Day 6 - Game 3 - Kochi Koukou vs. Yoshikan Koukou

No need to apologize. What you've written so far puts all of the mainstream news outlets to shame. And we all fully understand the need for sleep and work. I was wondering how you managed to get through the weekend in a functional state.

Despite very little chatter to follow up your write-ups, the high school threads are coming in just half as popular as the Hanshin threads for the month so far. Not bad considering the head start and controversy (always a big seller) of those Tiger threads.

Kochi Koukou vs. Yoshikan Koukou

Kochi, a big powerhouse in baseball, was facing Yoshikan Koukou making their first appearance. It looked to be in Kochi's favor as the game began.

The game went harmlessly along until the bottom of the 2nd. Yoshikan's cleanup hitter, 1B Yoshino-kun, would reach base after being hit by a pitch. RF Minami, on a full count, would single through the left side. With no out and runners on 1st and 2nd, LF Ishii-kun grounds one to the shortstop. But a higher bounce before reaching the shortstop hits him in the chest instead and bounces away. Everyone ends up safe and Kochi suddenly finds themselves in really big trouble!

C Aramaki-kun comes up to bat and on a 2-2 pitch sends it to the right-center field gap for a bases clearing triple! After P Kai-kun flies out to short right, Yoshikan puts on the squeeze! SS Satoh-kun puts down the bunt and Aramaki reaches home, sliding under the throw from Kunio, and just like that Kochi finds itself down by 4 runs early!

The only good news is that there's still time for Kochi to make up the deficit. And they start right away. Top 3, 3B Ueki-kun singles through the left side. He's moved along by Kunio, and Kataoka grounds to first allowing Ueki to advance to third. With two outs, lead-off batter Ohkiku grounds one hard to third. Obata makes a great stop, but ah! His throw is high of first! Ueki comes in to score and Kochi is down by 3.

Yoshikan knows that no lead is safe against a team such as Kochi. And they try to immediately put on more pressure in the bottom half of the 3rd. Yoshino starts off the inning again and gets a base hit to left. Minami tries to bunt him along, but it's too hard and Kunio is able to throw out Yoshino at second. After Ishii strikes out, Aramaki is nowhere to be found! Turns out that in his slide home on the squeeze play, his shoulder had hit the leg of C Yano-kun. After some delay, he comes out and wastes no time with a base hit through the left side on the first pitch! Right after that, Kai chops one up the middle. Kunio gets a glove on it to slow it down, but instead it falls right behind him and by the time SS Ohkiku gets it, everyone's safe! But last batter Satoh would pop up to second to end the threat.

Neither team could get anything going over the next couple of innings, but one highlight was a deep shot by Kochi's Kataoka-kun in the 5th. Yoshikan's CF Abe-kun makes a spectacular over the back catch to rob him of an extra base hit.

Kochi would finally put something together in the 7th with some help. With one out, 3B Tsutsui-kun grounds to second - but Satoh rushed the throw and pulls the first baseman off the bag! After Ueki grounds into a fielder's choice, Kunio singles up the middle putting runners on first and second with two out. With Kataoka up Kai throws a wild pitch advancing the runners. But with first base open and a full count, Kai still challenges Kataoka and is punished with a double to left-center scoring 2 and bringing Kochi within 1! Ohkiku tries to tie the game with a deep shot to center, but CF Abe once again makes a great running play at the wall to preserve the lead!

Yoshikan knows that Kochi is breathing down their neck now. The game might as well be tied for all they know. And they look to rally back. 3B Obata starts with a liner to left. SS Matsutomi-kun moves him along while Yoshino walks on 4 consecutive pitches. With runners on first and second, Minami-kun takes an "oops I didn't mean to" swing. But it makes contact, chops high and in front of the mound, effectively being a sacrifice bunt.

That brings up Ishii-kun once again in a clutch situation. Earlier in the count Kunio was looking for a called strike that he didn't get. It may have affected him as he gives up a pitch to left field scoring 2 and bringing the lead back to 3!

Kochi would try to work back once again. Top 8, 2B Takagi-kun is hit by a pitch. CF Yamamoto follows with a single to left - runners now on first and second. But, oh no! Yano grounds into the 6-4-3 double play. It's up to 1B Morita-kun now. On the first pitch he singles to left scoring Takagi, bringing them within 2. But that's all Kochi would get.

Down 2 in the 9th, Kochi would give it all they've got. Ueki leads off with a shot through the left side. Kunio would pop out to third. Kataoka duplicates the hit to left giving Kochi a chance. But Ohkiku would pop up to the catcher and Takagi would ground out to first ending the game and completing the upset for Yoshikan!