Day 9, Game 2 - Tsu Shougyou (Mie) v Toba (Kyoto)

Well, with that game out of the way, we focus on the last 4 teams to try and qualify for the 3rd round. Tsu Shougyou and Toba both are not experienced at Koushien but get an opportunity to move on.

Tsu Shougyou perhaps ended Takashima's tenure at Chiben Wakayama with a sound 9-4 win. Chiben may not have been the team it once was, but to put runs up in each of the final 6 innings was impressive.

Same goes for Toba, whose MO was to just base hit a team to death, actually used a HR to open the scoring en route to a dominant 7-1 over Okayama Gakugeikan.

It's difficult to handicap this game because the Chiben win for Tsushou has to be discounted based upon the end result and how weak Chiben felt. And as for Toba, Okayama Gakugeikan was no world beater either, so some of their results should be taken with a grain of salt.

I would like Tsu Shougyou to win, but I see Toba's strategy and I like it very much.

Tsu Shougyou (Mie)
3B Ogouchi Kengo
CF Maeda Yuuta
1B Mastuba Kanou
LF Tsuji Yuuki
SS Egawa Yuuto
2B Takahashi Tomoki
RF Kuritani Taichi
P Sakakura Makoto
C Masuoka Akira

Toba (Kyoto)
LF Tabuchi Kouichirou
3B Iwakiri Kaito
CF Ina Kasumi
1B Kozono Shinnosuke
C Umetani Seigo
SS Minami Musashi
2B Nakajima Kouhei
RF Miyanishi Jyunya
P Matsuo Daiki

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12:00 -  First pitch!

Top 1st
Ogouchi with a liner to right, but Nakajima highpoints the ball and makes the catch.

Maeda does the same thing to Minami, but this time Minami can't get it! Maeda books it and gets into 2nd ahead of the throw!

Matsuba with a loud out to center does move Maeda to 3rd, but Tsuji hits a routine grounder to 2nd and that's it for Tsushou.

Bottom 1st
Tabuchi liner up the middle, but Takahashi runs it down for the out!

And Iwakiri sees what Maeda did and rips a ball back up the middle, this time out of Takahashi's reach.

Yamada-kantoku goes for the hit and run over the bunt, and it prevents the double play as Ina hits it to short.

Kosono flies out to left and the inning is over.

Top 2nd
Egawa tries to put a ball through the gap in left, but while Iwakiri can't get it Minami will, and throws out Egawa.

On the next pitch, Takahashi grounds to 2nd.

It's not a 3 pitch inning, but it's close as Matsuo needs just 5 pitches to record a clean inning.

Bottom 2nd
Umetani single to right to start the inning. After a sac bunt, Nakajima singles to right! Runners at the corners and Toba with a chance to score the first run.

Yamada-kantoku goes for the hit and run again! But Miyanishi strikes out and Nakajima is a dead duck! He's run down and the inning is over!

Top 3rd
Outside of that double from Maeda in the first, the Tsushou offense has struggled. Matsuo records 2 strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom 3rd
Meanwhile Toba continues to hit. Last batter Matsuo punishes a hanging fastball and drives it deep to right center for a double. He's bunted over by Tabuchi.

SQUEEZE!!!!

But Iwakiri misses! Matsuo in a rundown.. but the 3rd base ump says he avoids the tag from Sakakura and is safe!!

So instead Iwakiri singles through the left side and scores Matsuo! 1-0 Toba!

Ina liner to center, and that's in front of Maeda for a base hit! Miyamoto-kantoku calls time.

Kosono single to center! Here we go! Manrui for Toba!!

Single to right for Umetani! 2-0 now!

MINAMI A SINGLE BACK UP THE MIDDLE! 5th straight single and it's 3-0!!

Another timeout from Miyamoto-kantoku.

Nakajima soft liner...  Egawa jumps and makes the catch! Umetani the easy double off and the inning is over. But we see the singles engine in action from Toba and if a team isn't prepared, they'll bleed to death.

Top 4th
Maeda trying to get Tsushou back in the game drives a ball to right for a double!

But it looks like it'll be wasted as Matsuba and Tsuji are soon retired for 2 outs.

Egawa comes through! He singles to left and Tsuhou is on the board at 3-1!

Ah~~~~ but he's picked off of 1st to end the inning.

To break 
The teams settle down from there with only Iwakiri getting a hit between both teams. Toba has the 3-1 lead and a 10-3 lead in hits.

Top 6th
Ogouchi gets hit to start the frame, but again no bunt as Maeda flies out to center.

Ah, more poor baserunning as Matsuba lines out to short, and Minami rifles to 1st for the double play.

Bottom 6th
Minami ball up middle, but Egawa runs it down! Tries to twirl and throw, but it's not in time! Nakajima bunts him over.

Miyanishi tries the safety bunt, but just gets beaten out.

Matsuo up the middle. Egawa there again an AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

He can't pick it and that means Minami scores to make it 4-1!

Top 7th
Matsuba leadoff single to center. Wild pitch from Matsuo moves him to 2nd.

Tsuji grounds to 2nd to move him to 3rd, Takahashi grounds to 2nd to score the runner, 4-2. They're still behind, but they're chipping away.

Top 8th
Kuritani gets hit by Matsuo, and now #17 Imai will hit for Sakakura as his day is done.  But he grounds into the 4-6-3 double play which kills the raly...

Bottom 8th
#10 Ishikawa enters the game to take the hill. He gets a 1-2-3 inning, but now the offense must deliver.

Top 9th
Instead Tsu Shougyou goes down in order and Toba moves onto the round of 16 with a 4-2 win!

Toba's dink and dunk method I've been waiting for a team to do, and Toba so far has executed. Now, the real test will be when they face a stronger team if they will be able to do that. As for Tsu Shougyou, defeating Chiben Wakayama should be an accomplishment in and of itself.