The middle game of the set by name alone would make it seem like this game may be one sided. Keio, connected with the the Tokyo Big6 university versus Takaoka from Toyama.
But for Keio, even with the program its university has, it's been almost a half-century since they've been to Koshien.
Takaoka on the other hand, has had some recent experience here, but it's been a full class since they've been here.
Keio was in control of its first game as they defeated Matsusho Gakuen 6-4. Takaoka on the other hand, needed a 4 run explosion in the 7th to defeat Obu 4-1.
My team to advance - Keio. I'll just say it. I'm selfish. I want to hear the Keio oen-dan for as long as I can.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keio (Kita Kanagawa)
RF Naitou (9)
3B Fukutomi (5)
2B Yamazaki (4)
1B Suzuki Yuuji (7)
LF Akada (17)
P Tamura (1)
C Suzuki Yousuke (2)
SS Saitou (6)
CF Mizoguchi (8)
Takaoka Shogyo (Toyama)
SS Uemura (6)
3B Abe (5)
LF Nomura (7)
C Tanaka (2)
CF Kitada (8)
1B Nakahara (3)
RF Seki (9)
P Fukushima (1)
2B Miyaguchi (4)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
12:11 PM
First pitch!
Top 1st
Fukushima gives up a one-out single to Fukutomi. Then, Fukutomi goes and steals 2nd!
Yamazaki grounds to short, but does advance Fukutomi to 3rd. Unfortunately, he's left stranded when Yuuji flies out to right.
Bottom 1st
Tamura allows a 2-out walk to Nomura, but Tanaka grounds to short to end the inning.
Top 2nd
Fukushima looking okay so far. Keio's making contact, but they're all infield grounders.
Bottom 2nd
A 2-out error by SS Saitou allows a runner, but Tamura gets his counterpart to groundout to short.
Top 3rd
With one down Mizoguchi singles to right. And there's no bunt here! Naitou swings away on the hit-and-run and lines one to right center! Runners at the corners with one down!
Fukutomi up. Naitou goes for 2nd! He's in safely! Runners at 2nd and 3rd for Fukutomi!
Works the count full. Grounder through to left! Mizoguchi scores! 1-0 Keio!
Yamazaki with the chopper to 1st! Naitou comes home! Throw by Nakahara and Tanaka makes the tag for the out! 2 down.
But Yuuji will have NONE OF IT! He blasts one to deep center! Kitada running back, and it's behind him and off the wall! Fukutomi scores! Yamazaki scores all the way from 1st! 3-0!!
Bottom 3rd
Miyaguchi with the grounder up the middle. It's off Tamura and ricochets towards 2nd. Yamazaki up with it and he makes the putout at first.
Uemura then hits a comebacker up the middle. After an Abe flyout, Nomura steps up to the dish.
He puts a grounder to right! Uemura heads for 3rd! The throw is cut off and they have Nomura caught between 1st and 2nd! They start running him down. But then Uemura tries to go home. The player with the ball (because I've lost track now), runs to 3rd to run him down, but it's a feint! Then they run back to get Nomura again, but then Uemura goes, then the runner switches back. Both dive into 2nd and 3rd and they're all safe!
Ok... that was kinda kooky. But after all that it's runners at 2nd and 3rd, 2 down for cleanup batter Tanaka.
And Tamura gets him to strike out to end the inning!
Top 4th
Fukushima struggles with his control this inning, but still manages to retire the side in order.
Bottom 4th
Another solitary single given up by Tamura to Takaoka Shogyo. I have to say though that Tamura's pitching right now isn't that solid, but seems to have enough consistency to retire the Takaoka batters.
Top 5th
Mizoguchi starts the inning off with a single to left, runner on 2nd with one down for Fukutomi.
Fukutomi with a drive deep down the left field line! That's goes all the way to the wall! Mizoguchi scores! 4-0 Keio!
Fukushima retires the next 2, but Keio adds one more to the tally!
Bottom 5th
Tamura gets his first 1-2-3 inning of the game, but his control continues to be a problem.
Top 6th
Fukushima gives up a 1-out single to Tamura, but retires the rest.
Bottom 6th
The teams seem to be in that stage of trading donuts back and forth with no real offensive to speak of.
Top 7th
Nice play by 3B Abe to smother a grounder up the line and make the strong throw to 1st.
Also, the announcers made me aware of the fact that the strikeout Fukushima got in the 7th was his first. And looking at my scorebook, I'm surprised to see that it is his first.
Bottom 7th
#3 Tadano comes in to replace Tamura on the mound.
He gives up a 1-out single to Seki, and is pinch run for by #16 Arai. And there's a bit of a bewildering call that they bunted him over to 2nd. And the runner is left there as Miyaguchi grounds to 2nd.
Top 8th
Arai stays in to play right.
Yamazaki starts off the inning getting hit by Fukushima. He's bunted over to 2nd.
Akada then hits a dribbler in front of the plate and is thrown out by Tanaka.
2 down for new P Tadano. And he scorches one past Abe down the left field line! Yamazaki comes around to score, 5-0 Keio!
Bottom 8th
Tadano gives up a 1-out single to Abe, but is quickly wiped out as Nomura grounds into the 6-4-3 DP.
Top 9th
Nothing much here. Saitou with the leadoff single. That's it. Oh yeah, a high pop-up that popped out of Miyaguchi's glove only to be resecured back in it.
Bottom 9th
Takaoka Shogyo goes down in order as Keio's pitching tandem combine for a 5-hit shutout and defeate Takaoka 5-0.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment