Day 3 - Game 1 - Tokoha Kikugawa Koukou vs. Meihou Koukou

The third day of the tournament was probably met with anticipation as the Bracket of Death, as it were, was ramping up.

Game 1 begins with the defending spring champions Tokoha Kikugawa versus Kyushu champions and tournament newcomers Meihou Koukou from Oita. How would Tokoha look one year later?

Perhaps its history made more of a difference. Top 2, 1 down, #5 batter Itou gets on base on an error as SS Sakai lets the ball go right through the wickets. After that, a single by 1B Uejima to put runners at the corners. Next up was LF Higuchi who had replaced the regular LF who suffered an injury earlier. He grounds to to short. And perhaps Sakai, wanting to make up for the error, goes home instead of trying to turn 2! But Itou's safe at home and Tokoha takes the early 1-0 lead!

Meihou would respond, also with some help. Leadoff 1B Senzoku grounds to short and Tokoha's SS Sakai drops the ball. He picks it up and throws to first, but he one hops it! Senzoku heads for second! C Tochigi, backing up the play, grabs it, throws to 2B Machida who makes the grab and goes for the tag, but Senzoku collides with the glove and knocks it out! Runner on second, nobody out!

RF Kawano is up next, and he's worked the count to 3-1. P Togari makes his delivery and Kawano takes it to right-center field! The fielders converge but can't get it! Kawano hustles in for a double, but Senzoku can't advance home as it looked like the fielders might have completed the catch! But there's now runners at second and third and still nobody out!

C Abe can't bring them home as he pops out to first. With a 1-0 count to 3B Yoshida, he shocks everyone with a squeeze attempt, but he pops it up to the catcher. Two down now. LF Mimura is the last chance for Meihou this inning. Full count, Togari delivers and the ball is way high! It's to the backstop and Senzoku scores to tie the game!

The score would remain tied until the 4th. Meihou's CF Kanezawa would reach on a questionable dead ball (I personally think the ball didn't hit him). The manager doesn't elect to bunt him over, as most managers do, and the next 2 batters are retired. C Abe is up and on a 1-1 count drives the pitch over RF Nakagawa's head! Kanezawa is booking it around the bases and he scores on Abe's 2-out double to take the lead against the defending champions!

Tokoha rallies immediately thereafter as if realizing that they're in a dogfight. Top 5, 1 out, P Togari singles up the middle. And showing unusual speed takes second on the very first pitch to leadoff batter Nakagawa! 4 pitches later, Nakagawa drives the ball to deep LF easily scoring Togari and tying the game. 2B Machida swings at the very next pitch and hits a nubber back to the mound. P Imamiya grabs it and tries to get Nakagawa at third. But as he throws it, he squats down as he realizes the ball is off line! It heads off into foul territory as Nakagawa cruises home to give the defending champions the lead!

It doesn't end there, though. In the 6th, RF Itou walks. 1B Uejima, already 2 for 2 with a single and double, must have Imamiya's number as he hits a booming shot on the first pitch to the RF wall for a triple! He would be driven in 2 batters later by C Tochigi and Tokoha would take a 5-2 lead.

Tokoha's ace, Togari, was relatively cruising along, not overpowering the batters but rather getting them to ground themselves out (16 of 27 were via the ground ball).

Meihou would try to come back later in the game with a run in the 8th via 2 doubles, but Tokoha would get it back in the 9th. In a valiant final act, Meihou's bench would deliver with some timely hits in the 9th to get back a run again, but it would not be enough as Tokoha advances with a 6-4 win.