The stands are pretty full today for 2nd rounds games, and sadly they're not here to see this game. They're here to see the 3rd game on the bill today.
That's not to say that this game shouldn't be interesting.
Yuugakukan defeated one of the better teams in the Tohoku region in Ichinoseki Gakuin 11-0 and limiting them to just 3 hits. However, you could argue that Ichinoseki Gakuin wasn't that good of a team to begin with (they were passed up for senbatsu), and that their ace was tiring in the 6th and their bullpen was not much help.
Kanto Dai-ichi did defeat Sano Nichidai 9-2, but the majority of their runs was in the late innings as Sanichi's ace also began to labor.
So both teams with blowout wins, both with possible issues after their first games. This may be an interesting game to see.
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
Yuugakukan (Ishikawa)
CF Mizuno Issei
SS Taniguchi Ippei
C Yamagishi Yuusuke
3B Matsuzawa Hiroki
RF Yamanaka Nobuyuki
1B Kobayashi Keita
P Tsuchikura Masaru
2B Yamamoto Ryou
LF Kondou Daigo (#15)
～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～
11:12 - First Pitch!
Top 1st
Yamashita starts off the game with a first pitch single to center! He's bunted to 2nd for Itou.
Itou with a base hit down the right field alley! Yamanaka runs it down at the all, but Itou's in with an RBI double. Kanto with the quick 1-0 lead!
Miyashita with a drive to left center! Kondou and Mizuno converge on it at the wall, but they can't get there in time! Itou scores on Miyashita's triple! 2-0!
Honma with a single to right! 3 straight hits give Kanto a 3-0 lead!
Haketa with a solid strike, but it's a fly to center for the 2nd out.
Honma tries to steal 2nd during Yamashita's AB, but is thrown out by Yamagishi to end the inning. However, Kanto Dai-ichi has struck for 3 runs here in the top of the 1st!
Bottom 1st
Yuugakukan under the gun early on, can't seem to hold up on Shirai's pitches off the plate. Taniguchi strikes out between two fly outs to center for a 1-2-3 inning.
Top 2nd
Saitou gets a one-out single up the middle and is bunted along for a one-timer.
Yamashita with a deep fly to right! Yamanaka to the wall!
HAITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yamashita connects on a 2-seamer from Tsuchikura and has a rare homerun to right field! Kanto leads 5-0!!
Shibusawa grounds to 3rd to end the inning, but early on, the game may be already getting out of hand...
Bottom 2nd
Yuugakukan gets their first runner as Miyashita's throw on Yamanaka's grounder short hops Koyama and goes off his glove.
But Shirai control has been pretty good so far, and he strikes out Kobayashi and Tsuchigura to end the inning.
Top 3rd
Itou with a shallow hit to left. Kondou comes in, plays it off the hop, but slightly over runs it! Itou takes advantage of the slight misplay to take 2nd!
AH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Miyashita with a drive to left center! Mizuno to the wall...
HAITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kanto with their 2nd 2-run homerun of the game! It's 7-0 Kanto and the rout is on...
#11 Kanai Eisuke comes in for Kondou and reliever Tsuchigura who goes to left. He southpaw throws a two-seamer, slider and curve.
He actually retires the next 3 batters in order to end the inning. But the help is much too late...
Bottom 3rd
Already deflated, Yuugakukan still can't get anything going against Shirai, going down in order.
Top 4th
Kanai has an interesting delivery from the windup in that he stalls a bit and extends the ball behind him for just a second before delivering. From the angle, I can't tell whether it hides the ball or not.
Shirai gets a one-out singles past Matsuzawa and Taniguchi. Yamashita hits a towering popup to 2nd, but Yamamoto misjudges the wind and it drops in!
Because of Typhoon 4, the wind has been blowing hard in recent days from right to left field.
Shibusawa with the bunt. Kanai picks it up, throw to 1st is wild and goes into foul territory! Everyone advances a base, Shirai scores making it 8-0.
Itou reaches down and pokes one past Taniguchi! Yamashita and Shibusawa come in to score.. 10-0.
Miyashita with a liner to center for a base hit. Itou comes in to score as Miyashita takes 2nd on the throw. 11-0...
Honma puts down the sac bunt, 2 down runner on 3rd.
Haketa flies out to center to end the inning, but Kanto continues to put up crooked numbers...
Bottom 4th
Yamashita breaks up the no-hitter! He hits one into the alley in right for a 2-out double! And a passed ball allows him to advance to 3rd! Can Yuugakukan avoid the shutout?
