2011 Haru Taikai - Kyushu Update Final

Well, the Kyushu Taikais have completed, and while the winner won't be a big surprise, there were some surprises.

The opening game saw Kanoya Chuo (Kagoshima 4) easily handle Jiyuugaoka (Fukuoka 3). Then in their 2nd round game jumped out quickly to a 7-0 lead against surprise team Hasami (Nagasaki Senbatsu) and cruised to a 10-4 win!

That would be as far as they would get though as Iidzuka (Fukuoka 2) outlasted them 5-1 to reach the Best 4.

Joining them would be Kamimura Gakuen (Kagoshima 1). After having no problems with Chiharadai (Kumamoto), they wound up in a rematch against Kanoya (Kagoshima 3). This is notable because Kanoya actually upset Kyushu Kokusaidai Fuzoku (Fukuoka Senbatsu) 5-4! Sadly for Kanoya, they fared little better the 2nd time around, losing 5-1 instead of 7-1.

In the semis, it was a one-sided affair. After Kamimura Gakuen scored 4 in the top of the 1st, Iidzuka would score 11 unanswered runs to call the game in 7 innings.

So Iiduzka would be one of the finals participants. What about the other side?

Kagoshima Jitsugyou (Kagoshima Senbatsu) would have a bit of trouble against Itoman (Okinawa), but advance 8-5 which set them up with a quarterfinal against one of the few good teams not from Fukuoka or Kagoshima, Nobeoka Gakuen (Miyazaki). After pulling ahead 3-0 in the top of the 5th, Nobeoka would claw back to within 1 in the bottom of the inning, but that would be as close as they would get.

Meanwhile, Fukuoka Koudai Jyoutou (Fukuoka 1) had no troubles in their 1st round game and squared off against Kyushu Gakuin (Kumamoto Senbatsu). Kyushu Gakuin had struggled against Sasebo Kougyou (Nagasaki 1) falling behind in the mid-game 3-2 before tying the game in the 7th and pulling ahead in the top of the 9th to win 6-3.

Kyushu Gakuin's struggles would continue against Jyoutou falling 5-1.

And then Jyoutou would get steamrolled by Kajitsu 13-0 in 5 innings...

So it would be Iidzuka and Kajitsu for the title - and if I mentioned that the winner wasn't a surprise, you can guess who won.

Kajitsu pulled out to a 2-0 lead late, and to remove any doubt, they scored 3 runs in the last 2 innings to win 5-0. This is Kajitsu's 14th spring title, and 2nd consecutive.