Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Day 4 - Game 1 - Kaisei (Shimane) vs. Honjo Daiichi (Kita Saitama)

The 4th day of the 1st round, has another team making its debut in Honjo Daiichi out of Kita Saitama. Saitama being one of 5 prefectures to gain an extra team this year.

Their opponent will be Kaisei out of Shimane-ken. This is their 3rd straight appearance, and last year managed to win their first match before losing to Yoshikan in the round of 16.

I'm kind of pulling for Kaisei, but really it's a tossup. But if they have to face Aomori Yamada, it may just be playing for the ability to play one more game.

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Kaisei (Shimane)
CF Satou (8)
LF Takahashi Kenichi (7)
2B Akima (4)
1B Ikeda (3)
C Hashimoto (2)
RF Takahashi Kazuhito (9)
3B Matsubayashi (5)
SS Ibara (6)
P Koike (1)

Honjo Daiichi (Kita Saitama)
CF Nohara (8)
LF Yuyama (7)
SS Okuda (6)
1B Tamura (3)
C Kobayashi (2)
RF Hasebe (17)
2B Okada (4)
P Hagiwara (11)
3B Kibe (5)

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8:30 AM
First pitch!

Top 1st
Kaisei goes down in order.

Bottom 1st
Koike retires the first two batters, but now finds himself in trouble! He hits Okuda and Tamura, then walks Kobayashi! Suddenly it's a manrui situation for Honjo! But Hasebe swings early and pops to 2nd to end the inning.

Top 2nd
Hashimoto gets a one out single to left center. But he looks to stretch it to 2 and does! Takahashi Kazuhiro grounds to 2nd, but that's good enough to home Hashimoto to 3rd. Small chance for Kaisei!

Then Matsubayashi after a long AB, gets plunked by Hagiwara! And he's behind 3-1 to Ibara!

And Ibara with a shot through the left side to open the scoring! 1-0 Kaisei!

Koike follows suit with another single. Manrui again for Satou!

Hagiwara's control is still lacking, and the count goes full. Satou fouls off a couple of pitches, and he strikes out looking! Hagiwara escapes only giving up the one run!

Bottom 2nd
With one down, Hagiwara grounds to 2nd, but it bounces off of Akima and Hagiwara reaches 1st!

Kibe then singles to left!

Nohara then takes the first pitch to left, but Takahashi Kenichi makes the backwards leaping catch! 2 down!

Yuyama then tries to put down the safety bunt, but it's foul.

He does it again to the left side! And it works!!!! Manrui!

Ah! Okuda with the single to left. Hagiwara scores! Kibe comes around, the throw is bad, he scores! 2-1 Honjo!

Tamura with the single past a diving Akima into right! Yuyama scores! 3-1! Still runners at the corners!

Kobayashi strikes out, but Honjo Daiichi responds with 3 runs to take the lead!

Top 3rd
(Takahashi) Keniichi starts the inning with a safety bunt down the 1st base line and is successful!

He's bunted to 2nd by Akima, and advances to 3rd on Ikeda's groundout. But Hashimoto lines one right and that ends the inning.

Bottom 3rd
Again with 2 down, Honjo starts the inning going. Hagiwara fires a bullet down the 1st base line for a double. Kibe is then hit to put runners at 1st and 2nd for Nohara.

He lines one again to left, and once again Keniichi goes back and makes the running catch!

Top 4th
3 straight groundouts mean Honjo's back on the bats again.

Bottom 4th
Yuyama leads it off with a liner up the middle! Koike falls behind on Okuda 3-0, but comes back to induce a groundout to 2nd.

He then turns around and hits Tamura for the 4th hit batter this game.

Kobayashi puts down the safety bunt! But it just does roll foul!

And he hits one to the left side! Ibara snags it. To 2nd for one, slide by Tamura delays Akima, throw to first is wide! Yuyama scores, and Kobayashi advances to 2nd on the error! 4-1 Honjo!

Hasebe to try and score another. Battling at the plate, but grounds to 2nd. Still, the leadoff base hit scores thanks to the error on the DP.

Top 5th
Satou with the drive to right center for the double! No, wait! The ball is mis-handles and Satou goes to 3rd. He's safe!

Then Kenichi with the grounder right at Tamura! Satou is running on contact! Tamura gets the ball, tags first, the throw home... not in time! Kaisei cuts the deficit back to 2 runs again! 4-2!

