Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Day 7, Game 4 - Kagoshima Jitsugyou (Kagoshima) v Chuukyoudai Chuukyou (Aichi)

Our last game of the day pits Kagoshima Jitsugyou and Chuukyoudai Chuukyou for a spot in the 3rd round.

Kagoshima Jitsugyou demolished Hokkai so much that it's hard to determine how good the team really is. 18-4 usually means nothing other than a general likelihood of losing the next game.

Chuukyoudai Chuukyou was quite the opposite. Against Gifu Jyouhoku they had an easy win, but it was only by the margin of 4-1, and 3 of the runs were in the 1st. There's easily questions as to whether the offense can really produce at a clip to take them deep.

Kagoshima Jitsugyou (Kagoshima)
1B Arimura Kenta
CF Andou Masayuki
RF Muroya Tarou
3B Wataya Itsuki
C Tsukiji Rui
2B Itagoi Yuka
LF Mogami Atsuya
SS Hasebe Daiki
P Hashimoto Takumi

Chuukyoudai Chuukyou (Aichi)
LF Kawada Kouhei
2B Katou Daiki
CF Nakamura Kento
C Itou Hiroshi
1B Yatazaki Akedo
3B Sugimoto Isamu
SS Satou Yuuki
RF Naitou Ryousuke
P Ueno Shoutarou
____________________________________________________________

15:30 - First Pitch!

Top 1st
All's good for Ueno to start, a relatively uneventful 1-2-3 inning。

Bottom 1st
Same cannot be said for ace Hashimoto. He goes the distance against Kawada, issuing a walk. But when Katou tries to lay down the bunt, Hashimoto rifles it to 2nd and just gets the lead runner. No double play though.

Katou ends up doing it himself, stealing 2nd during Nakamura's AB.

He freezes cleanup batter Itou on a slider down the middle and the side is retired.

Top 2nd
More of the same for Ueno as he just needs 10 pitches to retire the side.

Bottom 2nd
Same goes for Chuukyoudai Chuukyou. Yatazaki hits a soft liner over Itagoi for a base hit. This time the bunt is successful.

Satou singles to left, and for a change, the runner is held up at 3rd. This time with the high hop the ball took, I think you could have sent him home.

Naitou does the job though hitting a single to left makes it 1-0 Chuukyoudai Chukyou.

Ueno flies to right, but his throw to prevent the runners from advancing short hops Wataya and bounces away allowing the runners to advance!

Kawada walks for the 2nd time and it's manrui.

Katou flies out to left, and Hashimoto gets away with just 1 point of damage.

Top 3rd
Itagoi base hit through the right side, bunted over to 2nd.

Hasebe grounder to short, Satou has Itagoi dead to rights, but throws it wide! All safe! Kajitsu has a chance to tie it up!

Arimura does it! Single though the right side and Itogoi crosses home to tie it at 1-1!!

They'll play for the one timer as Andou bunts the runners along.

Ueno though hits Muroya and it's manrui!

This time it's Ueno who gives the team the slip! Wataya grounds to 2nd and the inning is over!

Bottom 3rd
Nakamura safety bunt! Wataya coming in from way back, has no play!

And no bunt from Takahashi-kantoku! He sends Nakamura instead and he steals 2nd!

Itou strikes out and cannot advance the runner further.

Yatazaki can't either, grounding to short back up the middle.

And now they try to steal 3rd! Tsukiji makes the throw, and they get him at 3rd! Oh, you never want to do that...

Top 4th
Seems like there is a lot of added pressure to score a run. Mogami gets a one out single back up the middle, and then they try the hit-and-run. Except Itagoi misses and Mogami is thrown out. It's 3 up and 3 down as a result.

5th Inning
The 5th inning goes without much fanfare with both sides going down in order. That leaves us 1-1 at the break with neither side really gaining any momentum thanks to the aces on the mound.

Top 6th
Kajitsu trying to swing for the fences it seems. Muroya gets a single, but there are 2 loud outs to center by Andou and Wataya.

Bottom 6th
No bunting here it seems now, they're trying to take the bases outright. One down, Itou singles past a diving Hasebe. He takes off for and steals 2nd!

Yatazaki single to center will bring him in! Chuukyoudai Chuukyou takes the lead back at 2-1!

Sugimoto and Satou follow that up with base hits of their own and we're manrui!

Naitou drive to deep right! Muroya to the wall, slides... doesn't have it! 2 runners score on the deep double and Chuukyoudai Chuukyou has a 4-1 lead!

That'll be it for Hashimoto. Arimura moves from 1st to take the hill. He gets the final 2 outs, but the damage may have been irreparably done.

Top 7th
New 1B Shibata starts off with a single up the middle! Itagoi not bunting, but he gets a walk!

Hashimoto lays down a good bunt and now they can pull within 1 with a good base hit.

Hasebe can't do that, but he can get a sac fly to center! That scores Shibata to make it 4-2.

Not out of the woods yet though as Arimura is walked.

Andou singles to left! Itagoi scores and it's 4-3! Can Kajitsu tie the game?

Muroya deep ball down the RF line... FOUL! That had the distance, but pulled foul!

Instead, it's right back up Ueno to goes to 1st for the 3rd out!

Bottom 7th
Katou scorcher right to Muroya and it deflects off of him and into the dugout! Bad break for Kajitsu!

And it gets worse! Muroya is hobbling and after trying to work it out he can't. But being their power hitter they move him to 1st and sub in Moriguchi for Shibata to play 3B.

Nakamura lays down the bunt, Arimura there, goes to 3rd, NO!

Moriguchi is not covering the bag and he has to go to 1st! The defensive sub hurts them immediately!

And again! Itou singles past Moriguchi and that allows Katou to score! 5-3 on an unfortunate play!

That's all they get, but hat might be all they need.

Top 8th
Moriguchi tries to make up for it with a 2-out single, but there's little you can do with that. The side is retired soon thereafter and perhaps Kagoshima Jitsugyou has finally broke.

Bottom 8th
Kajitsu has broken down. New 3B Adachi doubles to right off the padding. After a failed bunt, Naitou doubles over Hashimoto to make it 6-3.

Ueno with a ball back up the middle that Itagoi runs down. However he makes an unwarranted throw that sails high and out of play. Naitou scores to make it 7-3.

Top 9th
Kajitsu goes quietly in order as Chuukyoudai Chuukyou pulls away in the final stages to move onto the Round of 16.

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