Day 11, Game 3 - Oumi (Shiga) v. Seikou Gakuin (Fukushima)

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Oumi (Shiga)
LF Horiguchi Yuuka (#9)
CF Oda Kaito
SS Ueda Kai
3B Hibi Ryousuke
2B Nakaya Jyunpei
1B Yamamoto Daichi (#18)
C Minobe Naoki
P Ogawa Ryouken
LF Sasaji Kenta (#17)

Seikou Gakuin (Fukushima)
LF Yaoita Takumaru
2B Fujiwara Issei
3B Yaginuma Kentarou
1B Yasuda Kouki
CF Isagi Shun
RF Iijima Tsubasa
SS Ishigaki Mitsuhiro
C Takano Kouki
P Imaizumi Keita (#18)

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13:20 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Horiguchi with a chopper up the middle, Imaizumi leaps but it goes off his glove! He loses where the ball went to and Horiguchi is on with an infield single!

Taga-kantoku goes for the bust-and-run, but Oda fouls it off. 2 strikes, but he's still showing bunt.

It's another hit-and-run, but Oda goes down swinging. Horiguchi is able to take 2nd.

But he's left stranded there after Ueda hits a comebacker to Imaizumi and Hibi feebly waves at a pitch well outside for Imai's 2nd K.

Bottom 1st
Yaoita with a single back up the middle. Fujiwara with the push bunt and Ogawa takes a bad angle! He falls behind, but Nakaya charging in makes the quick throw... just gets him!

Things get slightly easier after that as Yaginuma chases a low slider, and he snags a quick chopper back up the middle from Yasuda.

Top 2nd
The top of the 2nd has been brought to you by Ishigaki. Because he records/assist on all three outs from the Oumi lineup.

Bottom 2nd
2 down and Ishigaki hits a single to the left side that Ueda runs down, but can't finish the throw to 1st. But Ishigaki tries to steal 2nd and a nice swipe tag from Ueda.

Top 3rd
Sasaji gets on the board with a 1-out single to left, and Taga-kantoku elects to go for the one-timer as Horiguchi moves him along.

SANSHIN!!!!

After a prolonged AB, Ogawa freezes Oda on a changeup!

Bottom 3rd
One down and Imaizumi hits one back at Ogawa! He deflects it with the glove towards short, but Ueda can't do anything with it!

Yaoita with a drive to right center Sasaji running back, loses his hat and it falls in! He barehand the ball, fires it back in! Imaizumi being waved home! Nakaya to Yamamoto to Minobe... OUT!!!

It's a perfect relay for Oumi as they get Sasaji at the plate! 2 out!

Fujiwara grounds to 1st and they successfully defend the 0!

Top 4th
Ueda hard shot at 3rd, Yaginuma can't keep it in front of him and it bounces into left for a basehit!

Hibi swinging, right at Imaizumi! He makes the reflex catch! Boy, not much time to react there!

Nakaya blooper to center, Fujiawara, Ishigaki and Isagi converge, but it falls in! Oumi with a great chance with one out!

AH!!!! Yamamoto hits a grounder to short! Ishigaki starts the 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and Oumi comes away with nothing (except for a very dirty jersey for Yamamoto now).

Bottom 4th
Isagi gets another 2-out single for Seikou, but once again the next batter is retired and nothing comes out of it.

Top 5th
Imaizumi seems to be back on track after the last couple of innings. Also helps facing the bottom of the lineup as well. He retires the side in order and has righted the ship.

Bottom 5th
Ogawa with a wide pitch hits a ducking Ishigaki in the helmet. Not serious thankfully.

The temporary baserunner gets 2nd on a sac bunt and 3rd on a groundout.

But Yaoita can't plate him as he grounds out to Nakaya.

It's scoreless at the break, but Seikou has had a better time of it getting baserunners.

Top 6th
Horiguchi with his 2nd single, a lined shot to left center. Isagi is shaded that way and fires it in, leaving Horguchi with a long single.

AH! Imaizumi is called for a balk! On a pickoff throw he's called for the balk and Oumi has a runner in scoring position!

Saitou-kantoku calls for time, but can't stop the bunt from Oda.

Ueda with a drive to deep left!!  Yaoita running back to the fence, still running! Leaps!

Makes the catch as he runs into the fence! Horiguchi will score, but Yaoita prevents more damage! 1-0 Oumi!

Hibi with a clean hit to center and Seikou could be in trouble.

Saitou-kantoku senses it too and sends in ace Funabasama to hold the line.

And he does striking out a frustrated Nakaya on a slider to end the inning. But Oumi has the lead as we emerge from the break!

Bottom 6th
Ogawa just needs 5 pitches to retire the side as the Seikou batters are swinging early and often.

Top 7th
Yamamoto earns a leadoff walk but Minobe pops up his bunt and Yasuda makes the running catch! Taga-kantoku has Ogawa lay one down as well - that goes down successfully.

Sasaji with a liner to left, but it's too hard as Yamamoto has to hold at 3rd. 2 down but Oumi challenging again!

Funabasama jams Horiguchi! He skies one to rigt and Iijima secures it for the out!

Bottom 7th
Ishigaki with 2 outs again for Seikou hts a deep ball to left! That bounces in front of the fence and he has a double!

Takano with a grounder to left side, Ueda charges, throws to 1st... and they get the out!

Top 8th

Oda with a lingle to left to start the inning, but Taga-kantoku tries the bunt and run!  Ueda misses the ball and Takano throws to 2nd and they have Ishigaki easily!

Ueda and Hibi can't do anything after that and the side is retired.

Bottom 8th
Ogawa walks Imaizui and now the gyakuten runner steps into the box.

No bunt, but Yaoita hits it back to Ogawa! He goes to 2nd, Ueda doubletaps the bag and throws to 1st to complete the double play!

Ogawa walks another batter and that gets Taga-kantoku's attetion. Saitou-kantoku sends in #16 Minemura to run at 1B.

And they try to do it again! Minemura tries to steal 2nd, but Minobe cuts him down with an excellent throw once again!

Top 9th
#14 Fujita in for PR Minemura to play 2B.

Funabasama going on a quick pace retires Oumi in order, and allows his team one last chance to equalize.

Bottom 9th
Yaginuma gets his first hit of the game, a clean single through the right side and the douten runner is on base! Will Yasuda bunt?

He does! It's a safety bunt! Hibi charges, fires to 1st, but not nearly in time! Sayonara run in scoring position!!

Taga-kantoku calls for time.

Isagi bunts the runners along and it's #13 Ebinuma to hit for Iijima. With the runner on 2nd being the only runner that counts, I would walk the batter.

But they fight! Ebinuma grounds to 2nd, Nakaya fires home, but the throw delays Minobe's tag and everyone's safe! 1-1!

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

Ishigaki lays down the squeeze, Yamamoto fields it, but it's too late! Yasuda scores and Seikou Gakuin wins 2-1!

Oh, how a great game goes awry so quickly. Oumi perhaps failed to grasp the situation and play it differently.  With Ebinuma in as the PH and runners and 2nd/3rd, walking him would have created a force play at any base. It would also have opened the possibility of a double play which would have ended the game.

Seikou Gakuin played that final inning to perfection and as a result are moving on.