Down 6-5 in the top of the 9th, Imamiya (今宮健太) stepped up to the plate with a runner on third and no out. He fouled off four pitched before finally poking a single through the right side (on the 6th pitch, all of which were fastballs) to tie the game at 6.

In the bottom of the inning, Shoji (庄司隼人) had a chance to return the "favor" when he stepped up to bat with a runner on first and 2 out. When Imamiya (今宮健太) threw him a fork, the two just smiled at each other. Shoji (庄司隼人) ended up grounding out to short on a fastball down the plate.

Meiho loaded the bases in the top of the 12th with 1 out. On Shoji's (庄司隼人) 208 pitch, Hirai hit a gounder to short. Tokoha almost turned a double play on the grounder, but the throw to first was a little late. And the slight pause while Tokoha waited for the ump to make his call was just long enough for Meiho to score their second run of the inning.

Ushia (牛場友哉) struck out in the bottom of the 12th with Shoji (庄司隼人) on second to end the game.

Key Offensive Players
Meiho: Hirai (平井徹) 1-for-7, 2 RBI; Sunagawa (砂川哲平) 3-for-6, BB, 2B, 3B, 3 R; Imamiya (今宮健太) 3-for-3, 3 BB, 2 B, R, RBI; Kotobuki (寿雄大) 1-for-1, 2B, 2 RBI

Tokoha Gakuen Tachibana: Koizumi (小泉泰樹) 3-for-4, BB, 2B, R, 2 RBI; Shoji (庄司隼人) 2-for-6, 2 RBI; Hayakawa (早川顕一) 3-for-5, RBI; Yamada (山田飛輝) 2-for-5, 2 R

Meiho

Tokoha Gakuen Tachibana

*Imamiya (今宮健太) topped out at 153km/h on the radar gun.

===

Nagano managed to tie the game at 5 in the 5th, but after that, Chukyodai completely shut-down their offense, limiting them to just 1 hit over the final 4 innings of the game.

Meanwhile, Chukyodai exploded for 10 runs on 10 hits (3 of which were doubles) over their final 4 innings of the games.

Incidentally, 7 of the 15 runs Chukyodai scored were unearned.

Key Offensive Players
Nagano Nichidai: Niimura (新村涼賢) 1-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI; Kitazawa (北沢哲) 2-for-4, R; Kobayashi (小林聡) 3-for-4, RBI; Hondo (本藤昇吾) 2-for-4, R, RBI; Kato (加藤幸宏) 2-for-3, 2B, R, RBI

Chukyodai Chukyo: Yamanaka (山中渉伍) 2-for-5, HBP, 2B, 3 R; Kunitomo (国友賢司) 2-for-3, HBP, R, 3 RBI; Kawai (河合完治) 3-for-6, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI; Dobayashi (堂林翔太) 2-for-4, BB, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI; Shibata (柴田悠介) 3-for-4, HBP, 3 R; Kaneyama (金山篤未) 1-for-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI

Nagano Nichidai

Chukyodai Chukyo

===

Sato (佐藤涼平) was at it again today:

• 1st AB: 10 pitches / result: strike out
• 2nd AB: 3 pitches / result: HBP
• 3rd AB: 3 pitches / result: single
• 4th AB: 5 pitches / result: fly out

A TV report I saw mentioned that he spends a lot of time practicing how to foul pitches off.

In any case, another very solid start by Yusei Kikuchi.

Hanamaki's offense wasn't really overpowering. They scored their first run in the 3rd inning on Yamada's (山田隼弥) slap hit through the left side (he was faking a bunt) that scored Sasaki (佐々木大樹) from second. Their second run was pretty much manufactured by Sato (佐藤涼平) in the 4th as he got on base with an HBP, moved to second on a sac bunt, stole third, and then came around to score on Yokokura's (横倉怜武) chopper to short. And the third run scored in the bottom of the 5th after Yamada (山田隼弥) reached on a bunt single, stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw by the catcher, and finally crossed the plate on a chopper to first. The fourth and final run came in the bottom of the 8th and was the product of a HBP, a wild pitch that moved the runner to second, and a single that passed by a diving shortstop.

Tohoku lone run scored in the top of the 6th on a double by Ito (伊藤航) and an RBI single by Kiryu (桐生穂高).

After the game, Kikuchi said he was feeling tired and still felt a bit tight but managed to overcome all that with a boost in adrenaline during the game.

Key Offensive Players
Tohoku: Ito (伊藤航) 1-for-3, HBP, 2B, R; Kiryu (桐生穂高) 1-for-2, RBI

Hanamaki Higashi: Yokokura (横倉怜武) 1-for-2, HBP, R, RBI; Chiba (千葉祐輔) 2-for-4, RBI; Yamada (山田隼弥) 3-for-3, R, RBI

Tohoku

Hanamaki Higashi

* Kikuchi (菊池雄星) hit 154km/h on the gun twice, which establishes a new high for lefties at the Koshien.

===

Okada had a rough game, giving up 3 big runs in the top of the first on an RBI single by Matsubara (松原大輔) and a 2-run double by Tominaga (冨永圭太).

Chiben managed to return a run in the bottom of the inning when Nishikawa (西川遥輝) hit a grounder that went through the first baseman's legs and into right field, scoring Ohhata from second.

And while Okada managed to keep his team in the game by giving up only 1 more run over the next 8 innings, the offense just could not get anything going against Shinnishi. They did get 2 runners on in the bottom of the 8th with 1 out, but Shinnishi retired the next two batters on a strike out and a fly out.

Key Offensive Players
Miyokonojosho: Fujimoto (藤本雄也) 2-for-5, RBI; Uchida (内田祥文) 2-for-4, BB, 2B, R; Tominaga (冨永圭太) 2-for-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI

Chiben Wakayama: Ohhata (大畑勇) 1-for-3, BB, R; Iwasato (岩佐戸龍) 2-for-4; Kitabatake (北畠良真) 2-for-4

Miyokonojosho

Chiben Wakayama

* Not an excuse but... Okada (岡田俊哉) was actually feeling under-the-weather prior to the game. He had a fever on Wednesday and almost popped a blister on his middle finger after his start on the 18th. He ends his summer with 37 strike outs over 3 Koshien starts.

** Nishikawa (西川遥輝) had been nursing a fractured left thumb he suffered during a practice game in June.

===

Some other news and notes:

...And then there were 8...

...Sanspo has pictures from the stands from Day 11.

...Teikyo's manager, Mitsuo Maeda, recorded his 48th career Koshien victory, good for third on the All-Time list.

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What's on tap tomorrow:

11:00 - Meiho vs Hanamaki Higashi

13:30 - Nihon Bunri vs Risshodai Shonan

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