Day 11 - Game 2 - Nagano Nichidai (Nagano) vs. Chuukyoudai Chuukyou (Aichi)

The 2nd match of the day is between a newcomer from Nagano in Nagano Nichidai playing well-weathered Chuukyoudai Chuukyou.

Nagano Nichidai was involved in a slugfest with Sakushin Gakuin, and then came from behind to defeat Tenri in Round 2.

For Chuukyoudai Chuukyou, they had no trouble beating Heian in the first round, but needed all nine innings to defeat Kansei Gakuin and their unique P/C combination 4-3.

All signs point to Chuukyou, but in Nagano Nichidai's other appearance in Koshien, they advanced to the Best 8.

Nagano Nichidai (Nagano)
3B Niimura
LF Yano
SS Itou
2B Kitazawa
C Kobayashi
1B Hondou
CF Hiraguri
RF (#17)
P Katou

Chuukyoudai Chuukyou (Aichi)
SS Yamanaka
2B Kunitomo
3B Kawai
P Doubayashi
C Isomura
LF Itou
1B Shibata
RF Kaneyama
CF Iwatsuki

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12:05 PM - First pitch!

Top 1st
Doubayashi looking good to start. While he gives up a 2 out walk to Itou, he's hitting his marks.


Bottom 1st
Yamanaka with a base hit down the right field line! He's in with a leadoff double! Kunitomo bunts him to 2nd and Chuukyou has an early scoring opportiunity!

Kawai with a comebacker, but it's off Katou and bounces away from everyone into foul territory! Runners at the corners for Chuukyou!

Doubayashi looking for the sac flu, but hits it way too short! Yano comes in for the catch and the runners have to hold!

Ah! The 0-1 pitch to Isomura goes wild! Kawai goes to 2nd.

Isomura with a grounder to 3rd! AH! The ball goes right through Niimura's legs into left! Yamanaka scores! Kawai comes around, he scores!! It's 2-0 on the error!!

Itou with a blast to left center! That's to the wall! Isomura scores and it's now 3-0 Chuukyou!

Shibata with a base hit to left! Itou heads to 3rd! Runners at the corners and still 2 down!

And with Kaneyama up, Nakahara-kantoku sends Shibata! He's in safe!

Kaneyama follows that up with a base hit down the left field line! Itou scores! Shibata rounds 3rd and he scores too!! Chuukyou exploding here in the first for 5 runs! 5-0!!

Iwatsuki grounds out to short to end the inning, but Nagano has really put themselves behind the 8-ball early...


Top 2nd
Nagano's batters are swinging away early in counts, but not making good contact. Doubayashi needs just 8 pitches to retire the side.


Bottom 2nd
Katou hits Kunitomo with one down, but it's of no consequence as he gets the next 2 batters to fly out to left.


Top 3rd
One down for Katou and he gives Nagano their first base hit with a single back up the middle.

Niimura up now... and he hits one to deep left center! Itou back to the wall... Looks UP!!!

HAITAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! Niimura with an opposite field homerun!!!! It seemed like it was going to stay in the park, but no! Nagano Nichidai is on the board! 5-2!!!

Then with 2 outs, Itou his a grounder to the right side. Hondou runs over to snag it, but when he goes to turn back to 1st, his throw is wild! Safe!

Kitazawa with a grounder... that's though into right! Runners on 1st and 2nd with 2 out!

Kobayashi up now... and he hits one through to right! They're waving Itou home! But Kaneyama is up with the throw... it's a strike to home! Isomura with the ball and Itou is out by a mile!

Nagano runs themselves out of possibly a bigger inning and has to settle for 2 runs.


Botttom 3rd
Outside of the first inning, Katou has looked not that bad. Here in the 3rd, he gives up a two- out bunt base hit to Shibata, but leaves him stranded there after striking out Kanyama looking to end the inning.


Top 4th
Hondou leads off the 4th with a base hit to left! He's bunted over to 2nd for Akahane.

Akahane reaches down and makes contact, but it's a liner right at Yamanaka! 2 down!

Katou with a grounder down the 3rd base line! Kawai over and it gets past him!!!!! Hondou comes around to score on the double by Katou!! 5-3!!

Niimura grounds back to Doubayashi to end the inning, but with 3 unanswered so far, they're only behind by 2 runs now.


Bottom 4th
Just when Nagano seems to be getting close, Katou gives Chuukyou a chance by walking Iwatsuki on 4 straight to start the inning.

On the 1-2 pitch to Yamanaka, Kobayashi calls for a pitchout and makes a snap throw to 1st. Iwasuki doesn't get back in time and is called out!! One down, nobody on!

Yamanaka proceeds to flyout to center, and Kunitomo strikes out swinging to end the inning! It's a 1-2-3 inning for Katou!


Top 5th
One down and Itou with a slow grounder. Shibata charges in, but can't secure the ball and overruns it! He's safe at 1st!

