高校野球 (Kokoyakyu)

Got a good night's sleep in, but as a result not much time to get ready for today.

Yamanashi Gakuin (Yamanashi)
LF Tsuchida Yoshitake (土田 佳武)
3B Miyashita Rui (宮下 塁)
2B Chikenji Daiji (知見寺 代司)
CF Takisawa Kotarou (滝沢 虎太朗)
C Igarashi Hiroto (五十嵐 寛人)
RF Matsuo Kouta (松尾 孝太)
1B (13)Kobayashi Kanta (小林 侃汰)
P (11)Yoshimatsu Rui (吉松 塁)
SS Hirose Takuma (広瀬 巧真)
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08:00 - First pitch

The test for Inabe Sougou Gakuen will be to hold on until they can get to Yamanashi Gakuin's bullpen. Kurio did not show good stuff when he came in, so if hey can hang in there they might have a chance.

Yamanashi Gakuin will be determined to score early and build a big lead to pad Kurio's appearance. With 2 down in the first Chikenji draws a walk, and although Takizawa's grouder up the middle is run down by Kanda, he has no play.

Igarashi flies out to right, but it's a deep right, and the other two outs were flyouts. They're getting on the ball early, so it might be something to watch.

For ISG's part, Okumura singles off Miyashita's glove. But despite a wild pitch to move him to 2nd, Miyazaki flies out, and Yoshimatsu strikes out the other 2. The last one though C Igarashi was holding the glove on 3 consecutive balls thinking they had strike 3. Can't be hoping for strikes, gotta throw them.

Bottom 2 now and Yoshimatsu seemingly with a case of the yips. He walks Watanabe, then Morita. Fukase bunts the runners over (WHY?) to put runners in scoring position.

Fujita hangs in there, but whiffs on a changeup. 2 down, and it's up to Akagi to help his cause.

He hits a grounder to short, but Chikenji fumbles the ball! His throw to 1st is late and Watanabe scores to give Inabe Sougou Gakuen the 1-0 lead!

Akagi is staying in the game by making good misses. If he's pitching inside, he's missing inside, etc. But if you miss too much, I think you know where that is going.

So top 4, Akagi walks Igarashi with one down. Then he doesn't even make that bad of a pitch to Matsuo but while jammed still gets it by Fukase to put runners at the corners. Akagi clamps down hard though as Kobayashi can't pull the trigger on an inside fastball, and Kanda makes a great stop on a ball hit by Yoshimatsu to retire the side.

Inabe Sougou though continues to give chances to Yamanashi Gakuin. Kanda boots a grounder from Hirose to lead off the inning. Akagi seemingly is about to get out of the inning after recording 2 outs, but on Chikenji's grounder up the middle, Kanda boots another one! That's 2 errors now and runners at the corners.

They could survive one extra out, but not 2. Akagi finally makes a bad mistake and Takizawa doesn't miss it. It goes all the way to the wall for a bases clearing double and like that Yamanashi Gakuin has the 2-1 lead.

Surprisingly though, that lead doesn't last long. One down and Akagi of all batters hits a single through the left side. This time it's Yoshimatsu to makes a mistake and Okumura drive it to deep left for a double of his own. The throw home is cut off and we're all tied at 2-2!

Advantage right now has to rest with Inabe Sougou Gakuen as they've basically made it a 4-inning game now.

In fact in the 6th, with 2 down, Yoshimatsu is PH for which means Kurio will be in the game.

For his part though, Kurio retires the side inducing middling contact at best, but you can see some of the control issues there.

Yamanashi Gakuin still trying to jump ahead while they can. Tsuchida finally collects his first hit, a ball just out of the reach of Okumura at the wall for a double. Miayazaki's single to right puts runner at the corners. and Ozaki-kantoku has to call time.

Akagi gets a key out when Chikenji flies out to shallow center preventing any tagups. But then he turns around to hit Takizawa to load the bases.

But in the end, Akagi plays magician and gets out of the jam, as Igarashi grounds into a fielder's choice at 2nd!

Suddenly, it seems like Yamanashi Gakuin has the momentum. Ace Yamauchi comes in in the 8th to relieve Akagi, but gives up a base hit to Matsuo. After a one-out walk, they get a fielder's choice for the 2nd out, but the go-ahead run is just 90 feet away.

Instead though, Yamauchi plays his magic and he just gets the corner on Tsuchida to retire the side!

The game immediately craters in the 8th. Leadoff single to Miyazaki. One down now, Kurio leaves a fastball over the plate and Fujii hits it to deep right for a go-ahead double. 3-2.

