Sunday, March 21, 2010

Day 1 - Game 3 - Yamagata Chuo (Yamagata) vs. Nichidai-san (Tokyo)

So apparently things so far have not been what they have seen. as Tenri falls to Tsuruga Kehi and Hanasaki Tokuharu 2-hits Kadena. So what will happen in the final game of opening day?

Nichidai-san comes in as a power squad averaging 3 doubles and a HR per game. Their corner fielders Sano/Negishi and Yokoo hit for ridiculous averages during the fall. Yamazaki and Kumasaka take main duties on the mound, but do not be surprised if Kumasaka and SS Yoshizawa are the pitchers this game to give their ace a rest.

Yamagata Chuo comes in the exact opposite of Nichidai-san. In 6 tournament games, they managed only 11 extra base hits (6 were triples and 4 of those were by SS Hosoya!). They don't walk, and they don't run either. So with runs at a premium, they'll have to supress Nichidai's offense. Ace Yokoyama and his breaking balls will have to be on target today to get the job done.

Yamagata Chuo (Yamagata) - 21st Century Bid
SS Hosoya Rin
2B Narasaki Masanobu
C Hashiba Mitsuki
CF Takahashi Takumi
LF Nawa Tadashi
RF Koyama Naoya (#3)
3B Miura Taku
P Yokoyama Yuuya
1B Abe Gouta (#12)

Nichidai-san (Tokyo) - Kanto/Tokyo At-large
RF Takayama Shun
2B Ogihara Tatsurou
CF Hiraiwa Takuji
3B Yokoo Toshitake
P Yamazaki Sachiya
SS Yoshizawa Shougo
1B Sano Tomohito
LF Azegami Shou
C Suzuki Takahiro (#12)

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16:02 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Yamazaki comes out throwing in the high 130's with a slider in the mid 120's.

Hosoya laces one into left for a leadoff hit!

And then Yamazaki falls behind Narasaki 3-0, but comes back with 2 strikes (albeit maybe low) to fill up the count. And a high pitch gets the runner out for the first out.

Hashiba with a grounder through to right! Runners on 1st and 2nd for Yamagata Chuo!

Hm... Yamazaki falls behind Takahashi 3-0 then gets a strike down and away. And a foul fills up the count once again. Takahashi continues to foul balls off as we approach the 9th pitch of the AB. A fastball inside at 141 gets him swinging for the 2nd out.

Yamazaki is still having issues, falling behind Nawa 2-1. And he lines one to left! Azegami runs over, then quickly changes directions back! He leaps and that's over his head!!! Hosoya comes in, Hashiba rounds 3rd as Azegami runs back to the LF wall! The throw finally comes in, but not before Nawa is in with a stand-up triple! Yamagata Chuo is up 2-0 early over Nichidai-san!!

Koyama grounds to 3rd to end the inning, but in a surprising opener the 21st century squad takes the lead!

Bottom 1st
Yokoyama is a lefty who throws in the mid-high 130's with a slider in the high 110's and a slow curve in the low 100's.

Takayama weakly grounds out to 2nd. Ogihara works the count full and pops one up to right center. Koyama runs over, continues to run over, and makes the catch in almost in center! And Hiraiwa grounds out to 3rd and just like that it's a 1-2-3 inning for Yokoyama to start the game.

Top 2nd
Miura goes down swinging for Yamazaki's 3rd K. Yokoyama looks at a ball right down the middle for strike 3.

Ow. Abe gets plunked in the back and the lineup turns back over to Hosoya.

And on the 1-2 pitch Abe takes off for 2nd! The throw is high and off line and he's in safely!

But Hosoya pops out to center to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd
Yokoo flies out to center after falling behind 1-2. Then Yokoyama falls behind Yamazaki 3-1 and he takes the pitch the opposite way to left center, and it falls in for a double!

And Yoshizawa hits one down the left field line... fair! Nawa runs over to get it, but Yoshizawa has a one-out double to pull Nichidai-san within 1. 2-1!

Sano flies out to deep right, and Yoshizawa advances to 3rd.

Azegami drills the first pitch to right center! The fielders converge, but it falls in behind them! Yoshizawa scores, Azegami is flying! He in with a stand-up triple and we're all knotted up at 2-2!

Suzuki pops up to Miura near the mound for the 3rd out, but Nichidai-san has come back to tie it up.

