An exciting opening game in Shimane on the 14th as Mitoya and Matsue Kougyou traded runs every other inning, with Matsue Kougyou leading 5-4.  But just 3 outs from advancing, they cannot close it out and Mitoya scores 2 in the bottom of the 9th for the sayorara win!

Hiroshima
Opening day at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium was interesting for several reasons.  First Soutoku and Hiroshima Shougyou would fight for 13 innings with Soutoku pulling off the 4-3 sayonara win in 13 innings.  The other interesting fact was that the pitcher used for Hiroshima Shougyou was #10 Inosencio Wilson.  From what I've been able to discern, his father was Filipino and was actually studying back in the Philippines before coming to high school in Japan.

Anyways, the first couple of days have the seeded teams watching as the rest of the field fights it out in the lower levels.  It's a mixed bag, but there are quite a few close games starting out.

In Kure Nikou, Kure Mitsuta led Kumano 7-0 but the tandem of Maeda and Sugimoto barely held Kumano off winning 7-6.  At Shimanami, Kure Shouwa also holds on, turning a 3-0 lead into a 3-2 win over Mihara.

Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi doesn't mess around on opening day.  10 games across 4 stadiums.  Honestly though, I believe they had their opening ceremonies the day before.

Anyways, in opening action Ube Tousen trades blows with Ube Frontier Kagawa and wins 10-8.  Takamori continually chases Kudamatsu, and just falls short 5-4.  A 5-run 8th gives Shimonoseki Nishi the 7-4 win over Ootsu Ryokuyou.

Meanwhile, the seeded teams that did not manage to draw a bye played the next day.  How a 5-8 seed gets a 1st round bye while a 1-4 seed doesn't is beyond me.  No upsets thus far, though Ube Kougyou did not look especially sharp against Houhoku winning 3-1.  Yanai Gakuen and Karyou both advance, but will be facing 5-8 seeded teams in their next matchup (Iwakuni and Nanyou Kougyou respectively).

Kagawa
Opening round games have been completed, and seeded teams are queued up.  One school has already played and that's Jinsei Gakuen.  They had an easy first game and will face a Kanonji Chuo squad who uncharacteristically almost lost in their first round game against Sakaide, recovered to mercy rule Mitoyo Kougyou.

Otherwise, Kasada used late-game heroics to score 2 in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Takamatsu Sakurai and will face Iiyama next.

Tokushima
Not much to report in Tokushima, all games were pretty much one-sided.  About the only interesting game was Wakimachi scoring 11 unanswered to turn a 6-1 loss into an eventual 12-7 win over Komatsushima Nishi.  Otherwise Kawashima, Tomioka Nishi, Tokushima Shougyou and Jyounouchi all advance.

Ehime
Interestingly, very low scoring games dominate early action.  Yet only a handful were contested.  Iyo Nougyou used a run in the 1st and 9th to defeat Yoshida 2-0.  Niihama Higashi outlasted Kita-Uwa 3-2 in 11 innings.  And Minami-Uwa used a run in the lucky 7th to get by Matsuyama Kougyou 4-3.

Kochi
Much like Tokushima, mostly lopsided games.  Seeded teams do not get later games and as such, Kochi, Kochi Shougyou and Meitoku Gijyuku have all played and advanced.

But Kochi Tousen had their dreams crushed when they could not close a 6-2 lead in the top of the 9th.  6 runs later and Aki Sakuragaoka would advance.  And Kochi Ootemae would fight but lose in the bottom of the 13th 2-1 to Nakamura.

Tottori
Yazu seemed to have the game in control after scoring 4 in the 3rd. But they had other opportunities to extend the lead and was not able to. That would hurt them in the end as Sakai would score a pair of runs in the 7th and 8th for a gyakuten 5-4 victory!

Sakai's opponent in the championship would be Tottori Shougyou as ace Hashimoto throws a 4-hit shutout over Tottori Ikuei.

In the finals, Sakai would have to play catchup, not once, but twice. Right after Tottori Shougyou scored their 2nd run in the 5th, Sakai scored a pair of their own. Same thing happened right after Tottori Shougyou scored a run in the bottom of the 6th. While it gave them the tie once again, they were unable to take the outright lead.

And Tottori Shougyou would ensure Sakai would have no time to rally. They score the sayonara run for the win and only their 2nd title - the first being 7 years ago.

Okayama
Kanzei and Okayama Rikaidai Fuzoku was easily the most competitive game of the 4 quarterfinal games. Both teams struggled to get hits, though Rikaidai did get the opening run in the 1st on a HR by Fujioka. Kanzei tried fighting back throughout the game, and finally broke through in the 8th scoring the douten run. In the 9th, they would get to reliever Fujioka and score the gyakuten run. Rikaidai was not able to mount a 9th inning rally and fell 2-1.

Outside of that game, Okayama Gakugeikan, Sakuyou and Konkou Gakuen all advanced with little difficulty.

And the semifinals were actually much of the same. Okayama Gakugeikan got mercy ruled in 5 by Okayama 12-2, and while Sakuyou managed to get a 2-0 lead early, a 10-1 run by Konkou Gakuen in the 3rd-6th innings made the game out of reach.

So it'll be Kanzei and Konkou Gakuen for the final.

Shimane
It seemed to be getting easier for top seed Iwamichisuikan. In the quarterfinals they won 11-0 over Iinan in 5 innings. Their opponent would be #4 Taisha, though it didn't seem that way at first. Masuda Higashi scored 7 unanswered to take a 8-1 lead going into the 5th. Then suddenly Taisha went on their own run the next two innings, scoring 10 unanswered!! Masuda wouldn't give it up that easily as they scored 3 to tie the game at 11! Taisha would finally put Masuda Higashi away with 2 in the 9th for the 13-11 win!

