98th Natsu Koushien - Day 8, Game 1 - Yamanashi Gakuin (Yamanashi) v Inabe Sougou Gakuen (Mie)

Got a good night's sleep in, but as a result not much time to get ready for today.

Yamanashi Gakuin (Yamanashi)
LF Tsuchida Yoshitake (土田 佳武)
3B Miyashita Rui (宮下 塁)
2B Chikenji Daiji (知見寺 代司)
CF Takisawa Kotarou (滝沢 虎太朗)
C Igarashi Hiroto (五十嵐 寛人)
RF Matsuo Kouta (松尾 孝太)
1B (13)Kobayashi Kanta (小林 侃汰)
P (11)Yoshimatsu Rui (吉松 塁)
SS Hirose Takuma (広瀬 巧真)

Inabe Sougou Gakuen (Mie)
CF Okumura Touki (奥村 拓希)
RF Miyazaki Yuuto (宮崎 大和)
2B Kanda Shouji (神田 将嗣)
LF Fujii Ryouma (藤井 亮磨)
C Watanabe Yuuta (渡辺 雄太)
SS Morita Ryouma (守田 良真)
1B Fukase Ryoutarou (深瀬 凌太郎)
3B Fujita Ryouga (藤田 涼雅)
P (16)Akagi Sousuke (赤木 聡介)

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08:00 - First pitch

The test for Inabe Sougou Gakuen will be to hold on until they can get to Yamanashi Gakuin's bullpen. Kurio did not show good stuff when he came in, so if hey can hang in there they might have a chance.

Yamanashi Gakuin will be determined to score early and build a big lead to pad Kurio's appearance. With 2 down in the first Chikenji draws a walk, and although Takizawa's grouder up the middle is run down by Kanda, he has no play.

Igarashi flies out to right, but it's a deep right, and the other two outs were flyouts. They're getting on the ball early, so it might be something to watch.

For ISG's part, Okumura singles off Miyashita's glove. But despite a wild pitch to move him to 2nd, Miyazaki flies out, and Yoshimatsu strikes out the other 2. The last one though C Igarashi was holding the glove on 3 consecutive balls thinking they had strike 3. Can't be hoping for strikes, gotta throw them.

Bottom 2 now and Yoshimatsu seemingly with a case of the yips. He walks Watanabe, then Morita. Fukase bunts the runners over (WHY?) to put runners in scoring position.

Fujita hangs in there, but whiffs on a changeup. 2 down, and it's up to Akagi to help his cause.

He hits a grounder to short, but Chikenji fumbles the ball! His throw to 1st is late and Watanabe scores to give Inabe Sougou Gakuen the 1-0 lead!

Akagi is staying in the game by making good misses. If he's pitching inside, he's missing inside, etc. But if you miss too much, I think you know where that is going.

So top 4, Akagi walks Igarashi with one down. Then he doesn't even make that bad of a pitch to Matsuo but while jammed still gets it by Fukase to put runners at the corners. Akagi clamps down hard though as Kobayashi can't pull the trigger on an inside fastball, and Kanda makes a great stop on a ball hit by Yoshimatsu to retire the side.

Inabe Sougou though continues to give chances to Yamanashi Gakuin. Kanda boots a grounder from Hirose to lead off the inning. Akagi seemingly is about to get out of the inning after recording 2 outs, but on Chikenji's grounder up the middle, Kanda boots another one! That's 2 errors now and runners at the corners.

They could survive one extra out, but not 2. Akagi finally makes a bad mistake and Takizawa doesn't miss it. It goes all the way to the wall for a bases clearing double and like that Yamanashi Gakuin has the 2-1 lead.

Surprisingly though, that lead doesn't last long. One down and Akagi of all batters hits a single through the left side. This time it's Yoshimatsu to makes a mistake and Okumura drive it to deep left for a double of his own. The throw home is cut off and we're all tied at 2-2!

Advantage right now has to rest with Inabe Sougou Gakuen as they've basically made it a 4-inning game now.

In fact in the 6th, with 2 down, Yoshimatsu is PH for which means Kurio will be in the game.

For his part though, Kurio retires the side inducing middling contact at best, but you can see some of the control issues there.

Yamanashi Gakuin still trying to jump ahead while they can. Tsuchida finally collects his first hit, a ball just out of the reach of Okumura at the wall for a double. Miayazaki's single to right puts runner at the corners. and Ozaki-kantoku has to call time.

Akagi gets a key out when Chikenji flies out to shallow center preventing any tagups. But then he turns around to hit Takizawa to load the bases.

But in the end, Akagi plays magician and gets out of the jam, as Igarashi grounds into a fielder's choice at 2nd!

Suddenly, it seems like Yamanashi Gakuin has the momentum. Ace Yamauchi comes in in the 8th to relieve Akagi, but gives up a base hit to Matsuo. After a one-out walk, they get a fielder's choice for the 2nd out, but the go-ahead run is just 90 feet away.

Instead though, Yamauchi plays his magic and he just gets the corner on Tsuchida to retire the side!

The game immediately craters in the 8th. Leadoff single to Miyazaki. One down now, Kurio leaves a fastball over the plate and Fujii hits it to deep right for a go-ahead double. 3-2.

It gets really ugly after that:

• Watanabe single through left side,
• Morita bunt foulout (WHY?)
• Fukase walk
• Fujita RBI single back up the middle, 4-2

The capper is a slider away that Yamauchi drives over Tsuchida for a bases clearing triple 7-2.

And this being the bottom of the 8th, there is no coming back. Kurio, already struggling in their win before, cannot hold the tie in this game and Inabe Sougou Gakuen is into the 3rd round.