Saturday, July 16, 2011

93rd Koushien Qualifying - July 13th-15th (Tohoku Region)

Ok, we're cycling back up to the Tohoku region where by now all prefectures save for 4 have started play. This is where it gets nuts.

Aomori
Aomori's opening game was between (Kousei Gakuin) Noheji Nishi and Aomori Higashi Hiranai. Noheji Nishi annihilated Aomori Higashi Hiranai 29-0 in 5...

Needless to say there were more competitive games on the first full day of games which encompassed all 1st round teams.
  • At Maple Stadium Hachinohe Shougyou edged Takko 2-1 while Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ni managed to keep Sanbongi at bay 7-5.
  • At Hirosaki, Hirosaki Higashi and Goshougawara Kougyou both won easily.
  • At Aomori, Gonohe kept their one-run lead after Kuroishi Shougyou scored 1 in the top of the 8th tying the game, while Aomori Minami had no trouble with Noheji.
  • And at Hachinohe Nagane, Hirosaki Minami cruised over Tanabu while Itayanagi used a 6-run 4th to defeat Momoishi 7-5.
Yesterday (15th) was the start of 2nd round games:
  • Maple Stadium - Rokkasho and Kudzukuri Fukaura both won their games eliminating 2 of the "-nohe" teams in Shichinohe and Sannohe. Hachinohe Shougyou with just 1 day turnaround had no shot against top 4 seed Towada Kougyou 6-1.
  • Hirosaki - Mikami and Tazawa of Hirosaki Jitsugyou combine to 4-hit Aomori Kita 2-0. My team, Hachinohe Koudai Dai-ichi defeats Aomori Kougyou 10-4. And Noheji Nishi spoils seeded Misawa's party, staying toe-to-toe with them before getting the sayonara run in the 9th.
  • Aomori - Misawa Shougyou hangs on to defeat Goshogawara Shougyou 2-1. Hachinohe Minami dispatches Tsuruta, and Aomori Yamada gives up 4 runs to Aomori Minami in the 3rd, but manage to score 6 unanswered to move on.
  • Hachinohe Nagane - Nanbu Kougyou only needs 5 against Tanabu Oohata, Seiai survives Aomori Higashi's opening flurry to win 8-7, and seeded Hachinohe uses the middle innings to defeat Itayanagi 10-6.
Akita
Akita got started on the 14th and as of today have completed their 1st round games. These include:
  • Komachi - It was a tale of 2 days as Akita Minami and Oodate Kougyou played in close games versus Yokote Seiryou and Nikaho. The next day, Nishime, Gojyoume and Noshiro Kougyou all advanced via the mercy rule.
  • Yabase - Yuri needed a 2-run bottom of the 8th to defeat Oomagari 6-5, Futasui scored 6 runs late to defeat Omonogawa and Kakunodate breezed by Rokugou. But the game of the day had to be Ugo vs. Oga Kougyou. Ugo continued to have to play from behind. But whenever Oga was head by 2, Ugo would tie it up. Happened twice, once in the 4th and again in the 7th. Top 9 now, Oga scores the go-ahead run. With no more time to spare, Ugo finds a way to tie it up and send it into enchousen - wherein Oga scores 3. Ugo had rallied 3 times already, and in sudden death is asked to rally for a 4th time. I don't know how they did it, but they did - scoring not 3, but 4 runs for the win!
  • Noshiro (Yamana) - The only game on day 1 saw Oodate Kokusai score 3 in the 7th to score a reversal over Yokote Jyounan. Noshiro Shougyou and Akita Nishi advance neatly while Yuzawa Shouhoku bids sayonara to Oodate 2-1 in 10 innings.
  • Green Stadium Yokote - On Day 1, Akita Chuo has no trouble with Yuri Kougyou while Yokote rallies late from down 2-0 and eventually wins 3-2 in 12 over Towada. Day 2 featured the battle of Oomagari Nougyou as the primary school beat their "child" counterpart Oomagari Nougyou Oota 7-0 in 7, Meiou who stayed just ahead of Nishisenboku, and Akita falling to Araya.
Iwate
Games kicked off at Iwate Prefectural with Kuji Higashi leading wire to wire 4-2 over Kanegasaki, while Senshuudai Kitakami who got the short end of the draw defeated Fukuoka Kougyou 11-5.

Day 2 opened games across the prefecture:
  • Hanamaki - Maesawa holds on against Ichinoseki Dai-ni 4-3, Oofunato Higashi falls to Moriokadai Fuzoku, and Misawa Shougyou pulls ahead of Hanamaki Nougyou late 3-1.
  • Iwate Prefectural - In the stadium's only 1st round game, Ichinohe score 7 in the 8th to mercy rule Hanamaki Minami. In round 2 games, Hanamaki Higashi looks to return to Koshien and begins their journey with an 8-1 win over Miyako Suisan. Miyako Kougyou notches the first victory for the city with a 3-2 win over Mizusawa.
  • Shizukuishi - Kitakami Shounan beat Miyako Kita 10-0 in 5, while Ibonai rallied for 4 in the top of the 9th to defeat Tairadate 6-5.
  • Moriyama - In a case of deja vu, Numakunai rallies for 4 in the top of the 9th after Nishiwaga rallies for 3 in the bottom of the 8th and wins 7-5, Fukuoka and Ichinoseki Kougyou mercy rule Morioka Shiritsu and Senmaya.
Yamagata
Yamagata just started play yesterday at Nisshin Seiyaku Stadium. Yonezawa Shougyou and Yamagata Higashi both mercy rule their opponents in 7.

