Day 12 - Quarterfinal 4 - Toyama Dai-ichi (Toyama) vs. Nobeoka Gakuen (Miyazaki)

Well, with that completely... um... conflicting end to that game, we come to our final matchup.

Toyama Dai-ichi has gotten here by defeating a weaker Akita Shougyou team, then routing Kisaradzu Sougou late.  Again though they did not pull starter Miyamoto for that game and as a result #10 Ishikawa will be starting.

Their offense seems to come in bunches as they can string hits together as if they can feel the momentum.

For Nobeoka Gakuen, they followed a close 4-2 win over Jiyuugaoka with a rout of first timers Seiai 10-0. The two pitcher system seems to be working for Shigemoto-kantoku, but Nasu went 8 innings and one wonders how many innings he can go before giving way.

Except that they too are changing pitchers. #11 Ide, who finished the game, will be starting this one.

But both teams are somewhere between their first and second games, I just don't know where.

Toyama Dai-ichi (Toyama)
CF Hirata Masazumi
RF Nishida Yuuki
3B Kuroda Masataka
LF Kouyama Kazuhiro
SS Nakamura Jyunka
1B Fujii Shintarou
C Takamori Hiroyuki
2B Terasaki Hikaru
P Ishikawa Tatsuya (#10)

Nobeoka Gakuen (Miyazaki)
2B Kajiwara Shouto
SS Matsumoto Masaya
CF Sakamoto Ryougo
RF Iwashige Akihito
LF Hamada Shintarou
1B Nozaki Kouji (#13)
3B Watarai Akihiro
C Yanase Naoya
P Ide Ichirou (#11)

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16:30 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Two quick outs from Ide as Hirata grounds to 2nd and Nishida pops up to Nozaki.

And Kuroda goes down on a well placed fastball inside by Ide!

Bottom 1st
Kajiwara with grounder up the middle, Terasaki is there, but he boots it and the leadoff runner is on.
Matsumoto bunts him along for Sakamoto.

Uh oh, he walks Sakamoto on 4 straight.

But Iwashige rolls one to 3rd!  Kuroda steps on 3rd, goes to 1st... double play! Nice work by Kuroda and the side is retired!

Top 2nd
Kouyama liner down the left field line fair! He's in with a leadoff double!

So about Ide, he's a sidearm pitcher with a fastball in the low 130s and a slider(?) in the 110s. He's been throwing predominantly fastballs, so I haven't really seen a whole lot.

Nakamura moves him to 3rd with a grounder to 2nd.

Fujii with a fly ball to left! Hamada under it as Kouyama sets to tag up.

Coming! Throw home... not in time! Toyama Dai-ichi leads 1-0!

Ah, now Takamori gets hit in his arm.  He's a bit hurt, but works his way to 1st.

Terasaki with a shot to the left side! Matsumoto ranging, makes the great diving stop! Throw to 1st...

Beats a diving Terasaki for the 3rd out!But a leadoff double by Kouyama gives the first timers the lead!

Bottom 2nd
Hamada on a full count, hits grounder past a diving Nakamura into center. No bunting from Shigemoto-kantoku.

That's fine as Nozaki gets ahead 3-1.

But he hits a fly ball to right which Nishida secures.

Now Shigemoto-kantoku has Watarai bunt him along for Yanase, who has quite a bit of success hitting in the 8-hole.

Ishikawa shuts the door though as Yanase grounds to 2nd to end the inning!

Top 3rd
Ishikawa probably not known for his hitting as he goes down on 3 straight.

Hirata grounder to right side, Terasaki makes a great diving stop and throw to 1st for the 2nd out.

And it's a quick inning fro Ide as he retires the side in just 6 pitches!

Bottom 3rd
Ide with a grounder past a lunging Kuroda for a base hit!

Well, Ishikawa throws a fastball in the high 120s. There's also seeming something in the high 110s, a slider in the lower 110s, and then a slow curve in the 100s.

Kajiwara grounder to Nakamura! He goes to 2nd for one, but Kajiwara beats the throw to 1st.

Hit-and-run! Matsumoto bloops one to center! Hirata charging, but it falls in! Kajiwara only gets to 2nd worried about the catch.

Sakamoto singles back up the middle!  Kajiwara being sent home!! Throw from Hirata...

