7/14 Update - Out of the blocks (Chuugoku & Shikoku)

Most of Chuugoku and Shikoku have started along with most of the other prefectures.  Let's see where they're at.

Tottori
Nothing really of note so far in the 6 games played.  The closest game was Yonago Higashi rallying from down 5-0 to Tottori Nishi to pull within 2, but lost 6-3.  Tottori Jyouhoku has advanced easily past the first round.

Okayama
Much like Tottori, not many close games in Okayama to start either.  Okayama Gakugeikan and Okayama Shoudai Fuzoku both advanced on day 1.  Kanzei's attempt to return to 甲子園 started off with a 5-0 win over Okayama Housen.

The only really close games was at Acorn Stadium.  Tamano holding off Konkou Gakuen 5-4, and Okayama outscoring Wakeshizutani to win 9-6.

Shimane
An exciting opening game in Shimane on the 14th as Mitoya and Matsue Kougyou traded runs every other inning, with Matsue Kougyou leading 5-4.  But just 3 outs from advancing, they cannot close it out and Mitoya scores 2 in the bottom of the 9th for the sayorara win!

Hiroshima
Opening day at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium was interesting for several reasons.  First Soutoku and Hiroshima Shougyou would fight for 13 innings with Soutoku pulling off the 4-3 sayonara win in 13 innings.  The other interesting fact was that the pitcher used for Hiroshima Shougyou was #10 Inosencio Wilson.  From what I've been able to discern, his father was Filipino and was actually studying back in the Philippines before coming to high school in Japan.

Anyways, the first couple of days have the seeded teams watching as the rest of the field fights it out in the lower levels.  It's a mixed bag, but there are quite a few close games starting out.

In Kure Nikou, Kure Mitsuta led Kumano 7-0 but the tandem of Maeda and Sugimoto barely held Kumano off winning 7-6.  At Shimanami, Kure Shouwa also holds on, turning a 3-0 lead into a 3-2 win over Mihara.

Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi doesn't mess around on opening day.  10 games across 4 stadiums.  Honestly though, I believe they had their opening ceremonies the day before.

Anyways, in opening action Ube Tousen trades blows with Ube Frontier Kagawa and wins 10-8.  Takamori continually chases Kudamatsu, and just falls short 5-4.  A 5-run 8th gives Shimonoseki Nishi the 7-4 win over Ootsu Ryokuyou.

Meanwhile, the seeded teams that did not manage to draw a bye played the next day.  How a 5-8 seed gets a 1st round bye while a 1-4 seed doesn't is beyond me.  No upsets thus far, though Ube Kougyou did not look especially sharp against Houhoku winning 3-1.  Yanai Gakuen and Karyou both advance, but will be facing 5-8 seeded teams in their next matchup (Iwakuni and Nanyou Kougyou respectively).

Kagawa
Opening round games have been completed, and seeded teams are queued up.  One school has already played and that's Jinsei Gakuen.  They had an easy first game and will face a Kanonji Chuo squad who uncharacteristically almost lost in their first round game against Sakaide, recovered to mercy rule Mitoyo Kougyou.

Otherwise, Kasada used late-game heroics to score 2 in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Takamatsu Sakurai and will face Iiyama next.

Tokushima
Not much to report in Tokushima, all games were pretty much one-sided.  About the only interesting game was Wakimachi scoring 11 unanswered to turn a 6-1 loss into an eventual 12-7 win over Komatsushima Nishi.  Otherwise Kawashima, Tomioka Nishi, Tokushima Shougyou and Jyounouchi all advance.

Ehime
Interestingly, very low scoring games dominate early action.  Yet only a handful were contested.  Iyo Nougyou used a run in the 1st and 9th to defeat Yoshida 2-0.  Niihama Higashi outlasted Kita-Uwa 3-2 in 11 innings.  And Minami-Uwa used a run in the lucky 7th to get by Matsuyama Kougyou 4-3.

Kochi
Much like Tokushima, mostly lopsided games.  Seeded teams do not get later games and as such, Kochi, Kochi Shougyou and Meitoku Gijyuku have all played and advanced.

But Kochi Tousen had their dreams crushed when they could not close a 6-2 lead in the top of the 9th.  6 runs later and Aki Sakuragaoka would advance.  And Kochi Ootemae would fight but lose in the bottom of the 13th 2-1 to Nakamura.