Thursday, August 16, 2012

Day 8, Game 3 - Takigawa Dai-ni (Hyogo) vs. Urasoe Shougyou (Okinawa)

Urasoe Shougyou did not disappoint me in their opening round game against Aikoudai Meiden.  They jumped on ace Haamda very quickly for a 2-0 lead, then Meiden's defense helped them with 3 more.  Now, both ace Miyazato and reliever Teruya had their own issues that day each giving up 2 runs apiece, and the fact that Urashou's offense stalled after going up 5-0 managing just 2 hits and 2 walks over the last 6 innings.

Takigawa Dai-ni played a level match against Kita-Ootsu, falling behind 4-1 before leveling the score before the mid-game break, and pushing through the winning run in the 8th.

Admittedly, I was concerned about the game for Takigawa Dai-ni because early on it didn't look good for them (I had favored them in the matchup).  Kita-Ootsu had baserunners in scoring position in each of the first 7 innings so ace Satou was under some stress for a good portion of the game.

The fact that both teams played close games, but that Urasoe Shougyou defeated Aikoudai Meiden probably gives them an advantage.  The question will be if the tandem of Miyazato/Teruya can hold up for the entire game.


Takigawa Dai-ni (Hyogo)
2B Matsuo
SS Mori
LF Fujikawa
1B Baba
RF Oshibe
CF Sawada
C Oosugi
3B Takeue
P Satou

Urasoe Shougyou (Okinawa)
1B Agarie
CF Ooshiro Rishuu
LF Goya
P Miyazato
2B Touma
C Iraha
RF Tamaki Daijirou
3B Kise
SS Uchima

____________________________________________________________

13:25 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Miyazato starting off nicely with a flyout to right by Matsuo, and a foul fly near the camera well by Mori.  Fujiwara making it a little difficult filling up the count and fouling off a couple before flying out to center to end the inning,

Bottom 1st
Agarie with a drive to left center that completely splits the defense !  Agarie flying around the bases and he slides in with an easy leadoff triple!

Rishuu up looking for a way to get the run in.  Hits one to left center.  Sawada running over and back, makes the catch, and Agarie scores without a throw to make it 1-0 Urashou right off the bat!

Goya goes down on the slider for the 2nd out, but Urashou still finding the bat on Satou's pitches as Miyazato singles to right.

Touma grounds into the fielders choice at short, but Urashou's bats look good early dealing the first strike in the battle!

Top 2nd
Miyazato fighting control issues?  He walks Baba on 4 straight.

Oshibe not bunting here, falls behind 1-2.  And gets rung op on a fastball on the way outside corner.

Sawada up and now Shibutani-kantoku calls for the bunt.  He lays it down and it's up to Oosugi to deliver the hit.

But Oosugi is fooled as Iraha frames outside, but the fastball is over the plate for strike 3!  Miyazato out of the inning.

Bottom 2nd
One down and Daijirou singles to right.

Miyara-kantoku with the hit-and-run!  Kise delivers a single to center!  Daijirou goes for 3 as Sawada tries to gun him down!  Throw is just a little late and Daijirou is safe!  Meanwhile Kise continued on to 2nd and reaches safely!

SQUEEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uchima lays down the squeeze bunt!  Satou there to field the ball, but has no play at home!  Goes to first and Urashou has the 2-0 lead!

Agarie flies out to left to end the inning, but Urashou pings Takigawa Dai-ni for another run!

Top 3rd
After getting ahead of Takeue 0-2, he runs the count full before getting him to chase a high outside fastball for the K.

Satou a stubborn thorn for Miyazato at the plate, fouling off pitch after pitch.  But on the 9th pitch he finally gets him to wave at a slider away for the K.

Matsuo with a shot past a diving Agarie into right for a single.  He takes off on the 1-0 pitch and slides in under the throw.

But Mori gets under one and flies to left and ending the inning.

Bottom 3rd
Goya with a liner to left.  Fujikawa running back, and it's off the end of the glove! He chases it to the foul pole and Goya's in with a double!

Miyazato with a drive the other way!  Sawada running back, chases it, one bounds to the wall!  Goya scores to make it 3-0 Urashou!

After a ball to Touma, Shibutani-kantoku calls for time.

Touma with a ball to center!  Sawada running in, dives, and misses it!!!!!!!

The ball quickly heads to the wall as Touma flies around the bases!  Oshibe with the ball and Touma's being waved home!  Relay throw not in time and it's an inside the park HR!  The gamble from Sawada does not pay off and now Takigawa Dai-ni is really behind the 8-ball as Urashou takes the 5-0 lead!

Iraha and Daijirou are quickly retired, but instead of just being pinged for one run, Takigawa felt the pressure, gambled and lost and now has taken a direct hit.

Top 4th
After two easy infield out for the defense, Oshibe reaches down and lightly singles to left.

Sawada patient at the plate, and draws the walk.  Iraha goes to talk with Miyazato and then Miyara-kantoku makes it a full conference.

Miyazato continues to have control issues as he misses badly falling behind 3-1 before getting Oosugi to foul one off.

But Oosugi chases the slider and goes down, leaving a pair on base.

Bottom 4th
One down and Uchima singles to center.  Miyara-kantoku tries for the hit-and-run, but Agarie misses and Uchima is thrown out by a wide margin for the 2nd out.