On the other half of the bracket, 2 seed Kaisei under the managing of Nonomura-kantoku again helped rally the troops against Yasugi. 3 runs in the 5th would tie the game, and a pair of runs in the 7th and 8th gave them the win. 3 seed Matsue Shougyou would make it a scratch bracket as they used a 4-run 5th to defeat Izumo 7-5.

The semis have been postponed to today due to rain.

Hiroshima
Our 3rd seeded team in Hiroshima was to fall in the 4th round. Hiroshima Kokusaidai Gakuin after building a 4-1 lead on Shiritsu Kure, saw that lead turn into a one-run deficit before tying it at 6 in the 8th. But it would be Kure who would have the final laugh, scoring the sayonara run in the 11th.

Kinkidai Fukuyama who had beaten Kouryou, got mercy ruled by Hiroshima Kougyou 11-0 after they scored 10(!) in the 5th.

Hiroshima Sougyou Gijyutsu for the 2nd game in the tournament showed offense, scoring 10 runs in a 10-5 win over Miyajima Kougyou. They did give up the runs late which could be worrysome against harder competition.

Miyoshi, who had upset Hiroshima Shougyou was soundly defeated by Hiroshima Shinjyou 13-5.

Soutoku went from mercy rule to enchousen back to mercy rule as took take care of Aki Minami 10-0 in 6.

Onomichi Shougyou would be the next to fall by the wayside. They trailed 2-1 to Hatsukaichi Nishi in the bottom of the 9th when they were able to force extras. Yet they still had trouble getting to ace Nakai. And in the 13th it would be Hatsukaichi who would get to ace Maeda, scoring a run in the 13th. With no response from Onomichi they would fall 3-2.

And finally Jyousuikan advances with a 4-2 win over Onomichi Higashi.

So moving onto the quarterfinals at Shimanami Stadium, Soutoku stayed with Hiroshima Sougou Gijyutsu responding to each score that they put on the board. But when Sougou Gijyutsu scored a run in the 6th to take the lead, not only did they tie it in the 7th, they scored again in the 8th to take their first lead! Down 1 with just 3 outs to go, Sougou Gijyutsu was unable to plate the tying run.

In the matinee game, Jyousuikan and Hiroshima Kougyou battled it out in the middle innings, with Jyousuikan maintaining the one-run lead they held in the first. An insurance run in the 7th to make it 6-4 is enough for a ticket to the semis.

Over at Kure Nikou, Sanyou completely had their way with Hatsukaichi Nishi, getting their 4th mercy win in as many games, 15-0!

The field would be rounded out by Hiroshima Shinjyou who only trailed 0-1 in the 1st inning. 7 innings later, they had a 15-8 mercy win.

Yamaguchi
The round of 16 was predominantly dominated by low-scoring affairs.

Yanai Gakuen woke up to find themselves in a pitchers' battle with Suou-Ooshima. Making things worse was that Suou-Ooshima tied the game at 1 in the 8th. In the end though they would pull it out, but not until the bottom of the 9th. Fellow B seed Onoda had the same issue with Ube Kougyou, except for the fact they were actually down 1! They won the game by scoring a run in the final 2 innings.

We would have an upset though, Shimonoseki Kougyou ace Matsumoto would limit A seed Shimonoseki Shougyou to just 1 run on 8 hits in a 4-1 win.

And despite getting just 2 hits, Shimonoseki Kokusai makes those count as LF Fujita hits a home run in the 7th to give them a 1-0 win over Hayatomo!

The quarterfinals would see every single favorite lose save for one.

• Yanai Gakuen would limit Ube Koujyou to just one run in a 2-1 win.
• Nanyou Kougyou and Shimonoseki Kokusai are in a close game until Nanyou gives up 4 in the 8th for the upset!
• Iwakuni never takes the lead over Onoda and falls 5-2!
• The only favored team to win is Sakuragaoka, who defeats Shimonoseki Kougyou 12-1 in 8.

That meant that no A seed would be in the semifinals, only 3 B seeds. Yanai Gakuen would dispatch the only unseeded team, defeating Shimonoseki Kokusai 7-0. In the other semi, Onoha would have to play catchup the entire game, and while they tied the game in the 2nd at 2, that's the furthest they get. Down 7-2 in the 7th they'd rally for 4 but could never tie the game again.

Kagawa
After blowing a 6-1 lead to Miki in the 3rd round, Sakaide Shougyou scores more runs in the 13th inning then they did the entire game. They win 15-6.

Shoudoshima, down 1 in the 9th ties the game then wins it in 12 against Takamatsu.

Onto the quarterfinals and Eimei, though unseeded, advances with at 5-1 win over Takamatsu Shougyou. Sakaide Shougyou comes from behind against Shoudoshima to win 7-6 in the bottom of the 9th. Marugame uses a 5-run 5th and uses it to hold onto a 6-5 win over Sangawa. And finally, Kanonji Dai-ichi just takes Marugame Jyousei to task, mercy ruling them 8-0 in 7!

Tokushima
After rain washes out a couple of days, play get back on track on the 21st. Tomioka Nishi allows Anan Nishi to tie the game in the 9th, but it only extends it for one more inning.

In the quarterfinals, Jyounan gets shocked by Seikou Gakuen (no, not Seikou Gakuin) who despite getting just 4 hits, scores the one and only run in the ballgame!

Naruto Kougyou's bid gets derailed by Komatsushima as they score a run in the bottom of the 8th and 9th for the win.

And the remaining seeded teams, Naruto and Tokushima Shougyou advance with ease.

Ehime
Let's see, what to note...

Matsuyama Kougyou gets its 2nd close game in as many played. Up 6-1 after 1 they allow Niihama Minami to tie the game, the after taking the lead, they give it up. Down 10-8, they score 3 to take the lead this time for good.

Teikyou Dai-go scores just 1, which is enough to beat Yawatahama, though it's not a great start.