Kitazawa up now and he sends a pitch away to left! Runners on 1st and 2nd for Nagano and only 1 down!

Kobayashi with a high chopper! That's over the infield and into right field!! Itou rounds 3rd and he scores! Nagano pulls within 1! 5-4!!

Hondou with a base hit to right! Kitazawa scores!! Douten!! Nagano has ralled from a 5-run deficit in the first to tied it up! 5-5!!!!!

That's it for Doubayashi. He gets sent to RF as #11 Morimoto takes the hill and replaces Iwatsuki in the lineup. Kaneyama moves over to center.

Hiraguri up and Nakahara calls for the double steal! But Isomura fires it to 3rd and they have Kobayashi easily out at 3rd!

Morimoto gets Hiraguri to fly out to center and the inning is over! But Nagano has come back from a 5-spot in the first to tie the game!!


Bottom 5th
Chuukyou trying to get it's offense back in traction. One down, Doubayashi draws a walk. Then Isumura gets hit by Katou! Runners on 1st and 2nd!

But Itou grounds out to 2nd! Kitazawa goes to 2nd for one, but they can't turn the double play.

1st and 3rd with 2 out now for Shibata. He flies out to center that that ends the inning.

At the onset of the game it seemed perhaps that Chuukyou would runaway with the game. As we head into the break, we find ourselves in a fierce battle!


Top 6th
Morimoto has seemed to quiet the Nagano bats as he retires the side in order with little difficulty.


Bottom 6th
Kaneyama is awarded 1st after Kobayashi is called for catcher's interference.

Chuukyou looks to take advantage of the opportunity. Morimoto bunts him over for Yamanaka.

Yamanaka with a ground ball through the left side! Kaneyama has to hold, but there's runners at the corners with one down!

SQUEEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the count 2-0, Kunitomo puts down a push bunt! Hondou charges, but his only play is at 1st! Kaneyama scores and Chuukyou retakes the lead, 6-5!!

And Kawai drives one to left center! That's in for a double! Yamanaka scores and it's 7-5!!!

Doubayashi with a drive down the left field line! Yano to the fence.... Off the top ! Doubayashi in with a double and that scores another! 8-5!!!

It's like the 1st inning over again...

Isomura with a comebacker past Katou into center! Doubayashi scores and it's 9-5!!

This time around, Nakahara-kantoku won't leave Katou in. He's pulled for #10 Nishiyama.

And he gets Itou to ground out to 2nd to end the inning.

But in what seems like a replay of the 1st inning, Chuukyou explodes for 4 runs here in the 5th and takes a 9-5 lead!

Is there another comeback in Nagano?


Top 7th
... not if Morimoto has anything to say about it. He strikes out the side and Nagano finds themselves with only 2 innings left!


Bottom 7th
Nishiyama hits Shibata to start the 7th. After a sac bunt, he hits Morimoto! And after that he hits Yamanaka!! Nishiyama has hit the bases loaded!

Kunitomo up and there's nowhere to put him!

The count goes full! And Kunitomo chops one into center! Shibata scores! Morimoto heading home! Hiraguri with the throw.. and Kobayashi makes a fine block of home! Morimoto is out! But yet another run scores for Chuukyou! 10-5!

Kawai with a single to right! Yamanaka scores. Akahane doesn't pick the ball and has to backtrack! Runners advance! 11-5...

And a wild pitch scores Kunitomo... 12-5.

Doubayashi with a grounder to 3rd, but Niimura misplays it! Kawai scores and it's 13-5.

Isomura grounds out to 3rd to end the inning, and it's all but decided at this point...


Top 8th
Kobayashi singles to right to start the inning, but Morimoto shuts down Nagano quickly thereafter.


Bottom 8th
#9 Hirabayashi takes over for PH Matsubashi and plays right. #11 Satou Shou comes in for Nishyama and takes the mound.

One down, Shibata singles to left. After Shou gets callled for a balk, Kaneyama grounds out to 1st, advancing Shibata to 2nd.

A wild pitch brings Shibata home - 14-5.

Morimoto then singles up the middle. Yamanaka grounds to 3rd, but Niimura throws over everyone and the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd.

Kunitomo follows that with a single back up the middle, plating Morimoto, 15-5.

Kawai strikes out to end the inning.


Top 9th
Nagano Nichiday with their last at bats here. #18 Yoshida comes in to pinch hit for Satou Shou and grounds out to 2nd.

Niimura hits a comebacker to Morimoto for the 2nd out...

And #16 Maezawa, pinch hitting for Yano, strikes out to end the game.


Nagano certainly made a game out of it when down 5 runs, the rallied to tie it up in the 5th. However the mid-game break benefitted Chuukyou as they scored 10 unanswered to win 15-5.

As disappointed as the Nagano Nichidai team may be, for the two apperances they've made here at Koshien, they have performed admirably, reaching the Best 8 in the spring, and the Best 16 here in the fall. Certainly they could be heard from them out of Nagano in the years to come!