So now we know the the unlucky team that will have to face the winner of this game is Yazu out of Tottori... God speed...
Osaka Touin was involved in a bizarre game against Kaisei (Shimane) where they scored 7 runs on 5 hits thanks to balks, wild pitches, just about anything that wasn't normal. But the thing is, they only got 5 hits. If it were any other school, I'm sure they'd figure out a way to dirty up the game like Kaisei did.
The thing is, this is Meitoku Gijyuku, and they have Kishi Jyunichirou and chances are they won't do that. Their game against Chiben Gakuen was close to start, but Chiben's pitching fell apart at the end and that allowed Meitoku to cruise to a 10-4 win.
But Kishi did give up 4 runs on 9 hits. So I wonder if they can play it straight and still have a chance...
Osaka Touin (Osaka)
LF Nakamura Makoto
2B Minemoto Takumi
3B Katsuki Kazuya
1B Masazui Yuuya (#8)
CF Mori Shinnosuke (#9)
C Yokoi Yuuya
RF Fujii Kenpei (#11)
SS Fukuda KoukiP Fukushima Kousuke
Meitoku Gijyuku (Kochi)
RF Takano Kouhei
CF Ootani Yuuki
LF Tada Tougo (#18)
P Kishi Jyunichirou
1B Nishioka Souta
2B Mori Shouma
SS Yasuda Takayuki
C Mizuno Katsuya
3B Ozaki Yuuto (#7)
____________________________________________________________
14:25 - First Pitch!
Top 1st
Kishi puts a fastball in the inner half, freezing Nakamura.
Minemoto with a grounder up the middle. Ootani running it down, Minemoto's going full speed into 2nd! Throw from Ootani.. not in time!
Oy....
Katsuki with a drive to right, Takano going back to the wall, going back...
HAITAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Katsuki beats the hamakaze and puts it over the wall! Just like that Osaka Touin leads 2-0!!
And now Masazui singles back up the middle! Kishi might already be in trouble!!
He is throwing a lot of pitches here in the first as Shinnousuke fouls off pitches. He eventually draws a walk and Mabuchi-kantoku calls for time.
Osaka Touin I think wants to send a message to Kishi this time around, Nishitani-kantoku sends the runner on a hit-and-run though Yokoi fouls it off.
Kishi gets his 2nd K on a cut ball that Yokoi swings and misses on.
Fujii screamer down 1st base line, picked by Nishioka! Goes to the bag and he saves 2 runs! But Katsuki's 2-run HR puts Kishi and Meitoku Gijyuku in an immediate hole!
Bottom 1st
Takano pitched inside by Fukushima, gets around on it, but skies it to left. Nakamura there for the catch near the left field foul pore.
Ootani with a grounder to the right side, Minemoto can't run it down and it goes through for a base hit.
Tada grounder to 2nd, but Minemoto loses the ball! Quick throw to 1st, not in time and everyone's safe! He may have been anticipating the ball there...
...because despite being hot and cold, Kishi steps into the box.
But Fukushima gets him to chase a high fastball! He can't get level and pops it up! Masazui under it in foul territory and there's 2 out! Might be the cold Kishi today at the plate.
Nishida ahead 3-1 after taking a close pitch, but he swings and just hits a fly to center for the 3rd out. Meitoku with a chance to cut into the deficit, but come up with nothing.
Top 2nd
Much cleaner inning for Kishi against the bottom of the lineup. Fukuda grounds to 2nd and Fukushima strikes out swinging.
Nakamura with a hard chopper to the left side, Yasuda makes a great pick on the short bounce and throws to 1st for the 3rd out.
Bottom 2nd
Mori goes down looking on a fastball for the first out.
Yasuda with a drive to right center! Mori and Fujii going to the fence! They're looking up!!
HAITAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These guys are just spitting on the hamakaze at Koushien and hitting it out to right field! Yasuda on the netting and it's 2-1!
Fukushima retires Mizuno and Ozaki to end the inning, but despite my doubts they're going to butt heads for better or worse.
Top 3rd
Minemoto with a sharp liner to right for a base hit, bringing up Kazuki... again...
Katsuki with a liner to center and Minemoto takes 3rd! Kishi in trouble again!
Masazui racking up the pitches on Kishi, goes 8 pitches before Kishi finally gets an infield fly.
Kishi gets the popup, but it's into shallow left! Tada charging in, but he can't get there in time! Unlucky for Kishi and he gets the popup, but not the out. 3-1 Osaka Touin.
Yokoi line single to left, that scores Katsuki and it's 4-1!
Finally out of the heart of the Osaka Touin lineup, Kishi gets the 2nd and 3rd outs. But he continues to lose ground to the heart of the lineup...
Bottom 3rd
Takano chopper up first base line, Masazui with the ball. But Fukushima is late covering and Takano is safe.