Tanbara not only upsets #2 Kawanoe, they mercy rule them in 8 innings 9-2!

Either Nitta likes the score 7-5, or they like the game close. Up 6-0, they allow Saijyou (albeit a good team) to score 5 in the last two innings. An insurance run in the 9th gives them their 2nd 7-5 win.

Saibi ends Teikyou Dai-go's season early yet again with a 6-2 win. And Uwajima Higashi will be their next opponent as they defeat Matsuyama Kougyou 2-1.

Kochi
Well, things were pretty much going as planned, with games not really being a tug of war so to speak. Meitoku Gijyuku advances to the semis, though they did have a bit of a scare against Kochi Chuo. They didn't win that game until the bottom of the 8th.

Okou and Tosa played to a scoreless draw in regulation, and it wouldn't be until the 11th when Kakehi would drive in the sayonara run for Tosa and send their team to the semis.

Joining them would be Kochi and Kochi Shougyou. That should setup to be an amazing game.

But as is the case during this time of year, rain gets in the way again.

Okinawa
I'm working backwards here now because Kyushu is entering final stages. In Okinawa's case, they've actually crowned a champion - which for those who follow kokoyakyu obsessively, already know.

The semifinals were as billed. Okinawa Shougaku, who had been looking to return to Koushien again facing Itoman who is looking for their first.

Itoman, sensing that this may be finally their time get out early, scoring in each of their first 3 innings, building a 4-2 lead. Okishou scores 1 in the 4th to keep themselves in the game. 2 in the 6th gave Itoman some breathing room, and ace Yamashiro (Tsubasa?) brought it home. Okinawa Shougaku would score 1 in the top of the 9th, but still falls 6-4.

So next up it was Kounan's turn. They're just 2 steps away from returning to Koushien - even after losing the face of their team, Shimabukuro Yousuke.

Standing in their way was Chuubu Shougyou who earlier had upset seeded Urasoe Shougyou.

Yet from the opening salvo it seemed like Kounan was in control. 4 in the first inning boded well. Chuubu did score 1 in the 3rd, which wasn't totally scary, but then in the 4th they came out for 5 runs suddenly taking a 6-4 lead. Kounan looked to be in bad shape, but was able to respond with 2 in the 6th to tie the game! The game stayed that way until the 8th inning when Chuubu would once again take the lead at 7-6! Kounan was now tasked with trying to find one more run in 2 innings.

And yet, they weren't able to deliver that tying run home. Chuubu Shougyou denies Kounan a chance at back-to-back titles and now was on the precipice of their own title!

The stage was set then for Itoman and Chuubu Shougyou. Could Itoman finally make good? Could Chuubu get their 3 appearance in the last 10 years?

Chuubu would open the game early notching a run in the top of the 1st. Indeed, they had opportunities to score, but Itoman denied them the ability to expand the lead. That meant that Itoman was still in the game. Indeed, in the 4th they found an equalizer. And then in the very next inning they score the go-ahead run! Now Yamashiro had to bring the game home.

And he did! Itoman holds on for the 2-1 win and earns their first trip to Koushien!

Kagoshima
The round of 16 wound up being filled with upsets. Over at Kamoike Municipal, Reimei was the first seeded team to fall, falling behind Kagoshima Jyouhou 3-0 before trying a comeback in the 9th. That fell short by 1 and Reimei bows out.

Right behind them was Kanoya. Taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the 3rd, they had to scramble after Ijyuuin scored 4 in their next 2 turns. They successfully tied the game in the 5th but could never find the go-ahead run. That would be unfortunate as Ijyuiin scores the sayonara run in the 9th to send the 2nd seeded team home.

Over at Kamoike Prefectural, the favorites held court. Kagoshima Jitsugyou wins in 7 over Kanoya Chuo, while Satsuma Chuo who earlier upset Kagoshima Jyousei defeated Kajiki 5-4, having to scramble when Kajiki scored 4 in the 5th to take a 1-run advantage.

On the 2nd day of the round of 16 games, Shounan methodically build a 9-0 lead over the first 6 innings only to see it mostly evaporate as Yakushima scored 7 over the next 2. That would be the closest they get as Shounan scores 4 to put the nail in the coffin.

Kagoshima Kougyou meanwhile advances with ease as ace Tomishige throws a complete game 4-hitter over Kagoshima Gyoukuryuu.

Things were much harder for the seeded teams at Kamoike Prefectural. Kamimura Gakuen was first up against Sendai. Kamimura Gakuen was in control and looked to have the game in hand, holding a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th. But a lapse was all Sendai needed as they tied the game! The game stayed in a tenuous draw until the 12th where Kamimura scored 3. Yet again Sendai looked to mount a rally. Sendai was able to score 1, but that would be it.

Kanoya Chuo was in even worse shape against Kagoshima Minami. They were down for most of the game and as the late innings approached were down 3-1. However Minami may have been caught up in the moment. Kanoya Chuo scores 3 in the 8th to take the 4-3 lead. Kagoshima Minami couldn't recover in time and as a result their summer came to an end.

Quarterfinal games have been completed as Typhoon Ma-on cancelled games across the country for a day or two (depending on where you are). Kagoshima Jitsugyou ended Kagoshima Jyouhou's run with a convincing 13-3 win. Satsuma Chuo continues to look impressive mercy ruling Ijyuuin 13-3 in 5. But they will be tested against the formidable Kajitsu squad.

Those delayed quarterfinal games had Shounan sticking tough against Kamimura Gakuen... until Kamimura scored 7 in the bottom of the 7th to invoke the mercy rule. Tough loss for them. The other quarterfinal was Kanoya Chuo shutting out Kagoshima Kougyou 7-0 in 7.

So it's Kajitsu v. Satsuma Chuo in one semi and Kamimura Gakuen v. Kanoya Chuo.

