Sunday, August 14, 2016

98th Natsu Koushien - Day 8, Game 3 - Touhou (Aichi) v Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei (Aomori)

Well 2 blowouts for Day 8 so far I'm not sure if the trend continues in this game, but I think Kousei is a bit on the back foot, especially if they exceed the daily allowance of TOOTBLANs.

Hachinohe Gakuin Kousei (Aomori)
2B Itou Yuuhei (伊藤 優平)
3B Tokuda Taishi (徳田 大沙)
RF Tashiro Tsubasa (田城 飛翔)
1B Masuda Atsuhira (益田 敦成)
CF Hanaoka Kojirou (花岡 小次郎)
SS Kobayashi Naoki (小林 直輝)
LF (17)Kobuchi Akihiro (小淵智 輝弘)
P (10)Wada Yuuya (和田 悠弥)
C Okumura Kouta (奥村 幸太)

Touhou (Aichi)
LF Suzuki Mizuki (鈴木 光稀)
SS Hamajima Yoshiaki (浜嶋 良明)
RF Matsuyama Masahiko (松山 仁彦)
P Fujishima Kento (藤嶋 健人)
3B Konishi Keiji (小西 慶治)
1B Matsumoto Ryouya (松本 凌弥)
C Takagi Akira (高木 舜)
2B Suzuki Rio (鈴木 理央)
CF (10)Tanaka Raiki (田中 来起)

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13:30 - First pitch

The script seems a bit flipped to start the game. It's Kousei that is leading proceedings to start the game. Staring right off the siren when Itou lays down the bunt and beats out the throw for a base hit. He's moved to 2nd and after a walk to Tashiro, both runners advance a base on the K  by Masuda.

Hanaoka pays it off with a base hit past a diving Konishi and it's 1-0.

They almost do it again in the 2nd when Takagi gets a leadoff single, steals 2nd and moves to 3rd with 2 down. But this time Itou can't get the timely hit to add to the lead.

Touhou finally musters a response in the 2nd. Fujishima leads off with a walk. Kojima not bunting instead laces a ball to left. Matsumoto's bunt fails as Fujishima is cut down, but Takagi solves that by hitting an RBI single to center. 1-1. Unfortunately, that's all they get as Rio hits into the 1-6-3 double play.

But Fujishima for some reason continues to struggle. 3rd inning, he's just given the tie. And yet, he gives up a single to Itou. A ball up the middle by Tokuda is saved by Rio who makes the out at 1st. But then he hits a batter, gives up 2 singles the second being a 2-RBI variety to Hanaoka making it 3-1.

After Fujishima hits Kobayashi, they've seen enough. Matsuyama and Fujishima switch places.

The best Matsuyama can do is 1 run as he actually walks in a run, but Touhou is in a bad way down 4-1.

Wada would have been well suited to have a quick inning to solidify the lead, but the top of the Touhou lineup wouldn't allow it. Despite getting the 1st 2 outs, Wada leaves a pitch middle and Hamajima doubles to right center. After a walk to Matsuyama, Fujishima at least helps out with the bat, hitting an RBI single to center, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

Kousei going to their bullpen here in the 4th as #16 Toda comes in relief of Wada who certainly was struggling. No ace yet, so they're going by committee it would seem.

He doesn't throw hard, but the drop that slider had to freeze Takagi looked sick.

Kousei extends that lead when out of nowhere with Masuoka at 1st, Hanaoka blasts a 2-run HR to the 2nd level in center. 6-2 and Touhou's hole gets deeper.

They almost get some runs back in the 5th. Again 2 down, and Hamajima singles to left. Matsuyama takes a walk, and then a wild pitch sends both runners into scoring position. Fujishima hits the ball hard, but Tokuda is able to make the putout, retiring the side and sending us to the break.

It unfortunately gets worse in the 7th. One down and Hanaoka single to right. A wild pitch and a base hit made it 7-2.

After PH Yoshimura got hit to load the bases, Okumura hit a ball to Konishi. But his throw home was wild and that allowed 2 runners to score. 9-2.

Now ace Sakurai would enter the game and get work in, but it's not good work. One down and Mizuki, Matsyama and Fujishima all get base hits, the latter two driving in runs thanks to some SBs to make it 9-4.

Sakurai is continuing to let Touhou climb back, but there's not much time left. In the 8th he gives up a leadoff double to Konishi, after a groundout, a hard liner by Takagi scores Konishi to make it 9-5.

And in the 9th comes the biggest, most needless, Titanic-size disaster, and I was furious the whole time because it was unnecessary.

Already struggling and should have been relieved, the sequence of events in the 9th went like:

  • Suzuki single to left
  • Hamajima flyout to deep left
  • Matsuyama single through right side, 9-6
  • Fujishima flyout to shallow center
  • Konishi line single to right, 9-7
  • Nakanishi double off of LCF wall, 9-9
  • Suzuki Rio single to LCF, 10x-9
At 9-6 you had a chance to relieve Sakurai. At 9-7, you STILL had a chance to relieve Sakurai.

But nope, you didn't and Kousei, you deserved to lose. And not the players, but Kosaka-kantoku. That's all at his feet. Every single little bit of it.

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