Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Day 4 - Game 4 - Obu (Higashi Aichi) vs. Takaoka Shogyo (Toyama)

Hm. Last game of the day. Obu hasn't been here in 28 years. As for Takaoka, they haven't been here in 3 years.

Hard to know who to root for. Eh, I'll just watch just to watch this game.

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Obu (Higashi Aichi)
CF Yokogawa (8)
2B Nagao (4)
SS Makiuchi (6)
1B Matsumura (3)
RF Sakakibara (9)
LF Yamashita (7)
3B Takada (5)
C Tsuruta (2)
P Oono (1)

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)
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4:37 PM
First pitch!

1st Inning
Both teams trade off 2-out base hits. Makimura for Obu, and a double by Nomura to left center for Takaoka.

Top 2nd
Obu is retired in order.

Bottom 2nd
Takaoka gets the first real chance as Kitada takes the first pitch from Ouno and takes it to the right center field wall for a leadoff double!

But Oono comes right back and strikes out Nakahara looking... then gets Seki to strike out... and Fukushima to ground to short.

Some nice pitching by Oono so far.

Top 3rd
Another double, this time by 6' ace Oono. They throw him a should high pitch that he crushes to right center.

Alas, he too is stranded on the basepaths,

Bottom 3rd
Miyaguchi starts off their half with a single to right. Uemura moves him along, and then Abe grounds to 2nd moving him to 3rd.

2 down for Nomura, and he delivers the timely hit! Single through the right side scores Miyaguchi and Takaoka strikes first!! 1-0!

Top 4th
Obu mounts a rally quickly! Makiuchi with a single up the middle. Matsumura is grazed by a pitch and now there's runners at 1st and 2nd, no out!

Sakakibara looks to bunt, falls behind 1-2. Attempts it anyways! He's got it down! Runners advance!

And to quickly complete the play, Yamashita hits the first pitch to center, and Makiuchi tags up and gets home on a close play! 1-1!!

Takada can't keep the inning going, but Obu has come back to tie the game!

Bottom 4th
Kitada with the dribbler down the 1st base line! Matsumura charges, but no one's covering 1st for the throw! Nakahara proceeds to move him along.

But Oono puts his foot down, striking out Seki and Fukushima to end the inning.

Top 5th
Tsuruta with the double to left center! Looking to take the lead!

Oono puts down the bunt, but Tanaka makes the throw to 3rd. Out! Tsuruta's thrown out at 3rd!!

It's unfortunate since Yokogawa singles to left!

But Tanaka gets Fukushima to settle down, and he induces the 1-6-3 DP to end the inning.

Bottom 5th
Miyaguchi starts the inning with a leadoff single up the middle, but is left stranded.

Top 6th
Matsumura gets a one-out single, but can advance to further than 2nd.

Bottom 6th
The batters on both sides are having a hard time getting anything serious going. Takaoka is retired 1-2-3

Top 7th
Two down, and why is Oono batting 9th? He blasts one to deep right center! And he tries to stretch it out for 3! But Uemura has none of it and throws a bullet to 3rd and nails him!

Bottom 7th
Takaoka starts a 2 out rally here in the 7th! Miyaguchi singles through the left side. Uemura does likewise!

Conference on the mound, just needs one more out.

First pitch to Abe, driven to right center! It one hops the wall! Miyaguchi scores! Uemura scores! 3-1 Takaoka!!

They're not done! Nomura singles to left center! Abe scores! 4-1!

Tanaka singles through the left side! Runners at the corners!

Kitada chops one up the middle. High bounce and into center! Nomura scores! 5-1!

And Obu is saved when they try the double steal and Nakao cuts off the throw and guns down Tanaka.

But a barrage of base hits have blown open the game for Takaoka!

Top 8th
Obu gets a leadoff bunt single by Yokogawa, but can't advance the runner from 1st. And Nakahara makes a fine diving play at 1st for the 3rd out!

Bottom 8th
Oono's day is done, as #10 Imamura goes to replace him. But he struggles out of the gate.

Nagahara hits an infield single to short. #12 Futamata PH for #17 Ishitsu and gets hit.

#16 Arai comes in to run for Futamata, while Fukushima moves the runners along.

And after getting ahead 0-2, Imamura falls behind 3-2 before getting Miyaguchi to ground to 3rd.

That gets countered with a walk to Uemura, loading the bases.

But finally, Imamura gets out of the mess by getting Abe to ground to 3rd.

Top 9th
Last chance for Obu here. But they've got a long hill to climb.

Too much really. They go in order, but the last out was one amazing play...

Shimomura Shunsuke #16 came in to PH for Takada. He hits what would be a liner into right.

Now Miyaguchi jumps up like most 2nd basemen do just for show.

Except this time, he leaps REALLY high and actually comes down with the ball!

So thanks to the 4-run 7th inning, Takaoka Sho advances to meet Keio in the next round!

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