Yes! Yamanaka takes a fastball the other way for a basehit! Yuugakukan is on the board at 11-1!
Kobayashi grounds out to 1st, but Yuugakukan scores a run!
Top 5th
Kanai retires the 7-8-9 batters in order, not only keeping Kanto scoreless, but getting a 1-2-3 inning as well!
Bottom 5th
This has to be concerning if you're Kanto. Shirai gives up his first walk to Tsuchigura and then after a fielder's choice, walks Kanai.
Mizuno follows that up with a base hit back up the middle. Tsuchigura comes in as the throw is cutoff and Yuugakukan scores again to make it 11-2.
Taniguchi takes a ball away and past Miyashita down the left field line for a double. It's 11-3.
Yonezawa-kantoku calls a conference. Certainly nothing to worry about with respect to the lead.
Hard liner by Yamagishi! But it's right at Itou! He goes to Yamashita and they double up Taniguchi to end the inning!
Now the game is still well in hand for Kanto, but the hard hits by Yuugakukan should put a yellow flag in Yonezawa-kantoku's mind.
Top 6th
Kanai continues to have success against the Kanto lineup, once again retiring the batters in order!
Bottom 6th
Shirai seemed to have settled down, striking out the first two batters of the inning looking. But then Kobayashi hits a ball to the left center field wall for a double, and then Tsuchigura hits a ball just about to the same place, and hustles for an RBI triple, making it 11-4.
Shirai allows the inning to continue by hitting Yamamoto.
But Kanai strikes out to end the inning, preventing further damage and perhaps getting Yonezawa-kantoku concerned.
Top 7th
Miyashita steps in with a triple, homerun and single. He's a double away from the cycle!
But he lines the first pitch to left for a single. If there's no double up, he'll get one more chance at it.
Honma puts down the safety bunt, but for some reason Kanai thought the bunt was the other way, and it gets by him. Yamamoto goes to field it, but it's too late to get anyone.
Haketa goes for the safety bunt, but this time Kanai fields it, and goes to 3rd for the out.
Yamashita pops out in foul territory and Saitou flies out to center to bail out Yuugakukan.
Bottom 7th
Perhaps a sigh of relief can be heard from Yonezawa as Shirai gets his first 1-2-3 inning since the 3rd.
Top 8th
I don't know if Kanto is packing it in know, but since the 4th inning Kanai has been dealing, giving up just 2 hits. He even records his first 2 K's here in the 8th!
Bottom 8th
Yamanaka with a one-out single, but he's left stranded at 1st.
Top 9th
Miyashita will get one more chance for the cycle. He's already 4-4 with 3 runs , 3 RBI's and a 1B, 3B, and HR.
He hits one through the infield into left! It's not a cycle, but he's now 5-5 on the day! Honma with a sharp liner to right.
2 down, and #12 Kashiwabara Mitsumu comes in for Yamashita to PH...
185 cm / 98 kg ??? He doesn't LOOK like he's 98.
Anyways, he strikes out to end the inning.
Bottom 9th
#13 Katou Akio comes in for PH Yamashita to play 1st.
#10 Torii Ryousuke comes in to PH for Yamamoto. Miyashita with a nice running pick on a chopper and he makes the throw to complete the play!
#12 Miyawaki Takurou comes in to PH for Kanai and draws a walk. He's replaced at 1st by #7 Budou Takahiro.
Mizuno waits on the slow curve on Shirai and lines it to left for a single.
Taniguchi with a grounder to 2nd. Yamashita goes to Itou for one, but Taniguchi's dive beats the relay throw to 1st.
But the game ends when Yamagishi grounds to 2nd and Yamashita goes to 2nd for the 3rd out.
Certainly the game was never really in doubt for Kanto Dai-ichi as they jumped early and often on starter Shirai. In addition, Kanto's offense continues to impress.
For Yuugakukan, If not for the bad start, this might have been an interesting game. And when the game was for all intents and purposes lost, they continued to fight, getting solid base hits, scoring a couple of runs, and perhaps was a base hit or two away from making the game a little more interesting. The score doesn't necessarily indicate the level of play from Yuugakukan, and considering that only 3 of the starting 9 were seniors, there's a good chance we might see them again comes next summer.
Kanto Dai-ichi will have NO time to enjoy this win. They know that the one of the two teams practicing now on the field will be their next opponent, and in either case will be the fight of their lives.
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