Day 7 - Game 2 - Kagoshima Jitsugyou (Kagoshima) vs. Noshiro Shougyou (Akita)

Our brunchtime game is the last is between a bit of unknown quantities in Kagoshima Jitsugyou and Noshiro Shougyou.

Kagoshima Jitsugyou is led by their ace Youkai, who isn't an overpowering pitcher, throwing in the low 130's. Interestingly for that type of pitcher, he gets an above average amount of K's (8.9/9) and an above average amount of hits (5.93/9)

Noshiro Shougyou had a tough road to win the Akita title, as they faced last year's champions Meiou, and prefectural powerhouse Akita Shougyou. Their ace is Hosaka Yuuki, and the only information I have is that he carried a 3.19 ERA, with a 8.93 H/9, 5.31 K/9 and 3.61 BB/9 ratios. At a glance it's not very strong, but perhaps there's something we don't see.

Kagoshima Jitsugyou (Kagoshima)
CF Fujita Ryouma
2B Kamekou (Takahito)
P Youkai Ryou
LF Kawasaki Tomoyuki
3B Hamada (Tatsuyuki)
1B Agemura Kyouhei
RF Toyozumi Kouta
C Sekiyama Kouhei
SS Hiraiyama ? (#15)

Noshiro Shougyou (Akita)
2B Yoshioka (Testuya)
LF Hirakawa (Kenji) (#13)
1B Kikuchi Hichiou
3B Ishii (Hina)
RF Yamada Itsuki
C Kawamura (Hidetaka)
P Hosaka Yuuki
CF Seihou Yuuki
SS Ishikawa (Taisei)

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11:06 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Fujita leads off the game with a single through the left side.

AH! Hosaka is called for a balk! Runner advance to 2nd! And now Kamekou's bunt advances the runner to 3rd!

AH!! Now Youkai is hit on the elbow by Hosaka! Runners on the corners, 1 down for cleanup batter Youkai!

Kawasaki with a grounder to AHHHH!!!!!

The ball takes a slightly higher bounce and it goes off of Ishii and into left! Fujita scores on the error and it's 1-0 Kagoshima!

This looks bad for Nosho early... But Hamada grounds to 2nd! Yoshioka takes it to the bag for one, throw to first, double play!

4-6-3 double play to end the inning, but Nosho finds themselves down as they pick up the bats for the first time!

Bottom 1st
If I heard correctly, he has a cutter and slider to compliment his pitches. From the looks of it, he succeeds with good control and a propensity to confuse the batter.

This is evident here in the 1st as he strikes out Hiragawa and Kikuchi on sliders for a 1-2-3 inning.

Top 2nd
Agemura gives Kajitsu their 2nd leadoff hit with a single to the left side - Toyozumi bunts him over.

If I heard correctly, Hosaka has a slider, curve and screwball.

Sekiyama with a grounder to short and Agemura has to hold.

Hiraiyama with a ball to the left side! It's under Ishii's glove and Ishikawa can't field it either! Agemura coming around, and Hiragawa missed the ball! Agemura score while Hiraiyama takes 2nd on the error! 2-0!

Now Fujita with a single past Ishikawa to center! That scores Hirayiama, and it's 3-0!

Kamekou with a drive to left center! Hiragawa chases after it, dives... can't get it! That's a double for Kamekou and Fujita scores! 4-0!

And Kudou-kantoku makes the early pitching change. #10 Tamura (Kiyoshi) comes in to replace Hosaka. A sidearm pitcher, he throws a 2-seamer, slider and curve.

But the change doesn't help! Youkai with a drive to dead center! Nishikata plays the ball of the top of the padding and Kamekou comes in on Youkai's double! 5-0 now for Kajitsu!

Kawasaki flies out to center to end the inning, but the damage has more than been done.

Bottom 2nd
Youkai's success also lies in getting ahead in counts early and often, getting head of 2 of the 3 battes here en route to a 1-2-3 inning.

Top 3rd
Tamura's sidearm goes no higher than the low to mid 120's.

And Kajitsu is teeing off on it. With one down, Agemura singles though the left side. Then Toyozumi hits a deep fly down the left field line. Hiragawa slides at the wall, but can't get it. He recovers to get the ball in, but not before Toyozumi is in with a triple. 6-0 now.

7-0. Sekiyama singles over Yoshioka into center for a base hit.

Hiraiyama almost gets a bunt single, but Kawamura does a good job of fielding the ball.

Fujita flies out to end the inning, but the rout is on for Kajitsu.

Bottom 3rd
Slight delay to start the half inning as C Sekiyama for Kajitsu had his leg worked on.

Ah! Yasuoka with a nice play as he cuts off a ball bit by Nishikata in the gap and makes the solid throw to 1st.

Meanwhile, Youkai continues to deal on the mound, racking up 2 more K's in another 1-2-3 inning.

Top 4th
Kamekou with Kajitsu's 4th leadoff runner as he singles to left. Sac bunt moves him along, and with 2 down Hamada lines one into center, scoring Kamekou bringing the margin now to 8-0. Agemura foul pops to 1st, but Noshiro hasn't been able to hold Kajitsu yet...

Bottom 4th
Youkai continues to get ahead of the batters forcing them into disadvantegous situations.

He's ahead of Yoshioka 0-2, and strikes him out looking on a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner. Up 0-2, Hiragawa eventually strikes out flailing at sliders down in the dirt.