Bottom 5th
Honjo gets another leadoff runner as Okada leads off with a single to left center! He's bunted over by Hagiwara. Then Kibe hits a soft liner to left center for runners at the corners!

Honjo puts on the hit and run on the 1-2 count! Nohara strikes out and the throw to 2nd has Kibe caught! No, Okada is running home. It's a feint! Throw to 3rd, safe! And Kibe is safe!

No, wait. He's out! They cut out the umpire's explanation, but I think it was due to runner interference.

Top 6th
With one down, Hashimoto beats out the infield hit! Then (Takahashi) Kazuhiro chops one up the middle! Matsubayashi then puts down the safety bunt to perfection! Manrui for Ibara!

Ibara with the sharp shot to short! Off Okuda and into left! Hashimoto scores! Kazuhiro scores! Goten! 4-4!!! What a quick turn of events here in the 6th!

Still only one down! Make that two as Koike bunts the runners along into scoring position.

A conference is quickly held at the mound while their ace, #1 Itou Diego warms up in the pen.

Satou pops up to 2nd, but Kaisei has rallied to tie the game!

Bottom 6th
You know what I didn't notice? Honjo Daiichi's starting 9 has only 2, count them 2, 3rd year players! Everyone else is a 2nd year, except for the cleanup batter Tamura! Now that's impressive!

But they go down in order in the 7th. Do they have something left to regain the lead again?

Top 7th
Hagiwara settles down and retires the side. Who going to break through first?

Bottom 7th
Once again the flags are quiet in center. No freebies here.

2 down, Matsubayashi with the throwing error, and Okada reaches base! It's 2 down, but can Hagiwara and Honjo capitalize?

(Apparently #18 Maruyama is warming up for Honjo.)

No. Hagiwara strikes out and the score remains tied.

Top 8th
Defensive change. Honjo captain Ujiwara comes in to replace Hasebe in right.

One down Kazuhiro with the short liner! Yuyama dives, but can't hold onto the ball! One out, one on for Matsubayashi!

And on the 1-0 pitch Kobayashi lets a ball get by him! Kazuhiro advances to 2nd! Matsubayashi looks to bunt, but the count goes to 2-2. Fastball outside for the strikeout! 2 down now for Ibara.

Ibara's had quite a day so far. 2-3 with 3 RBI's. Can he add one more?

Grounder to short! Okuda up with the ball, and makes the play at first! Still tied 4-4!

Bottom 8th
Honjo goes down in order again. Last chance to win it in regulation for these teams!

Top 9th
Wow. Okada making the stop up the middle on a ball hit by Satou, has to double clutch as the Okuda runs by him and still makes a strong throw to 1st!

Kaisei does go down in order. Will we see our first enchousen of the tournament? Or like the games we've seen, Honjo will find a way to end it here?

Bottom 9th
I must by psychic! I really do!

Okuda Pedro takes a pitch to dead center! Satou goes back, to the wall!

AND IT'S GONE!!!! SAYONARA HOMERUN!!

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!

How could anyone see that coming? And to dead center no less! Honjo Daiichi wins in spectacular fashion 5-4!

A look at Koike's face is just one of disbelief. He can't, almost none of us, can fathom what just happened!


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Kaisei (Shimane)
CF Satou (8) - 1-5, 2B, R, K
LF Takahashi Kenichi (7) - 1-5, RBI, K
2B Akima (4) - 0-3, K
1B Ikeda (3) - 0-4, K
C Hashimoto (2) - 2-4, 2 R
RF Takahashi Kazuhito (9) - 2-4, R
3B Matsubayashi (5) - 1-3, K, BB
SS Ibara (6) - 2-4, 3 RBI
P Koike (1) - 1-3, K

Honjo Daiichi (Kita Saitama)
CF Nohara (8) - 0-5, K
LF Yuyama (7) - 2-5, 2 R, K
SS Okuda (6) - 2-4, GW Sayonara HR, R, 3 RBI, K
1B Tamura (3) - 1-2, 2 BB
C Kobayashi (2) - 0-3, K, BB
RF Hasebe (17) - 0-4
RF Ujiwara (9) - No PA
2B Okada (4) - 1-4, K
P Hagiwara (11) - 1-3, 2B, K
3B Kibe (5) - 2-3, R, BB

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