Odds are, we're seeing a Kajitsu v. Kamimura Gakuen final. But anything can happen, it's the reason why we love this game, right?

Miyazaki
Round 2

• Seeded teams had mixed results, though all advanced. Miyazaki Kita wound up going 14 innings with Kobayashi Nishi, but won 5-4. Houshou 3-hits Tsuno, winning 3-0. Nichinan Gakuen defeats Miyakonojyou Nishi 7-2.
  

Round 3

• Nobeoka Gakuen advanced via the mercy rule so no trouble there, but Miyazaki Nichidai wins by just 2-0 over Hyuuga Gakuin though they did 3-hit them. Miyakonojyou Higashi, who had just upset Miyakonojyou Izumigaoka, advanced with a 9-3 win over Nichinan.
• After a day off because of rain, the the 3 seeded teams who played yesterday all advanced - Miyakonojyou Shougyou, Miyazaki Kita and Nichinan Gakuen.

Oita
Round 2

• 5-6 seed Oita separates themselves from Yanagigaura with 3 in the 8th for a 6-3 win.
• Kunisaki blows an early 5-0 lead but eventually defeats Oita Tsurusaki 7-6 in 11.
• Nihon Bunridai Fuzoku needed the bottom of the 9th to score their only 2 runs beating Tsukumi 2-1.
• Mori's run ended when they lost 10-2 to 7-8 seed Tsurusaki Kougyou.
  
• 3-4 seed Touin used a 6-run 8th to beat Beppu Aoyama 7-4.
• 5-6 Hita Rinkou had a 5-run 5th en route to a 6-2 win over Usuki.

In the only Round 3 game before the rainouts, Meihou needed 6 innings before scoring their first run against Saiki Kakujyou, once they scored, it was all over. 7-0 called after 8.

Kumamoto
Finishing up Round 2, Aso Chuo outlasted Touryou 5-4, while Jyouhoku and Kumamoto combined for just 7 hits with Jyouhoku getting the 1-0 win.

Round 3

• Seeded Chiharadai after a shaky start mercy ruled Kumamoto Denpa Tousen 14-4 in 6. Next up for them will be Kumamoto Kougyou.
• Yatsushiro Higashi also moves on to the next round after recording their 2nd 8-1 win in as many games. Kumamoto Gakuendai Fuzoku will be their opponent in the round of 16.
  
• Kyushu Gakuin advanced easily and will play Amakusa Kougyou next.
• Luther Gakuin, who is seeded only wins 1-0 over Tamana Kougyou.
• Shuugakukan is also cruising through the brackets and is on a collision course with Toukaidai Fuzoku Dai-ni though they only won 3-2 over Yatsushiro.
  
• Senshuudai Tamana is trying once again to make their first Koushien appearance, and advances 9-4 over Minamata.
• Kumamoto Kokufu draws Jyouhoku after both face little opposition.

Round 4

• We get our first seeded casualty as Kumamoto Kougyou mercy rules Chiharadai 9-2 in 8.
• Yatsushiro Higashi would fall next as Kumamoto Gakuendai Fuzoku scores 5 in the 1st en route to a 7-6 win.
• Kyushu Gakuin early on in their match against Amakusa Kougyou looked to be the 3rd straight team to fall, but a 9-2 run in the 5th-8th innings save their season as they move on 11-8.
• Kyushu Gakuin's win though did not stop the bleeding. Luther Gakuin watched as Buntoku scored 2 in the 7th to pull ahead for good at 4-2.
• Shuugakukan becomes just the 2nd seeded team to advance to the Best 8 with a 3-0, 4-hit shutout over Uto.
• Chinzei continues the upset trend scoring the go-ahead run in the 8th to defeat Toukaidai Fuzoku Dai-ni 3-2.
• Senshuudai Tamana would be the 3rd and final seeded team to advance with a 4-1 win over Ariake. This is because Kumamoto Kokufu would give up 4 in the 8th to Jyouhoku and fall 6-3.

So after all 8 seeded teams made the round of 16, only 3 survive to the Best 8 - Kyushu Gakuin, Shuugakukan and Senshuudai Tamana. These 3 have been stalwarts in Kumamoto, so in some ways this is no surprise. What will be interesting is if they can continue carrying the flags.

Nagasaki
Round 2 play continued on the 15th...

• Shimabara and Gotou were in a low-scoring affair, but Shimabara got the better of it with a sayonara run to win 4-3.
• Keihou pulled off the upset against Nagasaki Nanzen winning 2-1 in 12!
• And to make it 3 straight close games at Sasebo, Nagasaki Kougyou scored their only run in the 9th, but fell 2-1 to Kyushu Bunka.
• Nagasaki Nichidai cruised over Iki and will face seeded Seihou. How this is only a round of 16 matchup I have no idea.
• Kaisei (no, not that Kaisei) defeated Sasebo Nishi 11-0 in 6.
• Souseikan became another seeded casualty as they lost to Sasebo Jitsugyou 5-3.
• Obama invoked the presidential rallies of the man with the same name, tying the game at 1 versus Shimabara Nougyou in the bottom of the 9th and winning the game just 1 inning later.

Round 3

• Well, that powerhouse matchup between Seihou and Nagasaki Nichidai wound up being a bit one sided. Seihou scores 6 after falling behind 2-0 and won 8-5.
• Isehaya separates themselves from Sasebo Tousen with 4 in the 9th to win 10-6.
• Seiryou continues its run after upsetting Hasami by beating Shimabara 8-1.
• Kaisei with their 2nd mercy-rule win moves on to play Isahaya.
• Sasebo Jitsugyou up 2 watches Sasebo Minami score 5 in the 6th to find themselves down 3. But they come back to score a pair of runs in the 7th and 8th to come back and win 8-7!
• Keihou after their upset also won their game against Kawatana 9-6.
• Finally Obama made their lives a bit easier after a stressful game, winning 7-3 over Kyushu Bunka.

