Wednesday, July 13, 2011

93rd Koushien Qualifying - July 10th-12th (Hokushinetsu & Chuubu Prefectures)

Ok, so that the posts don't run into each other, I'm going to make posts by region covering all completed days of competition. So for the Hokushinetsu prefectures, games covered will go until the 12th.

Niigata
Day 2 for Niigata saw Tookamachi Sougou scored the sayonara run in regulation to defeat Maki Sougou 5-4 at Sanjyou Kikai, while over at Midori no mori Murakami Sakuragaoka's 6-run 7th was just enough as Niigata Nishi rallied to within 1 late, but fell 10-9. Teikyou Nagaoka pulled off the victory with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Niitsu 3-2. And rounding out the day, Toyosaka down 3 in the bottom of the 9th to Kashiwazaki Sougou, somehow score 3 to send it to extras where they score the sayonara run in the 11th.

The 11th had Arai defeating Yoshida 4-3 never trailing, but scoring the go-ahead run in the 9th and Niigata Meikun starting their run with a 8-1 win over Shibata in 7.

But the game of the tournament so far has to be Nagaoka Shougyou vs. Muramatsu. Down 5-3 in the bottom of the 9th, they score 2 to send it into extras. The game then becomes a grind as both teams cannot manufacture a run. Then in the 14th, Muramatsu scores a run, putting Nagaoka behind the 8-ball. But they get a 3rd life as it were by scoring one of their own! That pushed the game to the 15th where Muramatsu again scored a run. Nagaoka now just needed a run to at the minimum ensure a replay.

They do more than that though, they score 2 runs to win the game in the last half-inning!!

Nagano
Nagano for the 3 days of games had many uncontested games. Some of the notable games included:
  • 2006 Natsu Koushien participant Matsushiro defeating Ueda Chikuma 3-1.
  • Maruko Shuugakukan, a perennial challenger, easily handling Okaya Higashi 11-4.
  • Akaho scoring 8 runs in the 5th and 6th innings to finally separate themselves from Karuizawa, winning 13-7.
  • Suwa Seiryou coming from down 2-0 to Nagano Nishi to send it into extras, winning in the first extra frame 4-2.
Yamanashi
Top 4 seed Toukaidai Koufu had a tough opening game opponent in Fuji Gakuen. Though they were able to score 3 runs early, they gave them opportunities throughout the game. They did advance 3-1, but their progress bears watching.

Last year's representative, Hikawa, did not receive a seed and instead has to work from all the way at the bottom of the bracket. They started off with a 10-0 win over Yamanashi in 5.

The 10th ended with a flash as Yamanashi Nourin and Koufu Nishi met. Nourin held a 4-1 lead only to see Koufu Nishi level it at 4 in the 8th. That game would go into extras, where in the 12th Nourin's starting pitcher Kajiyama hits a sayonara home run!

5-8 seed Yamanashi Gakuindai Fuzoku started their trek with a 11-1 win over Koufu Shouwa on the 11th.

And on the 12th, top 4 seed Koufu Jyousai defeated Kyounan 10-0 in 5, 5-8 seed Yoshida shuts out Shirane 5-0, and another Teikyou school advances as Teikyou Dai-san defeates Uenohara 10-0 in 6 innings.

Gifu
Okay, so not every Teikyou school is spectacular at baseball. Teikyoudai Fujimi falls to Oogaki Minami 2-1 on the first full day of games.

Meanwhile in A Block, #2 seed Seki Shougyou defeats Yamagata 9-3. and top seed Oogaki Nichidai wins 10-0 in 5 over Hida-Kamioka.

And in B Block, top Oogaki Shougyou dispatches Mashita Seifu 8-1 in 7 and Chuukyou pulls it out late with a 7-4 win over Mugi (no, not that Mugi. I don't think she knows baseball anyways, but would probably be overly enthusiastic about it).

Finally, Shiritsu Gifu Shougyou shuts out Tajimi Kougyou 5-0 to advance to the next round.

Aichi
Winding up the first full weekend of games in Aichi...
  • Yokosuka holds off Isshiki 3-2 at Agui Stadium
  • Toyoake scores the sayonara run in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Ichinomiya Koudou 2-1
  • Anjyou Minami scores the only run in their game against Tsushima
  • Kakujyougaoka rallies from down 4-1 with 3 in the 8th and one in the bottom of the 9th for the win against Nisshin Nishi
  • Nagoya Ootani slides by Ichinomiya Kita with 3 runs in the final third of the game to win 6-5.
  • Hekinan and Meitou fired 1-run shots at each other with Hekinan holding a 5-3 lead. That was until Meitou bucked the trend by scoring 2 in the 8th. In enchousen, Hekinan scores 2 in the 11th to win.
  • Just to mention the name, Haruhigaoka defeates Aichi Kougyou 8-2.
Shizuoka
In Shizuoka, Toukaidai Shouyou defeated Mishima Kita 7-5. Izu Sougou, after giving up 7 runs in the 6th and 7th innings to Fujieda Nishi, score 7 of their own in their lucky 7 to tie the game! And in the first inning of enchousen, they score the sayonara run!

And in another lucky 7, Kakegawa Kougyou scores 9 to flip a 9-3 deficit into a 12-9 win over Ikeshinden, while Kikugawa Nanryou scores 4 in the 8th to defeat Ogasa 6-5!!

In other games, Tokoha Tachibana, who is not seeded this year, starts their run by defeating Hamamatsu Higashi 10-0 in 6 innings.

Apparently, big innings are in vogue in Shizuoka because Fujieda Higashi scores 7 in the 8th en route to a 10-6 win over Mishima Minami.

And over at Shimizu Ihara, Fukuroi Shougyou comes from down 2-0 to Jyounan Shizuoka to score the sayonara run in the 10th to win 3-2.

Kusanagi Stadium saw Gotenba Minami explode for 5 runs in the 8th to defeat Inasa 7-3, while over at Shimada, Ooigawa just scores 2 to do the exact same thing to Shimada Kougyou 4-3, and Fujieda Kita after yielding the go-ahead run to Iwata Nougyou in the top of the 9th score 2 in the bottom of the 9th for the last second win.

Shizuoka Taisei after letting the lead slip late to Hamamatsu Shougyou, defeats Shizuoka Taisei 4-3 in 10, and Iwata Kita from 4-0 down to Kosai to score the sayonara run, winning 5-4.

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