Day 4 - Game 4 - Koryo Koukou vs. Komadai Tomakomai (Quick Summary)

And now for a complete summary of the game.

The much anticipated game finally came after the 11 inning affair prior. How good was Komadai after the loss of their ace pitcher (affectionately called Ma-kun), and leaders such as Honma and Miki? And what about Koryo, who had made it to the Best 8 in the Spring Koshien?

At the start of the game, it was evident that Komadai's pitching had dropped off substantially. Their ace, Katayama-kun, could be described as being "effectively wild." He displayed this early by hitting 2 of the first 3 batters he faced, but getting the others to weakly pop out. Their batting, too, wasn't as grand as it once was, showing little power and an inability to string hits together - although the latter could be a result of Koryo's ace, Nomura-kun.

Nonetheless, Komadai would take the early lead in the 2nd as a lead off walk by clean-up hitter Satoh would come home with a two-out hit up the middle by C Kosaka-kun. He would take second on a 1-1 pitch and score himself on a similar hit up the middle by P Katayama.

Katayama would continue to struggle with control, working counts up when Koryo's batters weren't swinging away early. In the 5th, they would begin working away at the deficit. SS Uemoto-kun starts off the inning with a single to center. On the next pitch, he successfully steals 2nd. But he gets too greedy and on a 3-0 pitch to Habu-kun, he's thrown out at 3rd. It really is too bad as Habu would take the very next pitch to left, which might have scored him.

The next batter, Fukuda-kun, grounds a pitch hard to 1B Takeda. But his throw to start the 3-6-3 double play goes wide of second and Habu advances to third. Arimizu would then hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Habu, and Koryo is down by 1.

Komadai would get the run back in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, #9 hitter Honda-kun gets a lucky bounce as it goes over the second base bag and into center. 2B Kojika-kun would follow immediately after with a bloop hit to right. And RF Takahashi would finish the trifecta of hits by lining one to center, scoring Honda.

Not to be denied, Koryo would answer the very next half inning. 2B Hayashi starts with a base hit to right. After a walk to P Nomura, Komadai's manager lifts ace Katayama for relief pitcher Tsushima. #9 batter Kobayashi-kun would advance the runners on a short ball to third base.

Instead of setting up the DP by walking lead-off batter Tochiura-kun, they elect to pitch to him. And on a 2-1 pitch, he laces it to center. Hayashi scores, and Nomura tries for home, but a strike by CF Takahashi would nail him at the plate. However, Koryo would get back to within 1.

As the game progressed, neither side could get anything together until the 9th. Komadai's demise would begin with a single by Uemoto. Then, Tsushima would be called for a balk by the umpires. Almost immediately, Komadai's manager jumped out and replaced him with Hisada-kun. Things looked great for Komadai as Hisada would get the next two batters to pop-up to the infield. However, with two outs Yamashita-kun, a defensive replacement in the 4th inning, would ground one into the gap. SS Honda-kun tried to make a sliding play, but it seemed awkward and the ball would glance off his glove and into LF, plating Tsushima and tying the game.

The remainder of the half inning is what you see above.

Komadai would try to rally in the bottom half. But after the first two batters flew out, things looked grim. C Kosaka, trying to atone for his mistake, would get a two-out double to center. With the count at 1-2, Kosaka would score all the way from 2nd on a PB - albeit very close.

It wouldn't be enough though as pinch hitter Hiwatashi would strike out to end Komadai's tournament.

When the cameras panned to the players and the oen-dan, it was a look of complete and total shock.

Koryo advances, while the squad from Hokkaido will head home wondering what might have been.