Day 6 - Game 2 - Yokohama Koukou (Kanagawa) vs. Kita Ootsu Koukou (Shiga)

It's a long time coming for the Yokohama squad. They were denied entry into the 2007 Summer Koushien after a bizarre play in their semifinal game against Tokaidai Sagami.

Flashback to July 28, 2007. Tokaidai Sagami already up 3-0 against Yokohama. Runners on 1st and 3rd, 2 outs. The batter currently with a 2-2 count. The P (presumably, he's wearing #1) check swings on a ball in the dirt, and on appeal to the 1st base umpire is called out. But as the Yokohama players are heading to the dugout, the players in Tokai's dugout yell for the pitcher to run to first. He rounds first to 2nd, and since the Yokohama players are in the dugout and the ball is on the field, he rounds the bases for a 3-run strikeout! The umpires would confer and agree with Tokai. They would go on to win the game 6-3. The only explanation I could come up with is that they misunderstood the rule. A batter is allowed to run to 1st base if it is open OR there are 2 outs. Also, perhaps since they had to appeal, they assumed the batter was automatically out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZApx022H1Q&feature=related

Yokohama looks to put the painful memory of that game behind them and return to their place as a Koushien powerhouse. But their opponent is no pushover in Kita Ootsu. Last year they pushed eventual runner-up Oogaki Nichidai in the first round losing 7-4.

Yokohama
2B Matsumoto
SS Kuramoto
3B Tsutsukou
RF Ogawa
P Tsuchiya
LF Iwama
1B Fujiwara
C Oda
CF Nakahara

Kita Ootsu
SS Asami
LF Houki
RF Tatsuda
2B Ishikawa
3B Hashimoto
1B Okamoto
P Kawai
CF Okada

The first three innings are rather uneventful - which is surprising in some sense as Kita Ootsu's ace Kawai has held the Yokohama offense off.

Kawai couldn't hold off Yokohama forever though. In the 4th with one down, Tsutsukou doubles to LCF. With Ogawa up, Kawai makes a pickoff throw to 2nd which Asami can't handle and Tsutsukou scoots to 3rd! Now a simple sac fly brings them in. But instead, Ogawa hits one up the middle. It's off Kawai's wrist, but as luck would have it, it goes right to Asami! He fires home and Nagata makes a nice block at home to get Tsutsukou! Kawai meanwhile goes to the dugout to receive treatment on his wrist. When he emerges later, it's 2 down with Ogawa on first. Unfortunately, he cannot get out of the inning safely as Tsuchiya hits a deep shot to RCF plating Ogawa and giving Yokohama the 1-0 lead.

One had to wonder about Kita Ootsu. While certainly not a pushover, would be they be able to score a run on Yokohama?

Turns out the answer was an emphatic yes - and it came immediately after Yokohama scored.

Houki starts the inning off with a grounder to the left side. Kuramoto makes a great stop, but Houki is better hustling down the first base line. He's safe and Kuramoto throws the ball out of play! Then, Ishikawa takes a 2-0 ball to the LF wall scoring Houki and tying the game! Then with 2 down and Ishikawa on 3rd, Tsuchiya falls behind 3-0 to Hashimoto. And he makes him pay on the very next pitch sending it through the right side! Then Tsuchiya throws a wild pitch to Okamoto and Hashimoto advances to 2nd. With the count full, Okamoto hits one to Kuramoto. Once again he makes a great stop... and once again he makes a bad throw putting runners at the corners...

...and to cap off the rally, Kawai sends the very next pitch with a booming shot to the RCF wall, plating both Hashimoto and Okamoto, and before anyone realized it, it was 4-1 Kita Ootsu!

So, could Yokohama answer? Top 5, one out, Oda send the ball deep to RF, Tatsuda makes the leaping try, but it's just out of his reach and Oda motors around for a triple! Nakahara can't bring him home as he strikes out. Matsumoto grounds one to short, and as if to show Kuramoto a thing or two, Kita Ootsu's Asami makes the great stop AND throw to get Matsumoto and end the inning.

Yokohama continued to spin its wheels trying to catch up. Then, in the bottom of the 6th, with Ishikawa leading off and the count full, he drives the Tsuchiya pitch to LF. Iwama runs back, leaps up, and it's gone!! Ishikawa's hit a HR against Yokohama and now they lead 5-1!

Time's running short on Yokohama's stint in Koushien, and in the 8th, they make another attempt to rally. Obata (#17), PH for Nakahara and walks on 4 straight. Arizumi (#14) replaces him at first. Matsumoto moves him along and a Kuramoto single though the left side puts runners at the corners with one down. Tsutsukou plates one with a hard shot to Ishikawa as his only play is to first. The rally continues though as Ogawa gets an infield single to Asami once again putting runners at the corners for Tsuchiya. He had brought in Yokohama's run earlier, and he drives the ball to LF. Houki scrambles to his right, reaches out and makes the catch, ending the inning and possibly ending Yokohama's hopes.

It wouldn't be more than 5 minutes later that Kita Ootsu would put the nail in the coffin. Tayama (#11) replaces Tsuchiya on the mound in the bottom of the 8th as Tsuchiya moves to fill the gap in CF. Tatsuda leads off the 8th with a surprise drive to left, and IT'S gone!

And that would do it. Kita Ootsu sends Yokohama home after only 1 game with what must be a bitter taste in their mouths.


Player Lines
Tsustsukou (Yokohama) - 1-4, 2B, RBI
Tsuchiya (Yokohama) - 1-4, 2B, RBI
Tatsuda (Kita Ootsu) - 2-4, HR, R, RBI
Ishikawa (Kita Ootsu) - 2-4, 2B, HR, 2R, 2RBI
Kawai (Kita Ootsu) - 1-3, 2B, 2RBI
Kawai (Kita Ootsu) - W, CG, 2 ER, 9H, 6K, BB