Day 8 - Game 3 - Sendai Ikuei (Miyagi) vs. Jyousou Gakuin (Ibaraki)

One of these teams in the next game hopes that this one will go on with less drama than their first one.

Jyousou Gakuin had no drama. A slow start perhaps, but no drama.  After a few 3 up, 3 down innings, they exploded for 6 runs, knocked starter Oogushi out, and cruised to victory.  Ace Iida never saw a runner get past 2nd base, and gave up just 4 hits on the day.

Now, this did appear to be a down year for Hokushou (or they just didn't show up), and the fact that the offense for Jyousou only broke out in the middle innings could be concerning.

Sendai Ikuei? They'd like a nice easy game after the yahoo of a first rounder. I still don't know what to make of it.

First against senbatsu ace Ojima, they basically walk their way to a 5 run lead, only to give it back and then some. Then a whole lot of nothing, and then hits and errors and next thing you know they have the lead back for good.

So as a result, I don't know what to make of this team because that game wasn't your normal game against a normal team.

So to summarize, I have no idea who has the advantage in this game, if one even exists at all. I just know one team would like to have a normal game.

Sendai Ikuei (Miyagi)
SS Kumagai Takahiro
2B Kikuna Yuuki
LF Hasegawa Hiro
CF Uebayashi Seiji
1B Mizuma Toshiki (#9)
C Kobayashi Ryou
RF Shutou Daichi (#17)
3B Katou Naoya
P Suzuki Takato

Jyousou Gakuin (Ibaraki)
CF Takashima Shouta
RF Yoshinari Yuusuke
2B Shindou Suguru
C Uchida Yasuhito
1B Ishii Daiki
SS Yoshizawa Gakushi
LF Ikezawa Kouhei
P Iida Harumi
3B Arahara Hiroki

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13:15 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
Sendai Ikuei attacking early against Iida, wind up with 2 quick outs.

Hasegawa refuses to give the opposing ace such an easy inning, takes it to 2-2 before flying out to center.

Bottom 1st
Takashima gets to a 3-1 count, but swings at high fastball and flies out to left.

Yoshinari sees slider, misses slider for 2 out.

And a grounder to 3rd from Shindou gives Suzuki a very relaxing inning

Top 2nd
Uebayashi still hitless at Koushien as he quickly grounds out to 2nd. Mizuma, wanting to mimic his cleanup hitter, does the same.

Ryou with a grounder to 1st, gets past Ishii and down the foul side of 1st! Ryou, thinking it was foul finally scrambles to 1st.

Doesn't matter though. Shutou flies out to left to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd
Uchida with a hard liner to center, Uebayashi running to his left makes the catch.

Ishii trying to swing level on a high fastball, hits one back to Suzuki for the 2nd out.

And apparently they like the high pitches because Yoshizawa goes on one and grounds to 3rd.

Top 3rd
Katou, jammed on a shuuto grounds to 3rd.  Suzuki way ahead of the slider, goes down for the 2nd out.

And Kumagai winds up watching a fastball inside for the 3rd out.

Bottom 3rd
Every Jyousou Gakuin player seems to be looking specifically for the middle-high pitch.

But all they're getting are groundouts.  The bottom of the order pulls the ball to either the 2B or SS in a 1-2-3 inning.

Top 4th
Meanwhike Kikuna finds such a ball and drives it to deep left center!  Yoshinari back to the wall, turns to play the bounce! Kikuna in easily with a triple!

Iida should try to get Hasegawa out as Uebayashi is on deck..

But he's missing his pitches on the outside half and walks him.  Sasaki-kantoku calls for time...

Uebayashi fly ball to left! Yoshinari there to make the catch, fires home!  It's there on the fly!  Collision!!!!!

OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uchida holds onto the ball as he's hit and they have the double play!!  What a great throw by Uchida and a great presence to block the line and hold onto to the ball as you're being hit!

Mizuma goes down swinging, and what seemed like a no-win situation turns into a big win for Jyousou in this half-inning!

Bottom 4th
Suzuki misses with his location outside, but the fastball finds the bottom of the zone to K Takashima.

More high swings, more groundouts. Yoshinari and Shindou become the 7th and 8th groundouts this game for Suzuki.

Top 5th
Meanwhile it's Sendai Ikuei who is having the chances on the bases as Ryou singles to center.

Shutou tries the bunt, but pops it up! Arahara charging in makes the catch for the 1st out.

Katou, after fouling off a couple of inside pitches goes after a slider outside and hits one back to Iida. He goes to 1st for the 2nd out.

Last batter Suzuki is patient at the plate, takes a couple of borderline pitches, but earns a walk.

Kumagai up and Iida continues to try and paint the edges. Kumagai fouls one way inside. But once again a slider way away fills up the count.

Fastball misses low and it's manrui for Kikuna...  Sasaki-kantoku calls time...

Kikuna swings on the first pitch!  Hits a grounder to 2nd! Ishii goes to 1st and Iida is out of the pinch!

Bottom 5th
So now they're going for the low stuff. Uchida grounds to short reaching out for one, and then both Ishii and Yoshizawa both fly out to center.

We hit the break with Sendai Ikuei having the better of it, both on the bases, and on the mound as Suzuki has a well... no-hitter so far. Jyousou Gakuin has been rather fortunate not having given up a run so far despite Iida having given up just 2 hits.

Top 6th
One down for Sendai Ikuei and Uebayashi finally gets his first hit of Natsu Koushien hitting one back up the middle.

Oh shoot, I was just thinking "wouldn't it be funny if Jyousou met Hanamaki Higashi and there were two Sasaki kantoku's?" and then I noticed that Sendai Ikuei's kantoku is also a Sasaki.

