Day 17 - Championship - Tokoha Kikugawa (Shizuoka) vs. Osaka Toin (Kita Osaka)

Oh? You wanted my answer?

Hm... stats say Osaka Toin. Heart wants Tokoha Kikugawa. There... :P

No change in the lineups. Everything's on the line, so the aces will go.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Osaka Toin (Kita Osaka)
SS Asamura (6)
3B Sano (5)
2B Morikawa (4)
1B Hagihara (3)
RF Okumura (9)
LF Nakatani (12)
CF Fukushima Kouhei (7)
C Ariyama (2)
P Fukushima Yuuto (1)

Tokoha Kikugawa (Shizuoka)
SS Sakai (6)
CF Itou (8)
2B Machida (4)
RF Nakagawa (9)
3B Maeda (5)
1B Uejima (3)
P Togari (1)
C Tochigi (2)
LF Matsumoto (18)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1:01 PM
First pitch

Top 1st
Asamura flies lazily to center. Sano hits a grounder past the diving Sakai and into center.

Togari falls behind Morikawa 3-1, and he hits a falling liner to left! Matsumoto dives and looks to have it, but it pops out! Runners at 1st and 2nd for Hagihara!

He blasts one to center! Itou runs back, but it's over his head!!! Itou throws home!

Sano rounds 3rd! He stops! Morikawa has to scramble back to 2nd, and Hagihara scurries back to 1st!

MANRUI FOR OKUMURA!!

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLAST TO DEAD CENTER!!!!! ITOU RUNNING BACK!!!!!!!!!

HAITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OKUMURA WITH THE MANRUI HOMERUN!!!!!!! OSAKA TOIN UP 4-0!!!!!!!!!!

Dear God, what has just happened!

Nakatani walks! Kouhei with the single to center! Runners at 1st and 2nd, and this could be ugly very quick!!!

Ariyama with a bunt. But everyone thinks it's foul! Tochigi picks it up! It's fair! They go to 3rd for 1, then see that Ariyama isn't running to 1st and throw to 1st for the inning ending DP!

But Osaka Toin has shown that their offense in a BIG way!

Bottom 1st
Tokoha can't get the ball out of the infield... Sakai sharp grounder to 1st. Itou and Machida with slow comebackers to Yuuto.

Top 2nd
Yuuto works the count 3-1, but eventually flies out to left.

Asamura shoots one past a diving Machida to center. Sano with a grounder through to left! Runners at 1st and 2nd! This was to be expected!

Morikawa with a bid with a grounder to the right side! Machida with the stop! Makes the throw to 2nd falling away from 1st, that's 1, throw to 1st, not in time! Nice play by Machida!

Hagihara next with a groundball back up the middle! Togari slows it down and Machida makes the sliding grab at 2nd while touching the bag! Another nice play by Machida!

Bottom 2nd
Nakagawa with the comebacker! It's off Yuuto's glove! It's deflected to 2nd! Morikawa comes up with it and makes the play at 1st!

Maeda manages a walk. 1st base runner for Tokoha.

Uejima with a sharp shot to the right side! Morikawa dives and has it! He goes to 1st for the out!

Yuuto strikes out Togari on 3 straight to end the inning.

Top 3rd
Okumura stars the inning with a hard hit liner down the right field line! That's to the wall for a leadoff double!

Osaka Toin is looking to bunt! Nakatani puts it down at 2-0, but it goes foul. He attempts it again and successfully puts it down. Togari throws to Machida covering 1st for the out.

Kouhei with a hard hit grounder to short! Sakai up with and makes the play at 1st. 2 down for Ariyama.

He makes up for his gaffe in the first with a liner to right that scores Okumura! 5-0!

Togari gets Yuuto to strike out, but as expected, Osaka Toin is out to the lead which is now 5 runs.

Bottom 3rd
Tochigi quickly grounds out to 2nd.

Matsumoto gets frozen on a 1-2 pitch and has to sit down.

Sakai fouls a ball off his foot... Ow. He has the spray applied to his foot and after a little, he's ready to go. And after falling behind 0-2, he draws a walk!

Camera points to the flags in center. Wind is back blowing from right to left.

And it pans back to Itou who flies out to center.

Top 4th
Togari is removed from the mound! He goes to left and #10 Nojima comes into the game.

Oh dear....

Asamura takes the first pitch from Nojima and lines it to left.

Sano though, is bunting. First attempts, foul. Second attempt... he pulls it back! High chopper off the mound! Sakai charges, waits, gets it and fires to 1st for the out!

Morikawa comes in and he grounds to 1st. Asamura advances to 3rd.

Nojima would love to get Hagihara out before he has to face Okumura.... The count goes to 2-2, and Hagihara fouls off one. And another. 8th pitch of the AB here... Inside fastball! Swing and a miss! 3 out!

Nojima with the almost perfect inning! I must admit that I'm a bit impressed at least for now.

Bottom 4th
Machida behind 0-2, drives a liner to deep left! Nakatani runs over to his right, dives, but can't get it! He's in with a double and Tokoha's first hit!

Nakagawa also falls behind 0-2... gets it to 2-2, but gets frozen on a pitch inside!

Maeda gets ahead in the count, but grounds to 3rd. 2 down.

Yuuto gets Uejima to strike out to end the inning, leadoff double can't be brought home!