Agarie then replaces the runner back on the bases with a base hit down the left field line for a double.

But a liner by Rishuu is snowconed by Mori to finally put up a zero for Urashou.

Top 5th
Satou taking that outside slider the other way past a diving Agarie into right for a one-out single.

Matsuo with a pop just outside the infield in left, and Uchima going back makes the catch for the 2nd out.

Mori again takes a pitch the opposite way and now Takaigawa has runners on 1st and 2nd for Fujikawa, but with 2 down.

Miyazato wiggles out of this one with another swinging miss on a slider to Fujikawa.

Bottom 5th
Goya, ahead 3-1 lines one to right for a single.

After a flyout by Miyazato, Touma hits a grounder up the middle.  Mori makes the short toss to Matsuo for the force, but can't turn the backend of the double play.

Iraha flies out to left to end the inning, and we head to the break with Urasoe Shougyou holding on to the early 5-0 lead it built.

Top 6th
It's a quick 1-2-3 inning for Miyazato after the break as he just needs 8 pitches to retire the side.

Bottom 6th
Field temperature has hit over 105F.  That's hot.

One down, Kise checks in with his 2nd hit, a single to left.  Uchima lays down the bunt again looking for a timely hit from Agarie - who already has a triple and double.

He doesn't get to try and get one step closer to the cycle as he's hit.

Rishuu goes down swinging, and it's another 0 for Satou.  But his offense needs to start narrowing the gap and quickly.

Top 7th
Oosugi with a slicer down the right field line fair!  Daijirou with the ball, but Oosugi in with a leadoff double!  Miyara-kantoku calls for time.

Takeue with a drive to right center!  Rishuu running back, makes the catch on the fly!  Oosugi tags up on the play.

Now #12 Abe comes to hit for Satou as his day is finished.  He hits a grounder to short that bounces off and in front of Uchima!  He gathers it in and throws to 1st for the out, but Oosugi held at 3rd!

Now there's 2 down and Matsuo needs to deliver the run here.

He does!  He lines a single right and Oosugi walks in to make it 5-1!

Mori with a fly foul down the 1st base side.  Daijirou runs over, leaps at the padding, collides with the fence, AND MAKES THE CATCH!  Now that's selling out there because he jumped over the padding and collided with the fence.

Bottom 7th
#12 Ushio comes in for PH Abe and will take over in relief of Satou.  He's a side-thrower with not much velocity.

Goya reaches out and pokes a ball back up the middle past Mori into center.

After a popout and a sac bunt, Miyara-kantoku sends in #13 Kinjyou Kai to hit for Iraha.

Kai with a drive to left center!  Sawada chasing back after it, it's over his head!  Goya scores easily as Kai slides in with a PH triple!  It's 6-1 Urashou!

#16 Arazaki comes in to run for Kai.

But Daijirou grounds to 2nd to end the inning.

Top 8th
Pitching and defensive changes for Urashou.
  • Miyazato moves from the mound to RF.
  • #12 Kuninaka comes in for PR Arazaki and takes over at C.
  • #11 Kinjyou (Fumika?) comes in for Daijirou and takes over on the mound.
One down and Baba singles past Kise into right.

Oshibe with a liner to right.  Miyazato with a late break back, reaches up and makes the catch!  Miyara-kantoku with the expression of "What were you doing??"

Fumika has to defend himself as Sawada hits one back to him.  He makes the grab and toss to 1st to retire the side.

Bottom 8th
Kise draws a leadoff walk.  Miyara puts on the hit-and-run and Uchima hits one into the hole in left.  But Mori makes a great stop!  And he throws to 2nd where Kise took too big of a turn and he's thrown out!  One down.

The next two batters ground out and it's closing time for Urasoe Shougyou.

Top 9th
Oosugi with a groundout to short.  #15 Enomoto in to hit for Takaue pops out to Touma in shallow center.

Last chance in #13 Tanaka Yuuji who is hitting for Ushio.  But he grounds to short and the game is over.

Urasoe Shougyou right from the get-go put the foot on the gas putting Takaigawa Dai-ni down early.  The pressure lead to a inside the park HR and a large uphill climb.  Miyara-kantoku managed a good game in that he wanted to keep the pressure on, but wanted to shorten the game to rest his players, especially relieving his battery after 7.

So Urasoe Shougyou is again poised to make a deep run at Koushien and is one win away from the Best 8, though their sights are set just a little higher than that.

Takigawa Dai-ni just couldn't keep up with Urasoe Shougyou.  But they had an impressive comeback win with against Kita-Ootsu, so on the overall while they didn't go as far as they'd like, they still made a good showing.


Notable Players
Miyazato Taiyuu (Urasoe Shougyou) - 7 IP, ER, 6 H, 6 K, 2 BB
Agarie Kyousuke (Urasoe Shougyou) - 2-4, 2B, 3B, R, HBP
Goya Yoshihiro? (Urasoe Shougyou) - 3-4, 2B 2 R, K
Touma ? (Urasoe Shougyou) - 1-3, Running HR, 2 RBI
Kise Yuuki (Urasoe Shouyou) - 2-3, K, BB
Matsuo Kouhei (Takigawa Dai-ni) - 2-4, RBI, SB
Oosugi Yuuto (Takigawa Dai-ni) - 1-4, 2B, 2K

No comments: