Day 6 - Game 1 - Kyoto Gaidai Nishi vs. Jousou Gakuin

This game has to be by far the most exciting, thrilling, roller-coaster, emotion-filled game since, ..., since, ..., well since the either the train wreck that was the Teikyo Koukou - Chiben Wakayama Best 8 game or the 2-day Komadai Tomakomai - Waseda Jitsugyou Championship last year!

Kyoto Gaidai Nishi (heretofore named KGN for ease) has a place in my book after I saw them 2 years ago. Back then in the 2005 Koshien Tournament there was a pitcher by the name of Honda. He was a first year, wearing #10. But to me he singlehandedly brought KGN to the championship against Komadai Tomakomai with his relief efforts.

So when I saw him as the ace this year it brought back memories of his performance 2 years ago. And so it was this time that he was on the bench again against Jyoso Gakuin.

The first 3 innings went in order on both sides and it began to have the makings of a pitcher's duel.

KGN got their first opportunity when they got their first runner. With one out in the 4th, #2 battter 2B Uchiyama-kun would be hit by a pitch. 3B Nakagawa-kun (1st year!) would line a ball to right, and it bounces off his glove and into right-center field! Uchiyama makes it to third, but Nakagawa is thrown out at second. Cleanup hitter 1B Tsuji-kun would K to end the inning.

Things would start to get interesting in the bottom of the 7th. Jyoso's lead-off batter Satoh-kun would single to 2B. The throw from the second baseman seemed to be in time, but he was called safe. Next, KGN's ace would walk Suzuki on 4 straight. The manager had seen enough and put in ace (reliever) Honda.

But his first pitch hits cleanup hitter LF Shimane-kun.
Now with bases loaded and no out, disaster seemed inevitable. Unless you're the magician of course.

3B Doi would hit a screamer to the left side, but quick diving by SS Komaki-kun would snag the ball for the first out! Honda would complete the trick by getting CF Nakamura to ground into the 6-2-3 DP.

The game continued on scoreless, and in the bottom of the 9th, Jyoso would have another shot. With one out Honda hits 1B Suzuki Takahiro in the back of the helmet. After a while he sits up, but is taken off on a stretcher. RF Satoh-kun takes his place on the base paths. Honda follows it up with a 4 pitch walk to cleanup hitter Shimane. 3B Doi-kun is pulled for pinch hitter Morita and tries to punch one through the right side. 1B Tsuji-kun is able to knock it down and toss it over to Honda for the force, but leaving the sayonara runner 90 feet away. After the count runs to 2-1 on Nakamura, KGN elects to walk him creating a force at all bases. Now it was P on P - KGN's ace Honda pitching to Jyoso's ace Shimizu-kun. With the count 1-2, Honda would get Shimizu to swing on a high pitch sending the game into extra innings - scoreless!

And that's when the fireworks really began.

Top 10 - KGN
With one out, 1st year 3B Nakagawa walks and is moved along to second by Tsuji-kun. With two outs the other 1st year starter, LF Satoh-kun steps up. With the count 3-1, P Kiyohara begins pounding him inside. He's early on the first two pitches, pulling them just foul. Kiyohara tries again, but this time Satoh waits just long enough and hits it down the 1B line. New 1B Morita gets in front of it, but can't get it and it goes into left field's foul territory scoring Nakagawa!

Bottom 10 - Jyoso Gakuin
After C Iida-kun grounded out to second, last batter Fujiwara lines one down the left field line for a double. After that, 2B Suzuki Tomoya would pop out to C, RF Satoh-kun would be their last chance. At the last minute, he's pulled for #17 Miyamoto-kun. And boy does he deliver! He takes the first pitch to straight away center field and scores Fujiwara! And now it's Jyoso threatening! But Morooka-kun, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 9th inning, would ground out to second to end the inning. But Jyoso ties it up!

Top 11
With one down again, P Honda lines one to center. He's moved along by Komaki into scoring position. On the first pitch to lead-off batter Tsudoh, it goes to the backstop and Honda advances to third! Tsudoh would then walk on 4 pitches. With runners at the corners, and Jyoso getting opportunities, Uchiyama reaches down for a pitch and sends it over the right fielder's head for a bases clearing triple! Surely with two runs now, KGN can end this game!

Bottom 11
But Jyoso isn't quite ready to go home. Cleanup batter Shimane sends one to deep center. Sakabe, who was sent in to pinch run for Saitoh, looks to have a beat on it. Suddenly he leaps up and the ball goes over his head! Shimane races to second and it's a great start! After that, new 1B Morita strikes out swinging. On the first pitch from Honda to Nakamura, he bloops one down the left field line! Shimane's on his way home easily, but Tsudoh (who shifted from CF to LF) throws home anyway, a crucial mistake allowing Nakamura to advance to scoring position. P Kiyohara, on a 2-2 count, hits one up the middle, Komaki stops it but can't grab it! Runners at the corners! With one out, and the runner at third instead of second because of the throw home, C Iida is able to perform a perfect squeeze bunt that scores Nakamura to tie the game once again!

Top 12
By now the players of KGN had to start thinking, "What is it going to take to win this game?" Cleanup batter Tsuji starts with a single to the left side. Sakabe can't make up for his earlier error and pops his bunt up to the catcher. RF Furuya next hits what looks like a double play ball to 3B Utsugi (who also came in the game in the 9th inning). But his throw to second is high. 2B Suzuki Tomoya knocks it down, but in the path of the running Tsuji! He kicks it to left-center field! No one knows where it is! Tsuji realizes they don't know where it is! He runs for third, Furuya runs for second!

Next is C Tanaka. He hits it to 3B Utsugi. Tsuji is running on contact! Utsugi gets it and tries to get Furuya who's running to 3rd. He can't! One run in, runners at the corners!

Honda has a chance to extend the lead and he successfully hits a sacrifice fly to center. Furuya scores, but for some reason Tanaka is in no man's land between first and second and is run down. Nevertheless, KGN once again has a 2 run lead!

Bottom 12
This time, there is no answer from Jyoso. A one out walk to Utsugi brings hope, but Morooka strikes out and Shimane grounds to second to end this amazing game!