Quarterfinals

• Seiryou seems to be showing themselves to be a contender. Obama is no match for them as they get mercy ruled 9-2 in 8. They will play Kaisei who also invoked the mercy rule, defeating Isahaya also by the score of 9-2 (in 7 innings).
• Seihou advances to the Best 4 with an 8-4 win over Sasebo Jitsugyou. Their opponent will be Keihou who pulls off their 2nd upset against Sasebo Kougyou 8-1 in 7 innings!

Saga
Round 3

• Seeded Karatsu Shougyou with a 5-2 win over Hokuryou moves on to face Saga Nishi who faced no opposition from Tosu Shougyou.
• Same with Saga Gakuen as they defeat Shiroishi. They'll play Kashima Jitsugyou who will get rest after winning 2-1 in 11 against Tosu Kougyou.
• Deanna's pet team, Saga Kita looks to be a team of destiny again. They bookend the game with runs, defeating seeded Ryuukoku 5-4 in 10! They get Miyaki next.
• And in what will be the final quarterfinal matchup, Waseda Saga is blanked by Kyuuragi 10-0 while Saga Kougyou mercy rules Saga Nougyou.
  

Quarterfinals

• Quarterfinal 1 had Karatsu Shougyou and Saga Nishi. The game was tied at 1 at the end of regulatio. Saga Nishi tried to put the game away with a run in the top of the 10th. But when Karatsu Shougyou tied the game in the bottom half, the game bogged down. Neither team was able to score after that and the game ended in a 2-2 draw! That means they'll have to replay the game and make it that much more difficult to advance.
• In the 2nd quarterfinal on the 20th, Saga Kita gives up a late pair of runs to Miyaki but it's in consequential as they win 4-2.

Fukuoka
Fukuoka by the 20th had finished regional play and had their redraw for the prefectural bracket.

July 15th

• Kurume had the Minami Block B, C & D finals. In the Block B final, Itoshima defeated Mizuma 4-2 to advance. Nishi Nippon Tankidai Fuzoku secured the Block C bid after a 3-run 7th gave them a 4 run lead. They would win 5-2 over Shuuyuukan. Finally, Kurume Shougyou scores 4 runs on just 7 hits and advances 4-0 over Kurume.
• Kasuga had the Minami A, E, F finals. Fukuoka Koudai Jyoutou wins Block A as expected 7-1 over Chikushi. Higashi-Fukuoka's Mori 4-hits Chikushidai in a 4-0 shutout in Block E, Musashidai's 3-run 1st is the final margin as they win 7-4 over Hakata in Block F.
• Ootani had Kita Block A and E finals. Touchiku slips by Ikutokukan 2-1 in the A final. Inatsuki Shikoukan can only muster a run in the 9th against Jiyuugaoka as they fall 6-1.
• Chikuhou Ryokuchi was host to the Kita Block C & F finals. Touyou defeated Noogata 12-0 in 5 to move out of Block C. Kokura, who mercy ruled seeded Orio, advances out of Block F with a 10-2 win in 8 over Kurate.
• Kita-Kyushu Municipal has the B & D finals. Kyushu Kokusaidai Fuzoku easily goes to prefectural play from Block B with a 10-1 win over Kokura Nishi. Moji Gakuen scores 3 in the 8th to shock Houkoku Gakuen 3-2 in Block F.

July 16

• Kurume again had 3 games - Blocks I, J and K finals. Chikuyou easily handles Nanchiku 11-2 in 7. Fukuoka Kougyou mercy rules Fukushou 9-0 in 7, and in a shocker, Asakura rallies with 3 runs in the last 2 innings to defeat Yanagigawa 6-5!
• Kasuga with Block G & H finals. Oomuta shocks Kyushu Sangyoudai Kyushu leading wire to wire to advance 4-2! Fukuoka Kaisei does the same thing to Block H seed Toukaidai Dai-go winning 5-1!
• Finally in Kita Block G & H over in Kita-Kyushu, Hokuchiku shuts out seeded Kita-Kyushu Shiritsu as ace Imanaga throws a 6-hitter! Iidzuka rounds out the field defeating Yahata Minami 6-2.

The prefectural draw was not kind to some teams. Not only did Higashi-Fukuoka and Iiduzka draw an extra game, they drew each other. Not only that, but the winner in all likelihood will play Jiyuugaoka. Certainly a hell quadrant if there was one.

For others, their path is a bit easier. Kyukoku does face competition that has Koushien experience, but not recently. Same with Nishi Nippon Tankidai Fuzoku and Fukuoka Koudai Jyoutou.

Kochi
Day 1 for Kochi went by with little fanfare or excitement. All games were called and the minimum losing margin was 7.

The 17th was better in terms of closer games. 4 of the 7 were decided by 1:

• Kochi Chuo's Ishigaki throws a 3-hit shutout as they win 1-0 over Sukumo Kougyou.
• Kochi Minami's 4 runs early are enough to beat Kochi Higashi Kougyou 4-3.
• Kochi Nishi down 7-0 to Odzu scores 1 in the 7th then 5 more in the 8th. But the tying run was left begging.
• Susaki and Kochi Tousen each scored a run in the 7th, but it would be Kochi Tousen who would score the sayonara run to win 2-1.

Meanwhile, Kochi always a favorite to make Koushien wins 13-1 over Sukumo. Kochi Shougyou, who was strong back in the day starts off with a 11-1 win over Hata Nougyou.

The first game of the 3rd round had Meitoku Gijyuku continued on with their 2nd mercy game while Tosa pulled away after Kochi Kougyou scored 5 in the 6th to make it a 6-5 ballgame.

Ehime
1st round play at the start about as exciting as watching paint dry. Games for the most part were not totally competitive. Imabari Nishi this year was not a seeded team and thus had to play the first round where they dispatched Komatsu 13-0. Saibi too had to play and they beat Matsuyama Chuo 7-0.

