Day 4 – Game 3 – Chiben Wakayama (Wakayama) vs. Maruko Shuugakukan (Nagano)
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Chiben Wakayama
C Morimoto
1B Urata
2B Katsuya
3B Sakaguchi
RF Shibata
LF Takahashi
CF Tanbo
SS Kitabatake
P Okada
Maruko Shuugakukan
RF Saitou
SS Hirabayashi
CF Takimoto
LF Sunohara
1B Terajima
3B Kouzu
C Yamazaki
P Shimomura
2B Shimizu
Chiben start off the game running. Leadoff batter Morimoto walks. Urata then reaches on an error as Kouzu boots the ball! Katsuya flies to right allowing Morimoto to tag to 3rd. Sakaguchi completes the run as he singles through the left side given Chiben the 1-0 lead.
The errors continue for Maruko. With 2 outs and Katsuya on 2nd from a double, Shibata grounds to Shimomura. But Shimomura can't pickup the ball! By the time he does the throw is late and he's safe! Meanwhile, Katsuya showing the smarts that follow Chiben, was running all the way and scores from 2nd!
Maruko continues to give gifts to Chiben. In the 6th, Shibata reaches on a leadoff walk. He's moved over by Takahashi. With Tanbo up, Shimomura throws a wild pitch sending Shibata to 3rd! Shimomura's errors come back to haunt him as Tanbo hits a sac fly to Takimoto extending Chiben's lead to 3.
Now all you've heard about is Chiben's offense – what about Maruko? Well, it was practically non-existent. Through 6, Maruko's offense managed only 3 singles, and 2 walks.
In the 7th though, things would change – starting off with the very first batter. Cleanup batter Sunohara drills a ball down the LF line, and it's off the foul pole for a HR! But there's still a bit of a ways to go. No matter, Terajima singles to LF. But Kouzu can't bunt him over and Yamazaki flies to right. Maruko's batters have been swinging away early in the count and it finally pays off. P Shimomura singles on the first pitch over Sakaguchi's head putting runners at the corners! Shimizu follows that up with a first pitch single to LF, plating one and cutting the deficit to 1! Saitou completes the comeback with a drive to deep RCF resulting in an easy stand-up 2-RBI triple and the 4-3 lead!
That would spell the end of Okada's day as RP Hayashi would replace him on the mound. But he couldn't find the plate! He walks Hirabayashi and Takimoto loading the bases! He settles down though, getting Sunohara who started the inning with the HR to strikeout, ending the inning.
Chiben's come back from deficits before (remember Chiben – Teikyou?), so one run isn't a lot. Meanwhile, Maruko's made a pitching change, removing their cleanup hitter(?!) to put in Takeuchi, while moving Shimomura to left. Shibata starts with a bloop to left. SS Hirabayashi runs out while Shimomura runs in. They're running at full speed and they collide!! Shimomura seems to have gotten to the ball, and in fact he's held on for the catch! But both players are down and in considerable pain! The trainers and medics come out and after 8 minutes both are cleared out on stretchers.
Maruko's manager has to replace the two players, but how? Hirabayashi is replaced by Tanaka (#16), and started Shimomura is replaced by Yanagizawa (#17). But in the meantime he also replaces Saitou who hit the go-ahead triple with Yoshiike (#18)?!
Nevertheless, Maruko's still got the one run lead. But the players seem to have been affected by the collision and/or layoff. Takeuchi hits Takahashi on the first pitch. Tanbo takes the first pitch through the right side, and Kitabatake walks loading the bases quickly. New P Hayashi then drills the 1-1 pitch down the RF line with a base clearing double giving Chiben the 6-4 lead! It doesn't stop there. He hits Morimoto and gives up a single down the LF line to Urata loading the bases again. Maruko's manager has seen enough of Takeuchi and replaces him with Saitou (#15).
It's too late though. Katsuya puts one past a diving Tanaka scoring 2. Yanagizawa's throw from LF is high allowing the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd! Saitou walks cleanup batter Sakaguchi to load the bases again. Shibata, whose fly ball possibly knocked the wind out of Maruko's sails grounds one to 3rd. Kouzu makes a fine stop, and tries to turn 2, but they can't complete it at 1st and one more run scores! Takahashi walks, loading the bases for the 4th time this inning! Tanbo then drills a ball to LF scoring 1, but this time Yanagizawa's throw is on the mark gunning down Shibata at home.
The total damage? 12 batters, 5 hits, 3 BB, 2 HBP and more importantly... 7 runs.
That would be more than enough as they would tack on 2 more in the 9th for a 12-4 win.
Player lines
Hayashi (Chiben) – 1-1, 2B, R, 3 RBI, HBP
Tanbo (Chiben) – 3-4, R, 2 RBI
Katsuya (Chiben) – 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, K, BB
Sunohara (Maruko) – 1-4, HR, R, RBI
Saitou (Maruko) – 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, K