It gets really ugly after that:

• Watanabe single through left side,
• Morita bunt foulout (WHY?)
• Fukase walk
• Fujita RBI single back up the middle, 4-2

Nice way to start the day, onto our brunchtime game. Nagasaki Shougyou seems like a decent enough squad, but the offense is more than lacking and that's where the difference lies I think

Nagasaki Shougyou (Nagasaki)
RF Sawayama Norihiro (沢山 礼宏)
3B Yoshida Toshiki (吉田 敏貴)
2B Hirano Tsubasa (平野 太陽)
C Koide Ryoutarou (小出 凌太郎)
CF Tanaka Kojirou (田中 虎次郎)
1B Tsuji Yoshihiro (辻 義大)
SS Morikai Nozomi (森海 稀)
P Honda Issei (本田 一政)
LF Inoue Kouta (井上 弘太)

Yamanashi Gakuin (Yamanashi)
LF Tsuchida Yoshitake (土田 佳武)
3B Miyashita Rui (宮下 塁)
2B Chikenji Daiji (知見寺 代司)
CF Takisawa Kotarou (滝沢 虎太朗)
C Igarashi Hiroto (五十嵐 寛人)
RF Matsuo Kouta (松尾 孝太)
1B Aono Takeshi (青野 岳史)
P (11)Yoshimatsu Rui (吉松 塁)
SS Hirose Takuma (広瀬 巧真)

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10:50 - First pitch!

Top 1st
Sawayama takes that first pitch and singles to right. But Choushou tries the bust-and-run and Yoshida unfortunately lines out to short, with Sawayama doubled off at 1st.

Bottom 1st
A blistering start from Yamanashi Gakuin. Tsuchida-Miyashita-Chikenji go single-triple-single, and before you can get your yakisoba from the vendor it's 2-0 Yamanashi Gakuin.

Honda gets some help when Takisawa hits a comebacker for a 1-6-3 double play. The inning ends without further damage, but it's certainly not the beginning he wanted to have.

Top 2nd
Nagasaki Shougyou not without their base hits - Mori getting a double down the left field line with 2 down. But they'll need to string a couple together to claw back the deficit.

Bottom 2nd
Honda gets himself into a jam in the 2nd, hitting not 1, but 2 batters.

But just as quickly as he got in it, Tsuchida lines a ball right back to him, and Hirose is meat at 1st base.

3rd-4th Innings
So far everything's been one-way in the direction of Yamanashi Gakuin. Miyashita led off the 3rd with a single, After a sac bunt and wild pitch, Takizawa hits a sac fly to make it 3-0.

An inning later, Matsuo hits a leadoff single after a bunt Yoshimatsu draws a walk and it's another stressful inning for Honda.

They try another bunt, but Hirose's bunt isn't good at all allowing them to cut down the lead runner.

Back to the top of the order and Tsuchida gets his 2nd hit, a chopper up the middle that just goes off of Honda. Mori runs it down behind 2nd, but has no play. Manrui, but 2 outs.

And Honda prevents any damage, getting Miyashita to chase a fastball up and in for the 3rd out.

5th Inning
Yamanashi Gakuin getting another leadoff runner on when Chikenji singles through the right side. The defense though saves Honda again as Takisawa grounds into a double play erasing the runner. Igarashi strikes out looking to get us at the break, but as you can tell from the commentary, right now all the opportunities are coming to Yamanashi Gakuin. Nagasaki Shougyou hasn't had a runner since that double in the 2nd.

Top 6th
Nagasaki Shougyou finally gets something going, albeit with some help from Yamanashi Gakuin.

Yoshida hits a swinging bunt, but all the defenders go to the ball and no one to first.

Yoshimatsu then walks Hirano on 4 straight and they have a runner in scoring position.

With the count 2-2 to Koide, Yoshida-kantoku puts in Kunio.

A strange decision, but on his first pitch, Koide flies out to end the inning.

Bottom 7th
The game finally is seemingly out of reach here in the 7th. Honda gives up a leadoff single then double to Hirose and Tsuchida. He tries his best, but cannot prevent both runners from scoring and making it a 5-0 ball game.

Top 8th
Nagasaki Shougyou gets another chance again thanks to Kunio.

He hits his counterpart Honda to start, and then on a comebacker throws it wide of 2nd allowing both runners to reach safely instead of a double play.

They then decide to sac bunt (you're down 5!).

Yoshida hits a sac fly to center and the shutout is avoided, though almost not because they just miss getting Inoue on his tag to 3rd. 5-1.

Hirano draws a walk and subsequently steals 2nd, meaning a base hit could make it a 2-run game again.

But Koide pops out to short and 1 run is all they get.

Top 9th
Kurio is seeming getting more and more shaky on the mound, especially after last inning.

He walks Tanaka then gives up back-to-back hits making it a 5-2 ballgame. No outs, but a ways to go.

But then they call for a sac bunt down 3 and the tying run at the plate. Which yes, makes no sense.

A groundball gets another run home to make it 5-3, but with 2 outs it's almost meaningless.

Sawayama gives the ball a ride, but flies out to deep left to finish the game.

Yamanashi Gakuin does advance, but their ace is more than shaky, which is why they started their RF instead on the mound. But it doesn't bode well for them going forward if Kurio is going to struggle that much.

For Nagasaki Shougyou it was too little too late. There was no life from the team at the plate for the longest time and there just wasn't enough time to make a comeback.