Apparently he has a direct line to home plate because that throw hits Takamori on a dime and Kajiwara is meat at the plate! 2 out!

Iwashige with a deep drive down the right side, but Nishida is there for the catch! Side retired with no damage!

Top 4th
Ide now showing off the slider to to the opposition as Kuroda and Kouyama become his 3rd and 4th K victims.

Nakamura, not wanting to suffer the same fate swings on the first pitch and flies out to center.

Bottom 4th
Meanwhile Ishikawa looks to be working up and down in the zone and it seems to be working as neither Hamada, Nozaki or Watarai can get the ball out of the infield.

Top 5th
#3 Tanaka comes in for Nozaki and takes over at 1B.

Fujii with a ball to deep right! Iwashige running back plays it off the wall! Fujii rounding 2nd, going for 3! Relay from Kajiwara...

OUT!!!!!

It's a perfect relay to get Fujii and prevent a good chance for Toyama Dai-ichi!

Takamori with a grounder to the left side, Ide lets it go! Matsumoto with it, but his throw is high!

Ah, Ide gets helped out as Terasaki flies out to center on the first pitch.

And it looks like ace Miyamoto will enter as #13 Sawamura hits for Ishikawa. He does down swinging and the inning is over.

Bottom 5th
Kouna comes in for PH Sawamura to take the hill.

Right off the bat Yanase can't check his swing and is called out by the umpire.

Ide too goes down to the slider.

Kajiwara with a soft liner, Terasaki stumbles, but makes the catch to retire the side.

We hit the break with both teams getting chances here and there but otherwise we're stuck in a pitching duel to end the quarterfinals!

Top 6th
One down and Nishida hits a ball to short. Matsumoto fields, throws to 1st... wide! It gets by Tanaka and Nishida is safe at 1st!

Eh? Shigemoto-kantoku decides now to put in ace Yokose. Seems a bit odd timing, as Ide didn't look like he was in trouble yet.

First pitch Kuroda liner to center! Sakamoto has to stretch up but he makes the catch.

But then Yokose walks Kouyama on 4 straight which gets Shigemoto-kantoku to call a quick conference.

That seems to help as he gets Nakamura to ground to short to end the inning.

Bottom 6th
Matsumoto with the drag bunt up the first base line! Fujii hast to charge in, goes for the swipe tag, misses! Leadoff single for Nobeoka!

Sakamoto groudner to 3rd! Kuroda goes to 2nd, but Terasaki stumbles covering 2nd and can't secure the ball! All safe!

Cleanup batter Iwashige bunts the runner along.

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

They go for the sqeeze but Hamada fouls it off!

Hitting!

Hamada with a ball to right that gets by the defense! It goes all the way to the wall as Hamada slides in with a 2-RBI triple! Nobeoka Gakuen takes the 2-1 lead!!

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

This time they do it as Tanaka puts down the safety squeeze! There's no play home and Nakamura has to go to 1st for the out! 3-1 Nobeoka Gakuen!

Watarai goes down swinging, but the 1st timers will have their work cut out for them.

Top 7th
Fujii with liner to left center, Sakamoto sprinting over lunges...

But he misses it as he tumbles! It goes to the wall as Hamada has to cover! Fujii's in with a double!

Now Yokose walks Takamori and there's 2 runners on now for Terasaki. He's not bunting.

Single through the opening in short! Fujii coming around and the throw home is cutoff! It's 3-2, runners on 1st and 2nd still with no out!

Miyamoto flies out to deep center for the first out, but Takamori moves to 3rd. Douten run 90 feet away.

Yokose gets key 2nd out as Hirata gets under a fastball and pops out to Kajiwara!

Nishida, ball to the left side will get through the infield! Takamori scores and we're all tied at 3-3!

Not for long! Kuroda lines a ball to left!  Terasaki rounding 3rd, throw from Iwashige... not in time! Toyama Dai-ichi has taken the lead back at 4-3!!

Kouyama goes down swinging on a full count fastball, but we're right back to where we started with Toyama Dai-ichi holding a 1-run lead!!

Bottom 7th
Hoping for a lucky 7 of their own, Miyamoto tries to squash it as Yanase goes down swinging on the slider for the first out.

Yanase chopper to short, Kouyama has to wait for it, throw to 1st... high, and it pulls Fujii off the bag!