And Ishikawa hits a hard liner, but it's right at Yasuoka who makes the catch.

Top 5th
Kajitsu continues to put leadoff batters on as Toyozumi singles past Yoshioka into center. Then with one down, he takes off to 2nd but it's a pitchout! Kawamura throws to 2nd and Ishikawa makes the swipe tag on the back for the out.

Hiraiyama puts the runner back on as he hits a chopper over Tamura into center.

Miyashita-kantoku continues the aggressiveness as Hiraiyama takes off for 2nd! Throw from Kawamura is offline and goes into center! Hiraiyama heads to 3rd.

Kajitsu looks to score another run, but Fujita hits a fly to left! Hiragawa makes the catch for the 3rd out, and Nosho has held Kajitsu scoreless!

Bottom 5th
Ishii looks to break up the perfect game bid as the count runs full for the first time against Youkai this game. However, he hits a grounder to short.

Yamada goes down swinging, becoming Youkai's 8th K, and Kawamura grounds to short. Through 5, Youkai remains perfect.

Top 6th
Kamekou with a single down the left field line after the break.

Hit and run! Pitch is high and Youkai gives the ball a tomahawk chop! He flies to center and...

AH!!!! Nishikata drops it! Kamekou scurries to 2nd and that's Nosho's 5th error.

Kawasaki with a shot down the right field line! Fair! That's to the wall! Kawasaki with a 2-run triple and it's now 10-0.

With one down, Agemura lines one down the left field line. That scores another, 11-0.

#12 Kodama Kouji comes in to PH for Sekiyama.

Bottom 6th
Tamura with a soft liner down the right field line... foul! Nosho almost gets their first hit! But he grounds out to 2nd.

HIT!

Nishikata with a hard grounder up the 3rd base line! Hamada dives over, but it gets past him! The ball goes down the line as Nosho breaks up the perfect game and no-hitter!

Nosho now playing to prevent the shutout, bunts him over. But Yoshioka flies out to left to end the inning. But Nosho has made progress!

Top 7th
Fujita with Kajitsu's 7th leadoff base hit. Sac bunt and fly to right center move him to 3rd.

And while Tamura gives up a walk to Kawasaki, Hamada flies out again to center to end the inning.

Bottom 7th
Nosho with their 2nd hit of the game as Kikuchi singles to right with one down!

Then with 2 down, Yamada appears to ground out to 2nd, but Youkai is called for a balk. No matter for Youkai though, as he strikes out Yamada to end the inning.

Top 8th
Pitching change for Nosho. First year #18 Hatakeyama Shinpei comes in to relieve Tamura.

And he doubles to right center for another leadoff hit.

Only a first year, he throws in the mid 130's.

Toyozumi takes a high fastball and singles to left. Earlier in the AB, he fouled a pitch off his right knee, and Miyashita-kantoku decides to have him replaced on the basepaths by #17 Shimonuir Kyousuke.

Runners at the corners for new C Kodama.

SANSHIN! Hatakeyama gets Kodama swinging for the 1st out!

SQUEEZE!!!! Hiraiyama with the safety squeeze! But Ageyama doesn't go home! And he's lackadaisical going back to 3rd! Ishii slips behind him and they have him in a rundown! He's tagged out and there 's 2 down! The runners advance to 2nd and 3rd.

SANSHIN!!! Fujita strikes out on a ball on the inside corner and Hatakeyama gets out of the inning!

Bottom 8th
Defensive changes for Kajitsu. Shimonuri stays in to play right, and #6 Yasuoka Shouhei comes in for Hiraiyama to play short.

Youkai continuing to cruise. He gets his 10th K in Hatakeyama, AH!

The ball was in the dirt and Kodama's throw to 1st is high! That's Kajitsu's 1st error of the game!

Unfortunately it won't lead to a run as Nishikata grounds into the 4-6-3 double play.

Top 9th
Ah! Hatakeyama gets a ground ball from Kamekou, and they retire their first leadoff batter this game!

Uh oh! Youkai fouls a ball off his right leg. He walks it off, and steps back in.

And lines one to right for a single!

Kawasaki now with a hit into the gap in left center! Youkai is visibly hurt running around the bases, but gets home on the double, making it 14-0.

Hamada with a base hit to right scores Kawasaki and it's 15-0. #14 Yadori comes in to run for him.

Hatakeyama retires the next 2 batters, and now it'll be Nosho's last chance to avoid the shutout.

Bottom 9th
More changes for Kajitsu. Yadori stays in to play 1st. #11 Noda Shougo comes in for Shimonuri and relieves Youkai, who goes to right.

#7 Fujiwara (Takaya) comes in to PH for Ishikawa, and gets hit in the leg. He goes to 1st and is replced by #17 Miyano Kazuaki.

Yoshioka strikes out swinging for the first out. Miyano tries to steal 2nd while Hiragawa is up, but gets thrown out. 2 down.

It's a shame as Hiragawa singles to center for Nosho's 3rd hit.

But Kikuchi strikes out swinging to end the game.

Sadly for Noshiro Shougyou, they were outmatched by Kagoshima Jitsugyou today. While they were able to get a couple of hits, they were unable to avoid the shutout. It's certainly disappointing to have your Koshien experience be in this manner, but at the same time, they were able to win their tournament and earn the right to play here at Koushien. If nothing else, that's something that they can take away from this experience.

For Kagoshima Jitsugyou, there's no time to rest on the win, as they will have to face the winner of the next match.