With the score tied at 2, Nichidaisan had a chance to put some runs on the board in the bottom of the 8th. Momiyama was up to bat with the bases loaded and 2 out. He was 0-for-3 in the game so far, but did go 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI against Tokushima Kita on the 13th. But Momiyama would not be so lucky tonight as he struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Ohba nailed a 1-out triple and scored on Shinozuka sac fly to center to give Tohoku a 3-2 lead.

Nichidaisan went down fairly quietly in the bottom of the 9th, save for a long fly ball -- sandwiched between two strike outs -- to deep center that Sumi (角鴻太郎) hit, but the center fielder, Sano (佐野太地), managed to track down with his back to home plate.

A teary-eyed Momiyama said that he was sorry for failing and that he apologized to all his teammates for failing to come through in the bottom of the 8th.

Key Offensive Players
Tohoku: Sano (佐野太地) 2-for-5, R; Ito (伊藤航) 3-for-3, 2B, RBI; Ohba (大庭裕士) 2-for-3, HBP, 2 3B, R; Shinozuka (篠塚翔平) 0-for-3, RBI

Nichidaisan: Yoshizawa (吉沢翔吾) 2-for-3, IBB, 2B, R, RBI; Uchiyama (内山翔平) 2-for-4

Tohoku

Nichidaisan

===

The game was pretty close up until the top of the 5th when Mie surrendered 3 runs. A wild pitch with a runner on third and 2-out in the top of the 6th further pushed the momentum in favor of Miyokonojosho and gave them a 6-2 lead.

Mie would get back a run in the bottom of the 6th on a triple and a sac fly, but that would be it.

Miyokonojosho tacked 2 more runs on in the top of the 9th to put the game away and beat Mie, 8-3.

Key Offensive Players
Miyokonojosho: Ohsako (大迫勇輔) 2-for-5, 2 2B, R; Uchida (内田祥文) 2-for-4, BB, R, RBI; Matsubara (松原大輔) 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI; Tominaga (冨永圭太) 2-for-3, BB, RBI; Mera (米良孝秋) 2-for-2, HBP, R, 2 RBI

Mie: Noro (野呂啓太) 1-for-3, HR, R, 2 RBI; Matsuda (松田渉吾) 1-for-3, 3B, RBI

Miyokonojosho

Mie

* Ohsako (大迫勇輔) complained of feeling unwell in the top of the 5th and was later pinch-hit for in the top of the 9th. After the game, it was revealed that Ohsako was suffering from heat stroke.

===

Okada had some problems with his control and gave up his first run, after tossing 42.2 innings of shut-out ball, on a wild pitch.

Sapporo almost took the lead in the top of the 3rd, but a close play at home plate left the game tied at 2. Sapporo regained the lead in the bottom of the third on Tomita's (富田嘉樹) RBI single to left. It should be noted that there may have been a play at home plate, but the left fielder, Ohhata (大畑勇), overthrew everyone. Interestingly enough, the third out of the inning came at home on a perfect throw from Nishikawa (西川遥輝) to get Tomita (富田嘉樹) trying to score.

Sapporo scored 2 more runs off Okada in the bottom of the 4th on Hata's 2-out, 2-run double for a 5-2 lead.

And after that inning, Okada settled in and gave up only 1 hit over the final 5 frames of the game.

In the top of the 7th, Chiben almost tied the game at 5 (after scoring a run on an error and an RBI single), but the tying run was thrown out at home plate on a bullet of a throw, on the fly, from center fielder Yada (矢田直紀).

Down 5-4 in the top of the 9th, Chiben finally got the tying run home when Kitabatake (北畠良真) hit a fly ball to deep center field for a double with a runner on second. Nishikawa's (西川遥輝) 2-run double and Sotohama's (外浜雄司) sac fly gave Chiben a 3-run lead.

Okada retired the side in order in the bottom of the 9th.

Key Offensive Players
Chiben Wakayama: Nishikawa (西川遥輝) 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Hirano (平野晃土) 2-for-4, 2B, R; Kitabatake (北畠良真) 2-for-4, 2 R

Sapporo Ichi: Hata (畑洋匡) 3-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI

Chiben Wakayama

Sapporo Ichi

===

Some other news and notes:

...And then there were 16...

...Sanspo has pictures from the stands from Day 9.

...Three Rissho players have caught the flu and will not be available on Wednesday. Ijichi (伊地智晴久) tested positive for Flu-A on the 17th and tests done on the team and Rissho personnel on the 18th revealed that Iijima (飯島瞬) and Nakao (中尾一洋), along with 2 practice assistants, also have the flu virus.

Neither Ijichi nor Nakao were on the roster for the second game of the Koshien, but were on the roster for the third game. At this point, Rissho will be competing with only 15 players on Wednesday.

The samples taken from the 5 Rissho players will undergo further testing to see if it's the swine flu.

...Chiben Gakuen Wakayama High School manager Hitoshi Takashima won his 58th Koshien game and is now tied for first with former PL Gakuen manager Junji Nakamura.

...Sanspo is reporting that the Yomiuri Giants are now showing in Yusei Kikuchi. Other teams showing interest: Chunichi Dragons, Hiroshima Carp, Nippon Ham Fighters, Rakuten Eagles, Orix Buffaloes, and Chiba Lotte Marines.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the Giants are no longer interested in Hisayoshi Chono. With him turning down the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2006 and the Chiba Lote Marines in 2008, the general consensus appears to be that teams will no longer take the risk of wasting a draft pick on him (certainly not an early pick).

Hiroshima owner Hajime Matsuda said that he would like to see Kikuchi drafted by a team in the Central League and that the Hanshin Tigers might be the best place for him to land.

...Merchants are wondering which teams will take over the sales race at the Stadium now that both Kwansei and Yokohama have been eliminated. Incidentally, this article also mentions that older people were into the Kwansei merchandise while high schoolers tended to buy the Yokohama items.

...Sanspo reports that there are still plenty more bricks to go around for those that are interested in having a brick etched with a personalized message and installed for the rest of the world to see around Koshien Stadium.

...The next interesting match-up on hand could be Hanamaki Higashi's Yusei Kikuchi vs Tohoku's Sakuya Sato.

===

What's on tap tomorrow:

8:30 - Ken Gifu Sho vs PL Gakuen

11:00 - Nihon Koku Ishikawa vs Nihon Bunri

13:30 - Rissho-dai Shonan vs Tono-dai Ni

16:00 - Teikyo vs Kyushu Kokusai-dai Fu

Be Sociable, Share!

•