Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Day 11 - Game 2 - Waseda Jitsugyou (Nishi Tokyo) vs. Kanto Dai-ichi (Higashi Tokyo)

So, after that game, we get treated to an all-Tokyo matchup for the brunch special.

Waseda had a heck of a time defeating Kurashiki Shougyou in the first game, then apparently took their frustrations out on the defending champions to the tune of 21-6.

Kanto Dai-ichi defeated two middle level teams handily in Sano Nichidai and Yuugakukan by a combined score of 20-6.

Hm. Waseda scored more runs against Chuukyoudai Chuukyou than Kanto scored in their two blowouts combined... Man, that game's still hard to believe....

Kanto Dai-ichi will be put to the test now against the vaunted Soujitsu. How will they fare?

Waseda Jitsugyou (Nishi Tokyo)
3B Shigenobu Shinnousuke
SS Manabe Kenta
CF Yasuda Konsu
RF Onoda Shunsuke
C Tsuchiya Ryouta
1B Sugai Natsuki
2B Fuzukzawa Kouta
LF Kakinuma Yousuke
P Suzuki Kensuke

Kanto Dai-ichi (Higashi Tokyo)
2B Yamashita Kouki
RF Shibusawa Maiya
SS Itou Shinji
3B Miyashita Akihiro
C Honma Ryou
CF Haketa Hiroki
1B Koyama Kouhei
LF Saitou Yutaka
P Shirai Keiichi

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11:05 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Shirai's a bit nervous to start the inning, walking Shigenobu on 4 straight.

Uh oh. He walks Manabe too... That's not a good sign.

Yasuda with a liner! Miyashita with the catch, and they double off Manabe at 1st! Double play!!

WHAT!! He walks Onoda after running the count full.

AND THEN WALKS TSUCHIYA IN THE SAME MANNER!!!

4 walks for Shirai and yet no run!!

And still no run!!!

Sugai swings at the 1-0 pich and pops it up! Saitou in to make the catch and Shirai gets out of the jam!

How can you as a Waseda batter swing knowing that the pitcher has issues 4 walks to the first 5 batters???!!!!

Shirai is one very lucky guy.

Bottom 1st
Suzuki has a much easier inning, striking out Yamashita and Shibusawa, then recording the 3rd out as Itou hits a chopper back to him.

Top 2nd
So, now that Shirai has survived the 1st, how will he fare in the 2nd?

Fukazawa with a liner back at Shirai! It deflects towards Miyashita but he fumbles with the ball. and Fukuzawa is safe.

Ah... the ball looks like it deflected off his fingers as he went to defend himself.

He takes a few practice pitches, and says he's fine.

Kakinuma with a sac bunt to move the runner along -but Suzuki pops up to left. Saitou's there to make the catch for the 2nd out.

Shirai still having control issues. He walks Shigenobu on 4 straight!

But Manabe bails him out by swinging at the first pitch, a slow curve, and flies out to right!

I still don't get why Waseda's swinging when they don't have to though...

Bottom 2nd
Miyashita with a drive down the left field line! Kakinuma going to the foul pole....

FOUL!

What a blast by Miyashita, but it just goes foul!

But he does end up drawing a walk. And he goes to steal 2nd! Tsuchiya with the throw, but Manabe is way off the bag and he has to stride over to the bag. Tsuchiya slides in safe!

Suzuki comes back though and strikes out Honma!

Haketa grounds to short! 2 down!

SANSHIN!!

Koyama can't check his swing says the 3rd base umpire and the side is retired!

Top 3rd
Onoda with a drive to deep center! Haketa to the wall, jumps!

It's off the fence and bounces back onto the field! Onoda in with a one-out triple!

But Tsuchiya grounds out 1st!... And Sugai lazily flies out to end the inning! Another runner in scoring position stranded!

Bottom 3rd
Saitou with a safety bunt! Suzuki to field it, throws to 1st, not in time!!

Shirai with a sac bunt, but Suzuki field it and fires to 2nd! They get the lead runner! One out!

Yamashita with a drive to right! Onoda going to the wall?!?!

HAITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top batter Yamashita hits a liner over the fence down the right field line for a 2-run homerun!! Kanto is the one who takes the lead, 2-0!

Shibusawa with a single to left!

And now he takes off for 2nd! Throw from Tsuchiya is late!

Itou with a drive to center! Yasuda running back! He leaps, and it's over his head and to the wall! Itou with an RBI double and now Kanto leads 3-0!!!

And am I hearing correctly? I think Kanto's oen dan is playing Waseda's music!

Suzuki finally settles down to strike out both Miyashita and Honma, but the damage has been more than done. Izumi-kantoku has to be smarting that his team couldn't manage to score a run in the 1st.

Top 4th
Shirai with his 6th walk to lead off the 4th.

Kakinuma with a single to right! Fukazawa takes off for 3rd and reaches! Runners at the corners with only one down!

Yonezawa-kantoku calls a conference.

Sanshin!!!

Suzuki looks at strike 3 on the outside corner for the 1st out!

Shigenobu with a grounder back up the middle! Fukuzawa scores! Kakinuma rounds 3rd, and he scores! Honma fires to 2nd and they get Shigenobu trying to take 2nd! 2 out, but Waseda is within 1! 3-2!!

Manabe with a drive to left! Saitou to the wall, but it lands in front of him! Manabe is in with a double!

And how much does that out at 2nd cost Waseda now?

Yasuda grounds out to 2nd and the inning is over. Soujitsu gets 2, but again missed opportunities is the theme for them.

Bottom 4th
Haketa with a single to right. Koyama bunts him over for the bottom of the order.

But Saitou hits a short fly to Yamashita and then Yamashita goes and secures a hard grounder from Shirai to end the inning.