Miyagi
Miyagi started round 3 play yesterday but before we go there we have to finish round 2:
  • Shibata - All 4 winners - Igu, Izumi Tateyama, Oosaki Chuo and Tohoku Koudai all advance easily to the next round.
  • Sendai Municipal - 5 shutots, 3 of which were by the margin of 8-0. 4-seed Furukawa Kougyou, Shibata and top seed Tohoku win by that margin while 3-seed Touryou "only" wins 4-0 over Murata (it was a 1-hit shutout by the way) and Sendai Chuo 3-hitting Sendai Minami. The only non-shutout was Kesennuma winning 11-1 over Izumi.
  • Tohoku Fukuji Daigaku - Here there were 3 close games and 1 blowout. The blowout was Furukawa Gakuen beating Furukawa Reimei 11-1. In the other games, Tohoku Gakuin scores the sayonara run to beat Kakuda 3-2, branch school Tohoku Gakuin Tsutsujigaoka scores 2 in the 12th to beat Tomiya 3-1, and recent favorite of mine Rifu scores the go-ahead run in the 7th to beat Seiwa Gakuen.
  • Nango Chuo - Tome starts play here with a go-ahead run in the top of the 9th to beat Kesennuma Kouyou 5-4. In the battle of Sendai, Sendai Shougyou pulls away in the 9th to beat Sendai Higashi 7-3. In another battle, this time commercial schools, Maiya Kougyou never trails to Sendai Kougyou winning 7-4. And finally Shiogama dispatches Watari 10-0.
  • Rifu Chuo - Ichisama Shougyou mercy rules Iwadeyama while Sendai Tousen Natori couldn't stop Ishinomaki's run as they were blanked 3-0.
Round 3
  • Sendai is home to the 3 and 4 seeds yesterday as both Touryou and Furukawa Kougyou both advance with little issue.
  • At Tohoku Fukuji Daigaku, Ichisama Shougyou ended Kesennuma's run with a 2-1 win though Kesennuma tried to rally and Sendai Shougyou blanked Ishinomaki Shougyou 10-0.
Fukushima
The disaster-stricken prefecture of Fukushima began play on the 13th with Kooriyama and Asaka combining for 27 hits, chances just about every inning and Kooriyama winning 11-9. Something of note is that Asaka has someone by the name of シェイク 海斗 シャーリック. I wouldn't even know where to begin pronouncing his name but it seems like he's of Indian/Sri Lankan descendant or somewhere in that area.

Games so far haven't been affected by radiation alerts, so they're on schedule. Still wonder about the rain though...
  • Aidzu - Fukushima and Aidzu Gakuhou won handily on the 14th while Fukushima's 3-run 3rd holds against Aoi. The 15 had Wakamatsu Shougyou win 4-1 over Kitakata Touou and Nakoso Kougyou scoring 14 in 1 inning and going on to win 20-0 over Nishi-Aidzu.
  • Kooriyama - 3 shutouts, 1 blowout and 2 close games. Namie, Iwaki Kouyou and Futaba all shutout their opponents. The non-shutout blowout is Kooriyama Higashi defeating Iwaki 13-6. Ishikawa and Fukushima Tousen went 12 before Ishikawa scored the sayonara run in the 12th, while Yumoto mounted a furious comeback down 7-0 to Odaka Kougyou but fell just one run short.
  • Adzuma - Fukushima Nishi and Yanagawa both win their games by 1 while Yotsukura mercy rules Sukagawa Touyou. Day 2 saw Asaka Reimei tie the game at 1 in the bottom of the 9th, then win the attrition battle over Kawamata scoring the winning run in the 13th. Round 2 games began with #4 seed Haramachi mercy ruling Funehiki and Souma winning 9-5 over Seiryou Jyouhou.
  • Tsurunuma - 5 non-contested games with Asaka Kaisei, Aidzu Nourin, Kitakata, Tadami, and Tajima advanced.
  • Shirakawa Green - Almost the reverse of Tsurunuma. Gakkhoujin Ishikawa makes a 3-run 1st stick against Fukushima Kougyou, Iwaki Sougou scores 3 in the middle innings to defeat Tachibana, and Teikyou Asaka busts out to a big lead but it's Shirakawa Jitsugyou who outlasts them 9-8. In the other games, Kounan (again, no not that one) shuts out Taira Shougyou 16-0, and Iwaki Nougyou scores in the late innings to beat Minami-Aidzu 5-2.

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