So, Jyunichirou-kantoku calls for a bunt with one down which Mizuma executes.

But once again Iida not finding the one, perhaps intentionally to create more force plays?

#3 Onodera comes in to hit for Shutou, gets behind 2-2 as Iida comes inside on him.

Grounder to 3rd! Arahara with it and goes to 1st to end the inning! Once again he gets out of the pinch!

Bottom 6th
I did jinx Suzuki after all. Ikezawa hits grounder back up the middle for a base hit! And with their first baserunner this game, you know what they're going to do.

Chikara-kantoku has Iida bunt the runner over, hoping that Arahara or Takashima can somehow find that 2nd base hit.

And on the 1-2 pitch, Arahara claims he hit the catcher's mitt.  And the homeplate umpire grants him first base!

That gets Jyunichirou-kantoku moving the gears. #10 Baba come in for new 1B Onodera to take the hill, Suzuki goes to right, and Mizuma goes to 1st.

Takashima with a blast to right center! That splits the defense!!  Suzuki to running to retrieve the ball, but by the time he gets it in it's a 2-run triple and the shutout is gone! Jyousou Gakuin leads 2-0!!

Yoshinari goes for the safety squeeze, gets self out for the 2nd out.

#15 Ganryuu comes in to hit for Shindou. Hits a popup in foul territory. Mizuma to the camera well... jumps into the camera well!!

MAKES THE CATCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He's ok it looks like, but man that's going all out.

Top 7th
Defensive changes for Jyousou as Ganryuu takes over in RF. Yoshinari goes to C, and Uchida goes to 3B.

Sendai Ikuei pressing now as Katou pops up to Shindou behind 2nd.

PH #15 Abe, in for Suzuki, flies out to right.. and Kumagai jammed grounds to 3rd and the side is quickly retired.

Bottom 7th
#16 Kawashima comes in for PH Abe and goes to RF.

Jyousou Gakuin, having scored a pair of runs, resume futility.  Uchida watches a fastball hit the outside half, Ishii swings an one even further than that.

And Yoshizawa flies out to right.

Top 8th
うおおおおおおおおおおおおお～～～～～～～～～～～！！！！

Kikuna with a bomb to right! Ganryuu gives token chase but that ball is out of here!! It's 2-1 now Jyousou Gakuin!

Hasegawa liner, caught by a leaping Shindou! Oh... things are getting scary if you're Jyousou Gakuin.

Uebayshi up now and that's really scary.  Iida up 1-2, tries to get him to chase a fastball away with no dice.

Liner! Iida with a defend my face pose catches the ball for 2 out!

But these liners suggest Iida's effectiveness is wearing thin.

SANSHIN!!!  Mizuma can only watch as he's punched out on an outside slider to end the inning! Bu there's still one more inning to go...

Bottom 8th
Ikezawa gets the call on 3-2 and earns a walk. Iida bunts him along looking for the insurance run back, and Jyunichirou-kantoku calls time.

Ganryuu up for his first AB watches the count all the way to 3-2.

Ganryuu lines a ball to center! Uebayashi fires home, gets there on one bounce!  Runner at the corners as Jyunichirou-kantoku calls time once more...

It's back to the top of the order and Takashima.

Skies one to center! Uebayashi in shallow center to make the catch and Ikezawa wasn't even contemplating going.

Ganryuu takes off for 2nd, and gets no throw! Now a base hit can score 2!

Yoshinari soft liner to left! It falls in!!

Ikezawa scores! Ganryuu coming home, throw cutoff!!

They go to 2nd and cut down Yoshinari, but not before 2 runs score and it's 4-1!!

Top 9th
Ryou with a blast, but foul deep into the 1st base ouen-dan, trying to survive at the plate.

Draws the walk. #12 Fukuda comes in to run for him as Chikara-kantoku calls time.

Baba, looking up as he falls behind 1-2. Reaches out and hits one, but right to Ganryuu.

Katou fighting as well, count full.   Pops one up!  Ishii ducking a bit, makes the catch in foul territory for the 2nd out!

Last chance as #14 Sasaki comes in to hit for Kawashima.

He quickly falls behind 0-2 as Iida goes away, once, twice... 2-2 now...

Just gets a piece of one.

Grounder to 2nd!  Shindou charging... throw to first... beats a running Sasaki for the final out!  The senbatsu killers in Sendai Ikuei are felled by Jyousou Gakuin 4-1!

It really did look like Jyousou Gakuin was holding on for dear life. Sendai Ikuei had chances in the 4th, 5th and even a small one in the 6th.

Furthermore, Suzuki was lights out for the first half of the game. But when the seal was opened with Jyousou's first hit, it went all downhill for Sendai Ikuei (I claim a little responsibility for jinxing it by tweeting the perfect game after 5). But they got their hits when they needed them and that's what's most important.

Jyousou Gakuin's Iida was good enough to win this game, but the late game performance may be a bit concerning for them going forward. Stamina will be wanting later in the tournament, and it will only get worse.


Notable Players
Iida Harumi (Jyousou Gakuin) - CG, ER, 4 H, 3 K, 5 BB
Takashima Shouta (Jyousou Gakuin) - 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI
Yoshinari Yuusuke (Jyousou Gakuin) - 1-4, 2 RBI
Ikezawa Kouhei (Jyousou Gakuin) - 1-2, 2 R, BB
Suzuki Takato (Sendai Ikuei) - 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 2K
Kikuna Yuuki (Sendai Ikuei) - 2-4, 3B, HR, R, RBI
Kobayashi Ryou (Sendai Ikuei) - 1-2, 2 BB