Wednesday, August 10, 2016

98th Natsu Koushien - Day 4, Game 2 - Kyoto Shouei (Kyoto) v Shounan (Kagoshima)

Well, that's more like it. A close game to set the tone for the day. This game though will key in on one key matchup - ace Hayama for Shounan versus the entire Kyoto Shouei offense.

Kyoto Shouei (Kyoto)
SS Abe Hiroya (阿部 大弥)
RF (7)Nitta Daisuke (新田 大輔)
3B Morimoto Yoshio (森元 啓雄)
C Ishihara Tsuyoshi (石原彪)
CF Yamamoto Yuudai (山本 祐大)
1B Kawamoto Kazuha (川本 万葉)
LF (16)Hamano Takurou (浜野 拓郎)
P Takino Masata (滝野 雅太)
SS Eimoto Ren (栄本 廉)

Shounan (Kagoshima)
CF Imada Kaito (今田 塊都)
SS Oosawa Daiki (大沢 大樹)
1B Kamikuri Taisei (上栗 大聖)
LF Yoshiuchi Takumi (吉内 匠)
RF Sekiyama Mio (積山 水音)
2B Orio Kousei (折尾 昂靖)
3B Kouno Katsumaru (河野 勝丸)
P Hayama Shouta (浜屋 将太)
C Maekawa Taisei (前川 大成)

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11:20 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Oh boy, Hayama not really off to the greatest of starts. Abe giving him heck at the plate, wasting several pitches before drawing a leadoff walk.

After that, Nitta walks and Hayama is in a very bad way.

That rings true when Morimoto lines a ball over Oosawa splitting the defense for an RBI double. 1-0.

Ishihara a hot shot to 3rd, but Kouno fields it and looks the runner back before getting the out. 1 down.

Asai-kantoku puts on the contact play, but Yamamoto grounds to short! He catches Nitta in a rundown and the get the 2nd out!

But they throw to 2nd! Yamamoto slides in, but he's out! A terrible baserunning error by Kyoto Shouei short-circuits the inning at 1-0!

Bottom 1st
Oy, what's this? Takino, spotted a run hits Imada, then walks Oosawa, and if that wasn't enough, throws a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position.

And on what would normally be a good pitch down and in, Kamakuri drives it to deep right! Nitta tries to run it down, but his slide is just short! Both runners score on the triple and like that Shounan has the lead! Toss in a sac fly and it's 3-1!

Takino gets the final 2 outs thereafter, but they're on hard hit balls. Looks like they'll have to work their way back now.

Top 2nd
Kyoto Shouei firing right back. Kawano and Takino both gets base hits to put the douten runner on base.

But Eimoto flies out to center, and unlike his first AB, Abe loses the battle, chasing a slider down and away for the 3rd out.

Bottom 2nd
It's a much better inning for Takino, quickly retiring the first two batters before walking #9 batter Maekawa. Doesn't hurt him as Imada hits a sky high popup that Abe take near 2nd for the 3rd out.

Top 3rd
2 outs for Shouei and big boy Ishihara drives a ball to deep left center for a double.

Yamamoto can't duplicate that and pops out to 2nd.

Bottom 4th
The next opportunity comes in the bottom of the 4th where Orio gets a one-out single up the middle. He's bunted over, but Hamaya strikes out to retire the side.

Bottom 5th
Shounan gets one last crack at scoring before the break when Maekawa's grounder goes under Eimoto's glove.

But Shounan decides to bunt not once, but twice! So when Kamikura flies out to center, we're at the break!

Shounan may have the lead, but they're playing like they're trying to get 1 run each inning. If Kyoto Shouei can get their offense going, they may have a shot yet as Shounan looks desperate to add more runs.

Top 6th
Ishihara strikes again, collecting his 2nd double in as many at bats, this time dear the foul pole.

Hayama makes a good 3-2 pitch to Yamamoto, but he gets enough to bloop it into shallow left center for a base hit! Runners at the corners with 1 down!

Kawamoto gets a great pitch to hit, but he grounds it right at short! 6-4-3 double play and Hayama is out of the jam!!

Bottom 6th
Kyoto Shouei makes a change at pitcher, sending in #10 Takamuki.

Yoshiuchi welcomes him with a single to right. Takamura struggles with his control, and yields another single to Sekiyama.

Orio lays down a bunt, but Takamuki throws it wide of 2nd! Yoshiuchi scores and like that it's a 4-1 game!

Kouno hits a chopper up the middle, and somehow it gets through the infield! That brings in a run to make it 5-1! On replay, the ball was going slightly left, but the spin brought it right and away from the SS. Life of it's own I tell you.

Hayama follows that up with a single before Maekawa gives Takamuki his firs out via a sac bunt.

Now, Kouno does get caught off 3rd for some unknown reason for the 2nd out, but Imada makes sure that the runners score blasting a ball off the wall in right center for a triple and a 7-1 lead.

That's where the carnage would end, but I'm shocked to see Kyoto Shouei's pitching look so bad.

Bottom 7th
You can wrap it up here. After a leadoff double and single, #11 Hiragaito comes into the game.

Walk, base hit, 9-1. Orio thrown out at 3rd.

Hiragaito gives up one more hit before being retired, but might as well get everyone in.

Rest of game
The rest of the game plays out with not much happening as you would expect from a blowout.

There were signs that Kyoto Shouei wasn't as strong as their defeats of Fukuchiyama Seibi and Ritsumeikan Uji suggested, but that was on the pitching side. Put up the offensive numbers you do in all your games and even with regression there should still be something. But there wasn't.

It's still early, but Shounan might sneak in as a possible contender.

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