Hit-and run! But Kajiwara misses! Takamori goes to 2nd and Yanase is out for the double play!

Top 8th
Tamura and Fujii are retired quickly enough, but Takamori works the count full before striking out swinging on the slow curve.

Bottom 8th
Things not easy for each pitcher as Miyamoto walks Matsmoto.

Shigemoto-kantoku goes for the hit-and-run, and still manages to advance the runner despite grounding to short.

Down 1-2, Iwashige works count full, fights off 3 pitches..

Gets the slider and lines it down the 3rd base line, fair!! Matsumoto scores and we're tied once again this time at 4-4!

Wild pitch from Miyamoto and Iwashige takes 3rd! Now a sac fly can give Nobeoka the lead again!

SANSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Miyamoto goes inside on Hamada and gets the K!

Up to Tanaka now...

Miyamoto gets out of it! Tanaka grounds to 2nd and we head to the last inning of regulation tied at 4-4!!

Top 9th
We're going back and forth here as Terasaki singles to left.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wild pitch from Yokose sends the gyakuten run to 2nd! Shigemoto-kantoku callse for time.

Miyamoto ball off end of bat, back up the middle past Yokose into center! Terasaki at 3B and Toyama Dai-ichi threatens again!

Fly to left! Hamada under it, caught, but Terasaki doesn't go!

And now Shigemoto-kantoku pulls Yokose for #10 Nasu!!

Grounder to 2nd! Kajiwara goes to 2nd for one, Matsumoto to 1st... Double play!!

Ah, what is this?!

There was a practice ball that went into the field of play. The LF umpire called time, but it wasn't seen by the home plate umpire! They discuss and call it a no play!

Count 2-0 to Nishida, Nasu fires one, two... and 3 strikes as Nishida swings and misses!

Nasu pissed throws 2 more strikes to Kuroda.

SANSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nasu gets it all himself as he fires a pitch on the outside corner to retire the side!!

Bottom 9th
#14 Usuda to hit for Watarai, chops one back to Miyamoto for the 1st out.

Yanase grounder to the left side, Kuroda with a great diving stop, stands, fires to 1st... 2 out!

SANSHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As pissed as Nasu is he still can't hit Miyamoto's slider! He goes down and we're off to enchousen... again!!

Top 10th
Nasu on a roll, Kouyama with a "I can't believe I swung at that" face as he chases the slider for out #1.

Nakamura with his first hit, a single back up the middle.

Fujii grounder back up middle. Matsumoto flips to Kajiwara for 1, but Fujii beats out throw to keep the inning alive.

Takamori grounder to 3rd! Usuda with the great stop, throws to 2nd... gets Fujii to end the inning!

Bottom 10th
Miyamoto matching Nasu batter for batter, induces Kajiwara and Matsumoto to ground out.

Sakamoto pops out to Fujii and we're to the 11th!

Top 11th
Nasu starts off by getting Terasaki to hit a comebacker for the 1st out.

Miyamoto with a deep drive to center! Sakamoto backing up, backing up!

Makes the catch right at the fence for the 2nd ou!

And Hirata lazily flies to left and now Toyama Dai-ichi has to hold serve!

Bottom 11th
One down, Hamada singles to right!

And now Tanaka singles through the right side as well! Shigemoto-kantoku calls time...

Grounder to 2nd! Nakamura goes to 2nd for one, NO! It's safe! Throw to 1st,

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nakamura throws it away at 1st! Hamada comes in to score and Nobeoka Gakuen has the sayonara victory 5-4 in 11 innings!!

But man, you see how hard Toyama Dai-ichi is taking it, and it's understandable. The team was in their first appearance at Koushien, they were the first team from Toyama to reach the Best 8 since 1973, and could've been the first team to reach the Best 4. They certainly fought the entire game and had like Nobeoka Gakuen left everything on the field. They were 6 outs away from moving on, and wound up on the wrong end. Sadly it was not to be - and it doesn't make the loss hurt any less.

For Nobeoka Gakuen, they certainly fought, and perhaps that reversed double play turned on a switch on both sides because both teams wanted to win this on their own merit. And they did.

So now they advance to the semifinals where they will face a game Hanamaki Higashi squad. Rest up boys, your job isn't done yet!