Shoji (庄司隼人) did a nice job holding Kochi to just one run over the first 6 innings. And he was also backed by an offense that scored him 3 runs in the 2nd and 4 runs in the 6th to give him a comfortable 7-1 lead heading in to the top of the 7th.

And that's when Shoji's luck began running out. He gave up 3 runs in the 7th and 2 runs in the 8th and was on the verge of giving the game up in the 9th when his teammates bailed him out, this time with their defense.

After striking out the first batter of the top of the 9th, Shoji gave up a long drive to Ikechi (池知佑也) that split the left and center fielders. Ikechi was on his horse and showed no signs of stopping at second. And suddenly it appeared as though only a perfect throw would get him out. And that's exactly what Tokoha got -- the relay from Inazumi (稲角航平) was dead-on and Ikechi was nailed out at third for the second out of the inning.

A walk to the next batter brought up Nishioka (西岡陸) and he nailed a chopper to third that almost ate Konota (小岱太志) up. But he stayed with the ball and threw Nishioka out to end the game.

Key Offensive Players
Kochi: Ikechi (池知佑也) 3-for-5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI; Kinoshita (木下拓哉) 2-for-3, HBP, 2B, R, RBI; Yoshii (吉井純平) 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI

Tokoha Gakuen: Koizumi (小泉泰樹) 3-for-4, RBI; Ushiba (牛場友哉) 2-for-4, 2B, 2R; Kawaguchi (川口雄佑) 2-for-4, 2B, R, RBI; Hayakawa (早川顕一) 2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI

Kochi

Tokoha Gakuen

===

Talk about wildness... Between the two teams there were 9 HBPs in the game; Tenri hitters were hit 7 (!) times. Tenri's first run actually came courtesy of 2 walks and 2 HBPs in the bottom of the 1st. And if not for a GIDP after that, Tenri may have managed to put up a crooked number in that 1st inning.

Down 7-5 in the bottom of the 9th, Tenri went to work. With 1 out, Nishikawa (西川大地) and pinch-hitter Yamazaki (山崎耕平) got on base with singles. The next batter, Hatano (波多野優), hit a grounder to second that looked like it might go for a GIDP, but Hatano was running hard out of the box and slid head first into first. He was safe. With runners now on first and third and 2 out, Harada (原田拓実) bounced a single back up the middle; a run scored and there were runners on first and third once again.

Tenri sent in pinch-hitter Iwasaki (岩崎亮太) and he lifted a fly ball to left that ended up in Yano's (矢野翔馬) glove for the final out of the inning.

The middle of Nagano's line-up was something else: the 3-4-5 batters went a combined 7-for-12 and drove in all 7 of the team's runs.

Key Offensive Players
Nagano Nichidai: Kitazawa (北沢哲) 2-for-3, BB, 3B, R, 4 RBI; Kobayashi (小林聡) 2-for-4, HBP, 2B, RBI; Hondo (本藤昇吾) 3-for-5, 2 RBI

Tenri: Harada (原田拓実) 3-for-5, BB, R, 2 RBI; Nakamura (中村奨吾) 1-for-2, 2 HBP, BB, R; Nishiura (西浦直亨) 1-for-3, 2 HBP, 2 RBI; Nishikawa (西川大地) 3-for-3, 2 HBP, 2B, 2 R

Nagano Nichidai

Tenri

* Nagano has now collected 24 hits in 2 Koshien games.

===

Chukyo had a 4-3 lead heading into the top of the top of the 9th when Kwansei scored a run on a sac fly by Kuroki (黒木秀太). Chukyo managed to load the bases after that on two straight infield singles, but Ohara (小原真人) ended the inning with a deep fly to center.

Yamazaki (山崎裕貴) re-took the mound in the bottom of the 9th for Chukyo and struck out the first batter he faced. But he hung a first pitch slider to Kawai and that was it... Kawai nailed it to left center for a walk-off slam.

Key Offensive Players
Kwansei Gakuin: Koma (高馬啓城) 3-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, RBI; Kuroki (黒木秀太) 1-for-3, HBP, 2B, RBI; Yamazaki (山崎純意) 3-for-4, BB, R; Toriuchi (鳥内将希) 1-for-1, 2 BB, RBI

Chukyodai Chukyo: Kawai (河合完治) 4-for-5, HR, 3 R, RBI; Dobayashi (堂林翔太) 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Isomura (磯村嘉孝) 1-for-2, 2 BB, R, RBI

Kwansei Gakuin

Chukyodai Chukyo

===

I think somewhere in the back of my mind, I was hoping to see Yokohama knock off Hanamaki, but it didn't happen. Kikuchi tossed a very strong game. Other than the solo shot he gave up in the 4th, Yokohama batters didn't really give him much trouble. At one point, he even struck out 4 in row (between the 5th and 6th innings).

Kikuchi definitely looked a lot more comfortable on the mound.

By the way, I'm becoming a big fan of Sato (佐藤涼平). I just love how he's trying to make something in the batter's box. And that first run Hanamaki scored was really all Sato (he walked, stole second, tagged up on a fly ball to fairly deep center, then scored on a single back up the box).

As for Yokohama... I was a little disappointed when Imaoka (今岡一平) didn't take the mound at the start of the game, but his replacement wasn't all that bad. And if not for a throwing error in the bottom of the 7th, Who know, maybe the game ends up going into extra innings. But unfortunately, the throwing error extended the inning long enough for Mori (森勇二) to nail a 2-run homer that pretty much ended Yokohama's hopes.

Key Offensive Players
Yokohama Hayato: Mori (森勇二) 1-for-4, HR, R, RBI; Funaki (船木吉裕) 2-for-4

Hanamaki Higashi: Kashiwaba (柏葉康貴) 1-for-4, HR, R, 2 RBI; Sarukawa (猿川拓朗) 2-for-3, RBI; Kikuchi (菊池雄星) 2-for-3

Yokohama Hayato

Hanamaki Higashi

* Hagiwara (萩原大輝) was originally wearing the number of 1 (the "Ace" number) prior to the tournament, but the number was given to Imaoka (今岡一平).

===

Some other news and notes:

...And then there were 19...

...Sanspo has pictures from the stands from Day 8.

...Rissho's outfielder Ijichi (伊地智晴久) has the flu and likely won't be able to play on the 19th (he didn't play on the 15th). Ijichi has returned to his home in Hyogo Prefecture.

Players on the roster and team personnel will be tested for the flu virus on the 18th

...Kwansei's Koma (高馬啓城) was diagnosed with a heatstroke after the game. Koma was removed from the game in the top of the 9th after he hit a single to right and complained of his leg cramping up.

...Tenri had a rough ride through the Koshien. Prior to the start of the tournament, a number of players on the team were stricken with swine flu; and a recent accident during fielding practice sent catcher Ohnishi (大西康太) to the hospital with a cheekbone fracture.

...Eri Yoshida was sitting in a seat behind home plate during Day 8 of the Koshien.

===

What's on tap tomorrow:

9:30 - Tohoku vs Nippon University Daisan

12:00 - Miyakonojo vs Mie

14:30 - Chiben vs Sapporo Ichi

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