Day 9 - Game 2 - Ohgaki Nichidai vs. Soka Koukou

This second stanza of the day would feature Spring Koshien runner-ups Ohgaki Nichidai versus Nishi Tokyo's representative, Soka Koukou.

Both teams won close games in the first round - Soka defeating perennial Aikodai Meiden 3-1, while Ohgaki needed a run late to beat Kanaashi Nogyo of Akita-ken.

Early in the game, Ohgaki's ace Morita-kun was using his slider effectively and dominating the Soka hitters, striking out 5 in the first 3 innings (and the side in the third). Meanwhile, Kanmera-kun was depending a little more on his defense to help him out with a double play in the first and his LF Baba-kun to field some deep hit balls.

Then in the 5th Ohgaki would finally get to Kanmera. Kanmera would lead-off by walking C Minoura-kun. After a sacrifice bunt, he would walk the next batter, 2B Hirano-kun. SS Yasui-kun would follow that up with a single to left field, loading the bases!

Lead-off batter, LF Ogawa-kun, who had struck out 2 times before, comes up to bat. With the count 1-0, Ogawa shows bunt at the last minute! Minoura is dashing home as Ogawa pushes the bunt to the first baseman whose only play is at first. Ohgaki takes the lead 1-0! And Yoshioka-kun wastes no time in keeping the momentum going, lining the 0-1 pitch to left field and scoring both remaining runners! Cleanup hitter Ohbayashi-kun gets Yoshioka in from second with a single to center, and when it's all over, Ohgaki has a 4 run lead.

In the 6th Ohgaki would get another chance. With one down, Masuda-kun would single up the middle and steals second during Hirano's at bat. With two down, Yasui-kun delivers again with a grounder that sneaks by 3B Nakayasu. LF Baba charges at the ball and Masuda elects to run home! The throw from Baba is cut off by Nakayasu and his throw goes off Masuda who raises his arms to slide for home! He scores and Ohgaki is up by 5!

This lead looks insurmountable as ace Morita continues to make the Soka batters look silly, striking out 2 in the 6th and 7th innings. But they weren't about to give up just yet. In the 8th inning, 2B Oshima-kun would lead off the inning with a single through the left side. The very next pitch, LF Nakayama does the same. With a big chance for lead-off batter Nakayasu, he manages to work the count to full where he takes a chopper up the middle. Morita has a chance at it and no! He only gets the tip of the glove on it, deflecting it down and through for a base hit scoring Oshima! Frustrated that he should've gotten the ball, he throws a high fastball to Miyanaga right over the plate and Miyanaga responds but crushing it to the left-center field fence scoring another 2! Before Morita knows it, Soka is within 2!

But Morita would settle down, and get the last two batters to ground to short. In the 9th he would allow only a base hit to Oshima before closing the game and putting Ohgaki into the Best 8.

Line of the game:
Oogaki Nichidai - #1 – Morita-kun – CG, 3 ER, 8 H, 13 K, 0 BB