The only exception it seemed was a game between Oozu Nougyou and Imabari Kita Oomishima. Tied at 2 going into extras, Oozu scores 3 to seemingly put the game away. Except that Oomishima decided that they weren't ready to go home yet and scored 3 of their own. This after being 2-2 through 9??! Anyways, Oomishima didn't seem to have any choice about going home as Oozu scores 3 more in the 11th, and that was game.

But turn the calendar to the 17th and we started having drama.

• Yawatehama held off a charge by Houjyou that saw their lead shrink to 1 at 3-2 before recording the final out.
• Niihama Tousen, down 7-3 to Matsuyama Minami finds a way to score 4 in the 9th to tie the game. 2 innings later, they score 4 more to win 11-7.
• Niihama Kougyou, much like their bretheren team, scores a run in the 9th to send it into enchousen against Ehimedai Fuzoku where also 2 innings later they score the go-ahead run to win 6-5.
• Finally Matsuyama Kita gets out to an early lead, but watches as Nomura slowly whittles away at it. They pull within 1 twice, but can never find the equalizer, falling 5-4.

Typhoon Ma-on cancelled games here too with the 1st round finally finishing on the 21st.

Tokushima
Not much to report here out of Tokushima. Most games are going by uneventful, and the 2nd round was started just before the typhoon hit.

Jyounan was able to get their game in, though there were trailing for the first part of it against Awa before scoring 7 in the 7th to call the mercy rule.

Kagawa
Much was the same in Kagawa. Though unseeded Eimei advanced with a 7-3 win over Ishida. And 4 seed Sakaide was shutout by Sakaide Shougyou 2-0! Sangawa did indeed advance with a 13-0 win in 5 over Takamatsu Chuo.

Kagawa
Kagawa was fairly quiet to start the tournament, though Miki scored 5 unanswered to defeat Iiyama 7-3 on day 1.

Day 2 was rained out except for the 1st game where Tadotsu blew a 3-run lead to Sakaide Kougyou, but tied it going into extras. However, ace Hashiguchi had to give way in when Sakaide scored 8 in the top of the 10th.

The 2 rained out games were made up the next day, and in a bit of an upset, Kotohira defeated Jinsei Gakuen 2-1!

And on the 13th, Round 1 ended with Takamatsu Higashi blowing a 6-1 lead by giving up 5 runs in the 6th, but coming back to score the sayonara run in the 9th over Tsuda!

But in a complete shocker, top seed Kagawa Nishi takes the field against Takamatsu Dai-ichi... and is eliminated 4-1!!!

Tokushima
The 10th started with seeded Jyounan defeating Jyousei 13-3 in 5 innings, while fellow seed Tokushima Shougyou needed 6 innings against Naka. Anan Kougyou needed almost all of their 10 runs to defeat Jyounouchi 10-8.

On day 2, Tomioka Nishi down 2-0 to Tokushima Nishi in the first inning scratched their way back to level before scoring the sayonara run in the 9th. And on the 13th, all of Awa Nishi and Anan Tousen's scoring came in the 2nd where Awa outscired Anan 2-1. Rounding out play was seeded Naruto who struggled against Wakimachi, giving up a run in the 9th to make it a 4-3 ballgame, but refused to break down completely.

Apparently if you were a top seed and playing on the 14th, you did not do well. Jyoutou took the field on the 14th, and at one point led 2-1 to Naruto Kougyou. But fast forward to the 8th and it's a tie game. Ace Sachiura for Jyoutou couldn't keep his team in it. He gives up 3 runs, and his team falls 5-2! Though to be honest, Naruto Kougyou is no pushover.

Ehime
Ehime started play on the 14th over at Bocchan Stadium. In the opener, Touon had no problems with Imabari Minami winning 9-2 in 7. The second game saw Uwajima Minami holding a 1-0 lead into the 9th before Niihama Shougyou scored 2 to take the lead. But in true kokoyakyu style, Uwajima doesn't give up and instead scores 2 runs of their own for the win!

Fukuoka
Games continue across all blocks, and I don't know a good way to cover it, so here goes...

