7.28 Prefectural Updates

This update thankfully is getting shorter and shorter as prefectures give out their bids or arrive at the finals.

But there's still 11 more that have a little ways to go, so let's see what's going on there...

(I'm kinda busy tonight, so I'll have to catch the rest of the prefectures later)

Miyagi
Day off for rest before semifinal games.

Nishi Tokyo
As I was following the prefectural finals yesterday, I noticed that Toritsu Hino had jumped on Nihon Dai-san in the 1st inning scoring 2. When I checked it later, Nihon Dai-san has scored 2 in the 3rd to tie it up, but that was short lived when Hino regained the two-run lead in the 5th.

And I wondered if an upset was brewing...

But Yoshikawa couldn't hold off Dai-san. He was pulled for Watanabe with one down in the 5th, but before the inning was over, Dai-san had pulled to within 1. The very next inning, they scored two more and just like that they had taken the 7-6 lead. I wonder if that was deflating for Hino or if they fought on, but either way they couldn't push that tying run across. And so their Koshien dreams that once seemed attainable, fell back to the ground at the hands of Nihon Dai-san.

In the second semifinal, Nihon Dai-ni managed just 4 hits, but drew 12 walks en route to a 5-2 win over Toritsu Kodaira. Starter Yamasaki was the main culprit with 7 in his 3-1/3 innings. Yagi, who followed, gave up 3 in his 1/3 of an inning, certainly contributing to the 4-run 4th. Ichinohe fared much better, giving up just 2 the rest of the way, but by then it was too late.

So in Nishi Tokyo we have an all-Nihon final. Nihon Dai-san certainly has had more success, but I'm sure Dai-ni will have something to say about it before it's all said and done.


Toyama
Day off here before the semifinals and finals.


Shizuoka
Rainded out yesterday, the remaining quarterfinals will try to be held today.


Aichi
"These are not the quarterfinal games that you are looking for..."

Indeed. For these games looked like they could have come from the earlier rounds, not the quarterfinals.

The biggest shocker was the Chuukyoudai Chuukyou-Aikoudai Meiden game. Chuukyou scored every inning and went the minimum winning 15-0!!

Then in the 2nd game at Mizuho, Touhou had absolutely no answer to Aichi Keisei. 4 hits and 7 innings later, they were gone 0-7.

At Okazaki Municipal, Toyota Nishi trailed Kouzouji 4-0 early, but took the lead with 5 in the 4th! They'd hold that lead and win 7-5.

And finally the Kariya-Seishin game saw Seishin take a 1-0 lead in the 3rd. And then Kariya went bonkers. They had a 10-run 5th! 10! And the unseeded team reaches the semifinals with a shocking 10-1 win!


Osaka
Osaka almost finished up the round of 16 games, with the exception of PL Gakuen and Ikuno Kougyou who play today. Ikuno Kougyou pushed ahead of Koukoku yesterday with 2 runs in the top of the 9th.

In the round of 16, Kansaidai Hokuyou led Naniwa 3-0 early only to have Naniwa tied the game by by the 5th. But 2 runs in the 6th would be the margin of victory. Uenomiya Taishi had no trouble with Kinkidai Fuzoku 11-1 in 6 innings. Kansai Souka held off a charging Hatsushiba Ritsumeikan 3-2. Konkou Osaka made a 3-1 lead in the 3rd inning stick as they and Kansaidai Dai-ichi scored a flurry of runs late in the game to win 7-5. Osaka Shougyoudai Sakai had a similar game against Hirakata Tsuda winning 7-6.

With the draw for the Best 8 determined, should PL win their game today they will have to face Osaka Touin next. That should be a lot of fun. The winner of that will face the Riseisha-Uenomiya Taishi game. Konkou Osaka finds themselves on the other side of the bracket facing Kansaidai Hokuyou.


Hyogo
Day off before the semifinals and finals.


Hiroshima
We had the quarterfinals yesterday.

At Shimanami, Eishin took a 2-0 lead into the late innings on Sanyou. But then Sanyou ties the game in the 8th, and wins it in the 9th! And in the 2nd game, Arihara and Fukuda combine for a 1-hitter against Gokou.

At Old Hiroshima Municipal, Jyousuikan took care of Hiroshima Kokusai Gakuin 10-5. The matinee game had Seishikan leading Hiroshima Shougyou 2-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th when Hiroshima Shougyou scores 2 for the sayonara victory!


Ehime
None of the quarterfinal games were ever in doubt. The early game saw Saijyou with an offensive explosion beating Teikyou Dai-go 8-1. Imabari Nishi dispatched Tanbara by the same score.

In the afternoon session, Saibi had no trouble with Mishima 13-2 while Imabari Kougyou scored 6 quick runs to beat Imabari Kita 6-3.


Kochi
Day off before semifinal/finals push.


Kumamoto
Not much excitement here. Kumamoto Kougyou defeated Hitsuyuukan 3-0 while Kyushu Gakuin used a 4-run 7th inning for a 6-1 win against Kumamoto Kokufu.