98th Natsu Koushien - Day 4, Game 4 - Hanasaki Tokuharu (Saitama) v Oomagari Kougyou (Akita)

Took shower, getting ready to watch last game/sleep depending on how the body feels. It's a day to day thing now. I'm getting old.

Hanasaki Tokuharu (Saitama)
2B Chimaru Tsuyoshi (千丸 剛)
RF Takahashi Toshiki (高橋 哉貴)
SS Okazaki Daisuke (岡崎 大輔)
LF (15)Nishikawa Yoshinari (西川 愛也)
3B Kusumoto Kouki (楠本 晃希)
CF Yamamoto Yuuya (山本 優也)
1B Nishime Kizuku (西銘 築)
P Takahashi Kouya (高橋 昂也)
C Nomoto Masayasu (野本 真康)

Oomagari Kougyou (Akita)
RF Takahashi Kouhei (高橋 航平)
2B (14)Tanba Yuuta (丹波 勇太)
CF Morisawa Yasuharu (守沢 康陽)
1B Satou Taiki (佐藤 泰輝)
3B Sado Yukito (佐渡 敬斗)
C Asari Masahiro (浅利 賢宏)
SS (4)Takahashi Hinata (高橋 陽喬)
LF Katou Seiya (加藤 聖也)
P (11)Fujii Reira (藤井 黎来)

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16:15 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Not exactly the start you want if you're Fujii against a Koushien mainstay...

First he walks Chimaru. Iwai-kantoku puts on the hit-and-run, and that advances the runner on the groundout.

Almost out of the inning, Satou swings the door open with a gapper to left center for a RBI double. 1-0 Hanasaki Tokuharu.

Bottom 1st
Oomagari Kougyou has to be kicking themselves for this sequence.

Kouhei draws a walk to start proceedings. Tanba can't lay a good bunt down and Kouhei is retired at 2nd. Then Tanba gets picked off 1st.

After that, Morisawa and Satou both hit clean singles in which Tanba would have likely scored.

Instead Sado pops out to 1st and the inning is over.

Top 2nd
Fujii almost gets his clean frame, but his counterpart spoils it with a double to left center.

He still has a chance to close out the inning before it turns over, but he walks Nomoto...

Chimaru punishes Fujii with a single to center, making it a 2-0 ballgame.

Bottom 2nd
Kouya giving Oomagari Kougyou some chances early. One down, Hinata singles to right, then proceeds to walk Katou.

Okazaki double clutches on a double play attempt allowing the inning to continue, but Kouhei grounds out to end the inning.

4th Inning
The 3rd inning comes and goes, but in the 4th Hanasaki Tokuharu gets the engine going again.

Nishime gets a single to left. 2 batters later, Nomoto is getting a steady diet of curveballs, but the first fastball he sees, he drives it over the RF head for a triple extending the lead to 3-0.

But hold on a sec! Sado first pitch hits a ball to deep left! Nishikawa going back to the fence... and it's gone!! Sado hits a home run and it's a 3-1 game! Now, they don't get anything thereafter, but that's sure to pick up their spirits!

Bottom 5th
Sure enough, Oomagari Kougyou's bats are continuing to make progress. #9 batter Fujii gets a base hit to left, followed by Tanba 2 batters later - all solid contact. Nothing comes of it, but they've had opportunities all game. Who will circle the wagons first? Kouya or the Oomagari offense?