• Kurume Tousen blows an early 5-0 lead to Asakura Kouyou, manages to recover by the 6th and then after Asakura tied the game in the top of the 9th, they score the sayonara run in the bottom!
• Nishi Nippon Tankidai Fuzoku begins their run with a 6-2 win over Meizen.
• Sue take the slow and steady approach, defeating Ukiha Kougyou 5-4 with 4 runs in the last 5 innings.
• Noogata led 6-1 over Kokura Shougyou, but ace Aoki couldn't finish, Kanagawa couldn't get anyone out, and by the time Kinoshita came in to record the 3rd out, the game was tied at 6. The game went into extras with both teams in the bullpen, but it wouldn't be until the penultimate inning where Noogata would score 2 for the win!
• Seinan Gakuin tried to keep up with Oogori, but continued to fall 1 run short the entire game, losing 6-5.
• Tagawa led 3-0 over Miyako only to see them score 2 in the top of the 9th to level the score! No matter though because 1 inning later, Tagawa scores the sayonara run!
• Higashi-Chikushi Gakuen also won 4-3 over Kokura Kougyou, but they had to endure a mid-inning surge to do so.
• Fukuoka Kougyou scores the only run in their game against Yame to advance.
• In the battle of nature-related schools, Fukuoka Nougyou edged out Fukuoka Suisan 3-2 in 10 innings.
• Touchiku started off the run of seeded teams as they face Moji Daishoukan. And Moji put up a stubborn fight pulling within one when down 3-0, then taking the lead 5-4 with 3 in the 7th! But Touchiku showed their experience with 3 unanswered runs of their own the next 2 offensive turns to win 7-5!
• Kurume was home to 3 seeded games. Kurume Shougyou and Higashi-Fukuoka both won their games, but Musashidai spoiled things by leading wire-to-wire against Fukuokadai Oohori.
• Nishi Nippon Tankidai did advance to their block final, but they allowed Koga Kyouseikan to tie it up in the final innings before winning in 10.
• With 3 days rest, Noogata advanced to their block final, defeating Kurate Ryuutoku 7-5.
• Jiyuugaoka wins their one game before the block final, though they needed to score 2 runs in the 8th to defeat Kita-Kyushu 3-1.
• Kyushu Kokusaidai Fuzoku did the same, although with an 8-0 win after 7, and Touyou won by the exact same score.
• Ikutokukan couldn't shake Oiro Aishin, losing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 9th and then giving back a run in the 10th when momentum seemed to be going their way. They'd finally prevail with a run in the 12 to head to the block final.
• Houkoku Gakuen pulls off the upset in Kita Block D, leading wire-to-wire against Kaho Higashi 5-3.
• Fukuoka Koudai Jyoutou had the unfortunate draw to play one extra game despite being seeded. It was okay though as they beat Umi Shougyou 7-0.
• Sue and Itoshima left their fireworks until enchousen. Tied at 4, Itoshima scores the go-ahead run only to see Sue tie it up again! And when Itoshima scored 3 in the 11th, Sue made another rally. However, this time they scored just 1 to fall 8-6.
• Kurume City Stadium was the place to be on the 14th, unless you were a seeded team in your block in which then if you were a manager you'd be getting gray hairs. Game 1, Kashii Kougyou leads 1-0 over Chikuyou Gakuen before Chikuyou scores 1 in the 4th to tie, and then another run in the 6th and 7th to win 3-1. Game 2, Kyushu Sangkyoudai Kyushu scores 3 in the 7th to try and distance themselves from Oki Gakuen. But then in the next half inning, Oki roars back with 2 to trail 4-3, and then scores 4 in the top of the 9th to take the lead! Down 3, Kyushu Sangkyoudai mounts a comeback, and succeeds! They score 4 runs of their own to send the boys from Oki Gakuen home crying. And in Game 3, Yuusei opened the scoring with a run in the 1st. That lead held over Toukaidai Dai-go until the bottom of the 9th, when Dai-go magically pulls 2 runs out of its hat for the win!
  
• At Ootani, seeded Kita-Kyushu Shiritsu held on for a 2-0 lead over Nishi-Tagawa to reach the final while Yahata Minami had a 5-run lucky 7 for a 7-4 win over Kinkidai Fukuoka.
• Seeded Yanagigawa continued the trend of seeded teams struggling in their 1st game as they needed a run in the 9th, then 3 in the 10th to beat Kashii.
• Kurate ekes out an extra innings win over Yahata, and will face Kokura who upset seeded Orio - and not just upset but dispatch 8-0 in 7!
• Iidzuka bucks the trend of the seeded teams, defeating Kanda Kougyou 10-0 in 5.
• Fukuoka Kougyou and seeded Chikuzen were in a scoreless draw until the 9th were Fukuoka scored the only run in the game! They will play Fukushou who defeated Munakata 7-5.
  

Saga
Saga Kita, the 2007 champions, started their trip with a 2-0 win over Imari Shougyou. Kashima holds on for a 4-3 win over Karatsu Minami after leading 4-0.

Round 2 started on the 12th, with Tosu Shougyou repulsing several attacks from Takeo, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the 8th. Seeded Karatsu Shougyou had no trouble with Karatsu Nishi 9-0 in 7. Hokuryou scores all of their 5 runs late to defeat Keitoku 5-4.

Moving to the 13th Kashima Jitsugyou, much like Hokuryou, scores all 5 runs in the 8th to beat Chienkan 5-2. Seeded Ryuukoku faced former Koushien participant Imari Nourin and won 4-1. And Karatsu Kougyou needed 2 runs in the 9th to beat Koushikan 5-3.

Saga Gakuen is the 3rd seeded team to play, and they move on with a 5-1 win over Kishima Shougyou, and Saga Kita handled Karatsu Seishou to setup a matchup with Ryuukoku.

2nd round games wrapped up on the 14th and included Saga Nougyou pushing Shiota Kougyou into extras and winning in 10, 3-2! And in a "they have a school there?" moment, Waseda Saga advances over Saga Shougyou 2-1.
Nagasaki
Notable game in the last 4 days include:

• Tsushima's sayonara run to defeat Kamigotou after they tied it in the 8th.
• Iki Shougyou made a 1-run lead after 1 stick for a 4-3 win over Oomura.
• Nagasaki Nichidai looked impressive in a 9-0 win over Sasebo Toushou.
• Sasebo Nishi responds to Shimabara Shounan's go-ahead run in the top of the 9th with 2 of their own in the bottom for the win!
• Seeded Oomura Kougyou up 4-3, sees reliever Toyoda give up 3 runs in the top of the 9th allowing Kyushu Bunka to take the lead and win 6-4.
• Meanwhile Nagasaki Nanzen dispatches Yuukoukan 12-0 in 5 and will face Keihou.
• Hasami started the top seeds off, and sadly was not able to repeat their fall performance. They lost to Seiryou 5-1. Sasebo Tousen also spoiled the party, they using a 3-run 4th to beat Chinzei Gakuin 4-2.
• Meanwhile, Seihou and Sasebo Kougyou advanced with no issues.

Kumamoto

• Chiharadai scores 5 in the 1st, but has to hold on against Hitsuyuukan for an 8-6 win.
• Ushibuka also holds on for dear life just beating out Kumamoto Kita in the last couple of innings 7-6.
  