Top 5th
Okumura having a day! He takes the first pitch to left for a leadoff single! Nakatani bunts him along.

Kouhei drives one to deep left center! It's over Togari's head! That bounces to the wall! Okumura scores on Kouhei's double! 6-0!

Nojima comes back and strikes out Ariyama, then fields a safety bunt by Yuuto for the 3rd out.

The lead continues to grow.

Bottom 5th
Yuuto continues his dominant pitching... he strikes out Togari looking. He gets Tochigi to hit a chopper to short. And freezes Nojima for his 6th K of the day!

As we head to the break, the game could be going as expected. Osaka Toin with a big lead, and Tokoha Kikugawa struggling to get its offense going...

And what the heck is that pose the Tokoha oen-dan is doing???

Top 6th
Asamura continues his hot hitting with a single to left. Sano puts the bunt down.

Morikawa with the comebacker! It's off Nojima's glove! Machida charges in, gets it. Throw to 1st, pulls Uejima off the bag! All safe! Runners at the corners!

Hagihara lines one to right center! Asamura scores! 7-0 now in favor of Osaka Toin!

Okumura steps up a triple away from the cycle! Nojima gets ahead early, but eventually works the count full! And a pitch low means yet another manrui situation!

But Nakatani pops it up! Tochigi is under it and makes the catch! 2 down.

Kouhei with a grounder to short! Sakai charges, gets it, makes the throw! It's low! Bounces away from Uejima! That's off his glove and into foul territory!! Morikawa scores! Hagihara scores! 9-0!

And Nojima hits Ariyama! Manrui again for last batter Yuuto.

Yuuto drives one to deep left center! Togari and Itou go back! They're at the wall!

It's off the wall! The bases clear as Yuuto comes in with a double! 12-0!

At this point even a Tokoha big inning won't be enough...

#11 Hagiwara comes in to relieve Nojima... and mercifully gets Asamura to pop to Machida in shallow center.

Bottom 6th
Sakai sharply grounds to 1st... Itou after working the count full hits a comebacker to Yuuto...

... and Machida grounds to short.

Top 7th
Sano hits a grounder past a diving Sakai into center to start the inning for Osaka.

Morikawa flies out to center.

Hagihara up. AHHHHHH!!! He hits a drive to right! Nakagawa to the wall!

HAITAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hagihara with the homerun to right! That's against the wind! It's now 14-0!

Okumura and Nakatani ground out to end the inning. But this is a full blown massacre...

Bottom 7th
Nakagawa opens the inning with a liner down the right field line. That's to the wall for a leadoff double! Can they at least get on the board?

Maeda fights at the plate, fouling off pitch after pitch. Then on the 10th pitch he hits a chopper over Yuuto's head! But Asamura's there to field it, and he throws to 3rd to easily get a running Nakagawa.

Uejima up. Grounder to 1st. Hagihara charges, but can't get it! It trickles into right and we have runners at the corners!

Yuuto refuses to give up a run without a fight... He strikes out Togari on 3 straight... and does the same with Tochigi! Fukushima Yuuto denies Tokoha Kikugawa a run here!

Top 8th
Kouhei gives Osaka Toin another leadoff runner as he singles to right.

Ariyama pops to shallow center. Itou charges in, makes the catch! And for some inexplicable reason, Kouhei was running! He's easily doubled off at 1st.

Yuuto comes back though! He hits a drive to right! Nakagawa to the wall! That's off the base of the wall! Yuuto in with a triple!

Hagiwara then walks Asamura. 2 down runners at the corners.

But Sano flies out to center to end the inning.

Bottom 8th
#14 Takase comes in to pinch-hit for his first AB at Koshien. Yuuto welcomes him with a strikeout... Sakai grounds to 2nd...

Itou gets his first hit of the game as he singles to left. That's only the 4th hit given up by Yuuto.

Machida bits one deep to right, but Okumura gets under it and makes the easy catch.

Top 9th
#12 Asakawa comes in to pitch now. Perhaps they're getting their underclassmen practice for next time...

Asakawa hits Morikawa to start...

After pushing the count full, Hagihara grounds to 2nd. Machida charges, makes the throw to 2nd for the force.

With the count 0-1, Asamura throws a wild pitch and Hagihara advances to 2nd.

Asakawa then walks Okumura... then walks Nakatani on 4 straight. Manrui for Kouhei.

Grounder to 2nd! Machida up with it! Goes to 2nd for 1, Sakai to 1st... offline!!! That's to the fence! Hagiwara and Okumura score. 16-0.

And after Asakawa falls behind 3-1, Ariyama scorches a grounder down the 3rd base line into left! Ariyama scores. 17-0.

I guess that's enough practice for Asakawa. Togari retakes the mound. #7 Higuchi goes to left.

And Togari gets the final out as Yuuto flies out to left.

Bottom 9th
Nakagawa pops up to Ariyama behind the plate.

Maeda refuses to give in just yet and gets his 1st hit lining to left.

But Uejima flies to right... 2 down.

Togari gets a round of applause from the crowd as he takes the plate...

And he's first pitch swinging with a chopper. Yuuto fields it and throws to 1st.

GAME SET!

Your 90th Koshien National Tournament Champions --- OSAKA TOIN!

Osaka Toin did not give Tokoha Kikugawa a chance to make their big inning, and continued to apply pressure each and every inning to simply overwhelm them. A well deserved championship!