Top 3rd
Naraasaki flies out to left center. Hashiba strikes out swinging. And while Takahashi gets plunked, Nawa pops up the first pitch and Yoshizawa secures it for the 3rd out.

After the quick start by Yamagata Chuo, they now seem to be stifled by Yamazaki.

Bottom 3rd
Back to the top of the order for Nichidai and Takayama strikes out swinging.

Ogihara places one in shallow left center for a base hit.

Hiraiwa with a drive to center. Takahashi running back, back to the fence. Stops and...

HAITA!

Hiraiwa hits a homerun to dead center and Nichidai-san takes the lead 4-2! Wow!

Yokoo with a ball high down the right field side. Koyama runs over to the foul line, but that's over his head. Yokoo's in with a double! Could things be unraveling for Yamagata Chuo?

Shouji-kantoku calls for a conference to settle things down.

Yamazaki with a cut swing lines one to left, but right at Nawa. 2 down.

Yoshizawa with a line drive, but foul. He grounds out to 2nd to end the inning, but Nichidai-san has taken the lead here in the 3rd!

Top 4th
Yamazaki seems to have settled down. He gets Koyama to ground to 2nd to start the inning, then strikes out Miura on an off-speed pitch. Finally, he strikes out Yokoyama looking on a pitch on the outside corner to retire the side!

Bottom 4th
Sano with a grounder to the left side. Miura goes over to field it, but a high bounce gets him and it goes into left for a base hit!

Azegami lays down the bunt. Miura charges in quickly, looks to 2nd, then decides to go to 1st for the putout.

The count goes full on Suzuki before he grounds out to 3rd. And Takayama is jammed popping out to Hosoya down the left field line.

Top 5th
Ow again? Abe is hit to start off the 5th.

Hosoya tries to put down a bunt, but it goes off of him. Down 1-2 and having to swing away, he strikes out looking.

And Abe takes off for 2nd! Throw from Ootsuka is slightly offline and he's safe!

Narasaki gets ahead 2-0, and drives a fastball to deep right center! Hiraiwa runs back but it's past him! Ootsuka comes in and Narasaki has a stand-up triple! It's 4-3!

And Hashiba lines one to center! That's in for a base hit! Narasaki scores and Yamagata Chuo has tied it up at 4-4!! Wow!

Takahashi flies out to left and Nawa pops out to Ootsuka at home plate to end the inning. BUT! Yamagata Chuo has tied the game at 4 against Nichidai-san!!

Bottom 5th
Ogihara hits a grounder to short, but it's off Hosoya and into center!

Hiraiwa grounds to Miura who goes to 2nd for one, but there's no play at 1st.

Yokoo does an instant replay of Hiraiwa. 2 down.

Yokoyama gets ahead of Yamasaki 0-2, but Yamazaki shoots one through the infield to left and there's runners on 1st and 2nd for Yoshizawa.

Yokoyama is being careful with Yoshizawa, but he falls behind 2-0! And Yoshizawa drives one to deep left! Nawa, who is playing a bit towards center can't run it down and it two-hops to the wall! He clears the bases with a double and just like that Nichidai-san re-establishes their 2 run lead! 6-4!

Then Yokoyama walks Sano for his first walk in the game. We're only in the 5th and he's at 100 pitches.

Azegami pops up to short to end the inning, but does Yamagata Chuo have another rally in them?

Top 6th
Yamagata instead is responding by swinging away early. And the result is a 8 pitch inning by Yamazaki resulting in two comebackers and a grounder to short.

Bottom 6th
Suzuki with a grounder back up the middle. Hosoya tracks it down and makes a fine throw to 1st for the out!

Takayama finally gets his first base hit as he bloops a ball into shallow center.

Akihara grounds one to 3rd, Miura goes over to field it, but instead of blocking it, pulls up and reaches out with his glove... and misses! The ball goes into left for a base hit!

Hiraiwa hits a fly to right, deep enough to move Takayama to 3rd.

Yokoo with a liner into left for a base hit! Nichidai tacks on another run and it's 7-4!

Shouji-kantoku calls for a conference to once again settle things down.

But Yamazaki hits a drive to deep right! Koyama sprints back towards the right field wall, reaches out and makes the running catch! What a nice play by Koyama to end the inning. However, Yamagata Chuo falls further behind.