Ootani tries to get 2 runs back with one swing, but the hamazake wins this time. Fujii makes the catch for the out.
Meitoku going about this the wrong way as they're trying to get the runs back with one swing. Tada with a ball to right center, but it's very much in play for Mori to make the catch.
Fujishima hits Kishi on his left hand (his non-throwing hand) and is on base for Nishioka.
But Fukushima can't find the strike zone and walks Nishioka to load the bases for Shouma!
Shouma bails him out swinging on an outside pitch and grounding to short. Meitoku loses another opportunity.
Top 4th
Ootani misjudges a ball hit at him, his late sprint forward costs him a chance at the catch and Nakamura has a leadoff double.
Kishi finally retires Minemoto as he fouls out on the 3rd base side. But that still brings up Katsuki.
Behind 3-1, they decide to walk him to create the force and hopefully get a double play from Masazui.
Kishi's pitch count already at 80. His 81st Masazui sends it back past Kishi into center. Nakamura scores to make it a 5-1 ballgame.
Shinnosuke flies out to Tada to end the inning, but suffice it to say that Kishi is in bad shape.
Bottom 4th
Mabuchi-kantoku apparently had his voice raised, not sure if it was yelling, but Meitoku's batters are seemingly swinging away more now. Unsurprisingly, they go down in order.
Top 5th
Kishi, away from the heart of the lineup is fine as he retires the side in order. But they're more than happy to speed up the tempo if Meitoku is going to start hacking away.
Bottom 5th
Meitoku is trying to hit their way out of the deficit when he's walked and hit batters. 2 quick outs before Tada gets hit by Fukushima.
Kishi swings on the first pitch and grounds to 2nd. 3 outs and as we hit the break, I'm declaring this game over in favor of Osaka Touin. I think Mabuchi-kantoku told them to swing the bats, and they are...
and they'll lose.
Top 6th
Kishi with his 100th pitch strikes out Fukushima to start the 6th.
Nakamura and Minemoto quickly follow in order and not lost on me is that if this score held, it would be the same score that Meitoku Gijyuku beat them last year.
Bottom 6th
Nishioka with a single to center gives them just their 2nd leadoff runner.
#12 Namura hits for Shouma, but grounds right to 1st. Masazui cuts down the lead runner.
2 down and Mizuno gets a base hit up the middle.
#14 Sanada to hit for Ozaki, but first pitch grounds to short, inning over.
Top 7th
Namura stays in to play 2B, #5 Oonishi comes in for Sanada to play 3B.
Osaka Touin is retired in order without incident.
Bottom 7th
So Ootani works the count and gets a walk.
Tada doesn't appear to be discriminantly swinging, and is able to single through the right side for a base hit.
And now Kishi is patient at the plate... He lines a ball to center and the bases are loaded.
Is it possible they're finally learning?
But Nishioka hits a fly ball to left. Nakamura fields it, but Ootani can't go home.
Mabuchi-kantoku pulls his last card in #11 Tanaka to hit for Namura.
He's getting several lives in the AB. A pop foul is just missed by Katsuki. A pitch inside he just fouls off.
But he pops it up! Minemoto charging out, Mori charging in... Minemoto makes the catch and the side is retired!
It took a great play, but Meitoku's margin of error they made razor thin. This was probably their best chance.
Top 8th
#17 Takamura comes in for PH Tanaka and goes to 2B.
Fujii checks in with a base hit, their first since the 4th, though that's inconsequential.
Bottom 8th-9th Inning
The rest of the game goes without incident and without anything of note. Well, except for the fact that a well timed error on a ground ball by Tada meant that Kishi could get one more AB.
Kishi gives the crowd one last thing to remember him by as he blasts a 2-run HR to left, ruining the poetic 5-1 finish that perhaps would have been fitting in their eyes.
Nishioka takes the next pitch to left for a base hit, prompting a visit from Nakatani-kantoku as Mabuchi-kantoku sends in #11 Abeki.
But he strikes out to end the game...
The middle of the lineup gave Kishi fits early and often and put his team in the deficit they faced the entire game. Mabuchi-kantoku wanted his team to hit themselves out of it, but given his control issues it was the wrong strategy to employ and cost his team outs and innings that they needed to catch up.
By the time Kishi had hit his 2-run HR, it was with the game out of reach - yes, even despite the fact it was a 2-run ballgame after that.
So Kishi goes away with a 1-1 record at Koushien versus Osaka Touin (his first year he came in relief when his team was behind). He certainly can be considered as one of the better pitchers at Koushien and may have a career beyond 高校野球, but his time at Koushien ends here.
As for Osaka Touin, handicappers probably have them now as the odds on favorite to win it all given the field remaining. It will have to be up to the rest of the field to stop them - starting with Yazu.
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