高校野球 (Kokoyakyu)

Meitoku Gijyuku is probably the weakest it's been since I've been covering them, and yet they still have a good chance to advance against Sakai whose ace Okiya has his K and BB rates reversed.

How the heck did they win?

Sakai (Tottori)
CF Matsubara Daichi (松原 大地)
2B Takadzuka Kouta (高塚 孔大)
RF Katsube Kouhei (勝部 浩平)
LF Shiota Kaito (塩田 海斗)
1B Kamoto Yuuki (嘉本 悠貴)
3B Watanabe Jin (渡辺 仁)
SS Ueji Ippo (上地 一歩)
P Oka Naoto (隠家 直人)
C Hama Tomoya (浜 智也)

Meitoku Gijyuku (Kochi)
CF Tachibana Kotarou (立花 虎太郎)
LF Nishimura Shun (西村 舜)
1B Nishiura Souta (西浦 颯大)
RF Wakiya Noriyuki (脇屋 紀之)
C Koga Yuudai (古賀 優大)
3B Ookita Kaito (大北 海斗)
SS Takamura Kazushi (高村 和志)
2B Imai Ryousuke (今井 涼介)
P (10)Kanadzu Tomoyasu (金津 知泰)

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10:15 - First Pitch!

The real question to be asked is if Oka can do anything against Meitoku Gijyuku despite the fact that they've been in decline despite reach Koushien for 6 (now 7 straight years).

An innocuous HBP to Nishimura with one down comes around to score after Meitoku puts the hit-and-run on with Nishiura hitting a single up the middle past a diving Kamichi and Wakiya avoiding the double play. 1-0.

A Koga single through the 4 hole scores another for 2-0. Things were spiraling out of control as Koga was caught off 1st, and yet the throw from Ueji in the rundown was wide allowing Koga to reach 2nd. The inning probably would have continued after Ookita's base hit if not for Koga trying to reach home and getting thrown out.

Fast forward to the 3rd inning and Ueji gets Sakai's first hit on a single through the right side. Oka actually strikes out bunting, bringing up Hama.

And out of nowhere, he hits a ball to deep left. Nishimura goes back to the foul pole, and it actually leaves the yard! It's wasn't a no doubter and seemed like it would have been a routine fly. Instead we suddenly have a tie ballgame at 2-2!

It's Meitoku who would have the next scoring chance in the 4th. After a ground ball from Ookita goes under Watanabe's glove, Takamura lays down a bunt and beats out the throw to 1st, creating a big scoring chance.

And yet, Imai's bunt is poor and gets the lead runner thrown out. PH Tanai almost grounds into a double play for the 2nd out, but does score Ookita from 3rd to take a 3-2 lead. A walk would complicate things more for Oka, but Nishimura chases a slider away and grounds out to 3rd to end the 4th.

Before the break, Meitoku would continue to extend he lead. Nishiura would hit a double down the 1st base line. He would have held up at 3rd on Wakiya's hit to center, but Matsubara fumbled with the ball allowing Nishiura to score for a 4-2 lead.

Nakano enters in the game in the 5th for Meitoku Gijyuku and he's certainly not a flamethrower, and really racks up the pitch count but continues to put up 0's.

On the other hand, Sakai is basically bleeding to death. In the 6th, there's a HBP to Imai, and after a bunt, 2 straight singles - the 2nd of which Watanabe made a great block to prevent extra bases.

But manrui, 1 out is no way to live. Sac fly from Nishiura makes it 5-2.

Sakai finally has a scoring chance in the Lucky 7 when Shiota singles through the right side. After a SB, Kamoto draws a walk. Things might finally be looking up a little.

Watanabe though grounds back to Nakano who opts to get Shiota at 3rd. After that Ueji lines out to 2nd and everyone's lingered off the base too early so Kamoto gets doubled off at 2nd for the inning-ending double play.

Meitoku Gijyuku would score 2 more in the 8th, one on a manrui wild pitch to PH Teranishi. Then on Teranishi's AB he grounded to short. They caught Nishimura in a rundown, but when they got to the 3rd base bag, the tag on Nishimura was safe (since he had first rights) but Nishiura (who came from 2nd) was out. But when that 2nd tag happened, the Nishimura started walking down the line. Everyone was confused who was out and before anyone knew it, Nishimura came home and scored to make it 7-2.