Top 5th
Onoda with a single to center to start the inning. Izumi will play for the run.

Sugai grounds out to 3rd for the 2nd out... Shirai walks his 7th batter in Fukuzawa.

But in one of the rare cases today, Shirai gets ahead of Kakinuma and gets him to ground out to 3rd for the 3rd out!

Shirai continues to have issues with his control, but Waseda continues to bail him out.

Bottom 5th
Suzuki starts off Yamashita with a walk and is moved over - but Itou goes down swinging for the 2nd out.

Miyashita then draws a walk.

Suzuki's lost his control! He falls behind Honma 3-1!

And Honma punishes him! He drives one to center! Yasuda is sprinting back but he won't get there in time! It's goes all the way to the wall! Yamashita scores! Miyashita comes around from 1st and he scores! Kanto retakes the 3 run lead! 5-3!!!

Haketa strikes out to end the inning, but Waseda finds themselves down 3 again as they head to the break!

Top 6th
Suzuki with a single to left to start the inning.

But it's wiped away when Shigenobu grounds to 2nd! Yamashita tosses to Itou and back to Koyama for the double play!

Manabe tries to get the rally going again with a single to left.

But on a foul fly, Miyashita slides into the wall just past the camera well and makes the catch! Nice play!!

Bottom 6th
Koyama with a grounder to short. Manabe fumbles the ball and his subsequent throw is late!

Saitou isn't bunting, but swings away and pops up to 2nd!

Now Shirai bunts Koyama to 2nd. But Yamashita flies out to shallow center to end the inning.

Top 7th
Onoda gets hit by Shirai to start the inning... and he steals 2nd on no throw!

Tsuchiya strikes out on a slow curve for the first out.

#10 Uchida Masato comes in to PH for Sugai.

Grounder to 2nd. OFF YAMASHITA AND INTO CENTER!!

Onoda comes around to score, and it's now 5-3 Kanto!

After a Fukuzawa flyout, Yagi ground out to the left side. Itou with the diving grab! Goes to 2nd and they get the out! 3 out!

Bottom 7th
Yagi with his first walk here in the 7th to leadoff batter Shibusawa.

And he takes off for 2nd on the 0-1 pitch! No throw! Now a base hit can extend the lead back to 3!

Sanshin!! Yagi strikes out Itou for the 1st out!

Shibusawa takes off for 3rd! Again no throw! Now a sac fly can do the job!

Instead, Yagi walks Miyashita! And now Miyashita takes off for 2nd! No throw!

That's going to hurt Soujitsu..

And it does! Honma singles to left! Shibusawa and Miyashita score and it's 7-3 Kanto!!

Haketa with a single to left! Kakinuma goes to 3rd and that allows Haketa to take 2nd!

Oh where are the fundamentals...

That's it for Yagi. Suzuki takes the mound, and #14 Matsui Yoshinari goes in for Yagi and heads to left.

Koyama with a single to left! Honma and Haketa scores making it 9-3 Kanto!!!

Saitou with a soft liner over Fukazawa into center! It doesn't stop for Kanto!

Finally, Soujitsu gets their 2nd out as Shirai pops out to short. But the pitchers for Waseda continue to do themselves no favors as Suzuki hits Yamashita.

Shibusawa steps in for the 2nd time this inning, and fortunately for Soujitsu, he tries a bunt hit and Miyashita makes a nice throw to 1st to end the inning.

But Kanto has broken the game wide open, and with just 6 outs to go, getting 6 runs will be difficult.

Top 8th
One down and Shigenobu singles to left. Manabe with a bunt down the 1st base line. Honma with the throw, but Koyama goes off the bag! Runners at 1st and 2nd for Soujitsu.

Yasuda with a grounder to 2nd. Yamashita charges in, picks the ball and makes the toss to 2nd for the out.

And Onoda grounds to short, Itou goes to 2nd for the 3rd out.

It really doesn't look good for Soujitsu now.

Bottom 8th
Itou is hit by Suzuki to start the inning. After two popups to Tsuchiya, Itou takes off to 2nd and reaches safely!

Haketa with a shot off Manabe's glove into center! Itou comes in to score and the score is now 10-3!

Koyama gets hit by Suzuki, but the inning ends when Saitou flies out to center.

Top 9th
Last ups for Soujitsu. Defensive changes for Kanto.

#17 Onodera Hayato goes to right, Shibusawa moves to center.

Tsuchiya flies out to center for the first out.

#13 Isoami comes in to PH for Watanabe. He drives one to center and it's off the wall for a double.

Fukuzawa draws a walk. And Matsui singles through the left side! Isoami holds at 3rd and it's manrui for Soujitsu!

But they'll need a couple of those if they want to get close.

SANSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suzuki battling at the plate watches a pitch "miss" Honma's glove, but hit the inside corner for strike 3! Two outs!

Shigenobu with a drive to left! Saitou running back, but it's over his head! Everyone's going to score on the bases clearing double to make it 10-6.

4 runs is still a long ways to go.... but there's a start though as Shirai walks Manabe.

Yasuda with a shot at 1st! Koyama with the stop and he goes to the bag for the out! Game set!

A great performance turned in by the Kanto offense against Soujitsu scoring 10 runs. Shirai did tire at the end, and you have to wonder what his status will be since they have to have Narita tomorrow!

As for Soujitsu, it was a story of missed opportunities. Not scoring a run with 4 walks is a big opportunity lost. Not to mention the fact they didn't let Shirai struggle on the mound early.

But the pitching also failed them today as Suzuki seemed to fall flat, and Yagi was not much more help.

With a lot of underclassmen on the roster, don't be surprised if Waseda challenges again next year.

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