Top 7th
It certainly feels like they're pressing. Abe on a 1-1 count grounds back to Yamazaki. Hosoya hits a grounder up the 3rd base line to Yokoo who makes the play, and Narasaki reaches out and grounds one to 2nd to end the inning.

Bottom 7th
Yokoyama walks his 2nd batter in Yoshizawa to start the inning. He may be running out of gas.

Sano drives the first pitch to deep left center! The fielders converge, but it's off the top of the wall! Yoshizawa comes around all the way from 1st to score and it's now 8-4.

#16 Kobayashi Ryouji comes in to run for Sano. Meanwhile Azegami strikes out on 3 straight pitches.

AH! A passed ball allowed by Hashiba allows Kobayashi to advance to 3rd!

Suzuki hits a popup to shallow right. Kobayashi comes in but loses the ball! It falls in! Kobayashi scores and Suzuki takes 2nd on the misplay! 9-4 and it feels all but over for the boys from Yamagata.'

Takayama strikes out swinging and there's 2 down.

Ogihara grounds to 3rd. Miura with the throw and it's short! Abe can't gather it in and Ogihara is safe! And Suzuki races for home! Abe throws home, but the ball gets away from Hashiba! It's 10-4 and things have fallen apart quickly for Yamagata.

Hiraiwa with a sharp grounder, and another bad hop off the infield makes the ball bounce off Hosoya and into right! Koyama comes in but mishandles the ball. He throws to 2nd, but Hiraiwa is in on an RBI single. 11-4 Nichidai-san.

Another conference from Shouji-kantoku.

うわ。。。

Yokoo with a drive to deep right-center! Takahashi and Koyama converge, and it's Koyama who makes the running catch in front of the wall to end the inning.

But certainly it's too late now.

Top 8th
Defensive changes are in for Nichidai. Kobayashi stays in to play center. Hiraiwa moves to left and Azegami moves to 1B.

Hashiba walks to leadoff the inning. And now Takahashi is ahead 2-0. 3 pitches later though, he strikes out looking.

Nawa shoots one through to right, and Hashiba breaks for 3rd! Runners on the corners with 1 out!

And now Koyama draws a walk! Manrui for Yamagata, but they'll still need a lot of help.

Miura pops up to Suzuki for the 2nd out. Yokoyama now trying to help his cause.

Ahhhh~~~ He can't hold his swing and Yamagata is turned away.

Bottom 8th
Defensive changes for Yamagata Chuo. #9 Saitou Daisuke comes in for Koyama in right, while #15 Inage comes in for Miura at 3B.

Yamazaki with a base hit to left starts off the inning for Nichidai.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Yoshizawa just crushes the first ball down the left field line! And that's a no doubt about it homerun. 13-4 Nichidai!

And Shouji finally pulls the plug on Yokoyama. #11 Takeda Naoki comes in to pitch.

And new CF Kobayashi puts him to the test with a safety bunt! Naoki fields it, but the throw in short and Kobayashi easily beats it out.

Azegami with a drive to center! Takahashi goes over, but he can't get to it! It's all the way to the wall! Kobayashi scores as Azegami hits a stand-up triple! 14-4.

Naoki settles down after that getting Suzuki to foul out and striking out Takayama and Ogihara swinging to end the inning. Last ups for Yamagata Chuo.

Top 9th
And they go down quietly. PH #17 Sakurai Ryou grounds out to 3rd. Hosoya grounds to 1st, and Narasaki flies out to left to end the game.

While the end result was certainly a blowout, at least Yamagata Chuo could say that they held their own against Nichidai-san for 5 innings. Certainly nothing to be ashamed about.

Notable Players
WP - Yamazaki Sachiya - CG, 4 ER, 6 H, 10 K, 5 BB
LP - Yokoyama Yuuya - 7+ IP, 11 R, 9 ER, 18 H, 3 K, 2 BB

Yoshizawa Shougo (Nichidai-san) - 3-4, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB
Hiraiwa Takuji (Nichidai-san) - 2-5, HR, R, 3 RBI
Yamazaki Sachiya (Nichidai-san) - 3-52B, 3 R
Hashiba Mitsuki (Yamagata Chuo) - 2-3, R, RBI, K, BB
Narasaki Masanobu (Yamagata Chuo) - 1-5, 3B, R, RBI

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