• Kuma Kougyou blows a 6-2 lead against Taragi, but also wins 7-6 in the bottom of the 9th.
• Seeded Yatsushiro Higashi beat Yatsushiro Minami 8-1 in 8 innings, while Kyushu Gakuin had their game postponed due to darkness although it didn't matter as they won easily over Kamoto Shoukou.
• Because of the Kyushu Gakuin postponement, Tamana Kougyou's game with Kousa was moved to the alternate site - Yamaga Municipal. Didn't matter, Tamana won 7-1.
• Luther Gakuin also had no trouble, shutting out Shouyou 6-0.
• Shuugakukan begins their run with an 8-3 victory over Kumamoto Shougyou.
• Seeded Tokaidai Fuzoku Dai-ni and Kumamoto Kokufu had easy wins over Yatsushiro Tousen and Reimei respectively, while Senshuudai Tamana looked unimpressive over Seiseiko winning just 2-0.

Oita
Round 1

• Former 21st century team Oita Uenogaoka mercy-ruled Nakatsu Minami 7-0 in 7.
• Hiji Youkoku gives up the tying run in the top of the 9th to Oita Oginodai but scores the sayonara run in the 10th.
• Oita Tsurusaki and Jyouhou Kagaku played one heck of a first round game. It seemed normal after 7 when Oita scored 2 to tie the game at 4. Jyouhou scored 2 the next half inning and the lead was back at 2 runs. An insurance run in the 9th seemed to put the game out reach. But no one told Oita Tsurusaki that. They score 3 in the 9th sending it into extras! In the 11th, Jyouhou would score 3 off of Oita's 5th pitcher Abe. All seemed lost, except that they couldn't hold that lead! Oita scores 3 and we're tied once again. This seemed to take the air out of Jyouhou as in the next inning Oita Tsurugaoka scores the sayonara run to end the game.
• Oita Toumei also had an extra inning game, but not as exciting perhaps as the last one. Saiki Tsuruoka falls 3-1 in 11.
• Beppu Aoyama rallies from down 4-0 to beat Beppu Tsurumigaoka 5-4 in 10.
• Mori, who had lost their coach in a tragic accident right after the opening ceremonies, scored the go-ahead run in the 8th to defeat Nakatsu Kita 2-1! Much like Risshoudai Shounan 2 years back who played for their coach despite losing players to the influenza, I hope Mori can make a deep run (sorry Meihou).

Round 2

• So speaking of Meihou, they dispatched Taketa 10-0 in 6.
• Oita Uenogaoka's run ended at the hands of 7-8 seed Oita Houfu 5-1.
• Usa Sangyoudai Kagaku watched a 7-3 lead turn into a 9-7 deficit before scoring 3 in the 7th to win 10-9 over Youshikan.
  
• 3-4 seed Oita Shougyou mercy ruled Hiji Youkoku 8-0 in 8.

Miyazaki
Round 1

• Saito Shougyou scores 2 right after Hyuuga scores 1 in the bottom of the 4th, and that's all the scoring in the game.
• Nichinan broke a scoreless draw against Miyazaki Kaiyou with 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th.
• Nobeoka Shougyou led 8-0 over Nichinan Shintoku. But then 2 runs in the 5th and 4 in the 8th made it a 2 run game. Nichinan would make one last push, but could only get 1 run to fall 8-7.

Round 2

• Seeded Nobeoka Gakuen started round 2 off outlasting Miyazaki Gakuen 5-2.
• Meanwhile, fellow team Miyakonojyou Izumigaoka was shockingly upset by Miyakonojyou Higashi 2-0!!
• 2nd round games at Sun Marine Stadium were delayed 2 days due to rain. The delay didn't help St. Ursula as they were annihilated 12-2 to Miyazaki Shougyou.
• At Ivy Stadium, seeded Miyakonojyou Shougyou and Miyazaki Nichidai advance with wins over Honjyou and Miyazaki Dai-ichi respectively.

Kagoshima
Round 2

• Seeded Kagoshima Kougyou fades late, but still moves on with 10-8 win over Kagoshima Shougyou.
• Minami-Ootsumi makes a last second rally with 2 runs to send it into extras versus Kagoshima Minami. The game continued to the 13th when Minami-Ootsumi would score the go-ahead run. With just 3 outs to close the game, ace Nishidome cannot close it out. Kagoshima Minami scores the tying run and the game continues. Unfortunately, that was the only chance they had to win the game as Nishidome falters in the bottom of the 14th, giving up the sayonara run.
• Round 2 concludes with Kanoya Chuo mercy ruling Kokubun Chuo 8-0 in 7 and Kounan (no not that one) bidding sayonara to Kagoshima Chuo 3-2.

Round 3

• Now we're moving to advance teams to the round of 16. Seeded Kagoshima Jitsugyou punches their ticked with a 12-0 win over Kagoshima Dai-ichi. Reimei follows right behind with an 8-2 win over Kaseda.
• Kanoya Kougyou is Kajitsu's next opponent as they score 6 unanswered runs in the final 3 innings to win 7-5.
  
• All seeded teams were playing at Prefectural Kamoike on the 13th. Kanoya wins another low scoring game 3-0 over Kagoshima Tousen. Satsuma Chuo, who upset Kagoshima Jyousei, also moves on with a mercy win over Okinoerabu. Finally Kamimura Gakuen 4-hits Izumi for a 5-0 win. Ijyuuin, Kajiki and Sendai will be their opponents as they all advance to the round of 16.
• Wrapping up round 3, seeded Shounan easily handles Izumi Shougyou and is on a collision course with Kamimura Gakuen, they get Yakushima next. Kagoshima Kougyou sneaks by Ookuchi 3-2. and draws Kagoshima Gyoukuryuu. Finally, Kanoya Chuo shuts out another team in Kounan, though only by the margin of 2-0 and will play Kagoshima Minami who apparently loves extra inning games. as they go extra innings with Setsunan Kougyou. The teams combine for just 7 hits and 5 walks. Kagoshima Minami pushes the sayonara run in the 10th.