Day 11 - Game 2 - Nagano Nihon Koukou vs. Chiba Keizai Fuzoku

Seibou Gakuen Koukou’s opponent will be decided here. The wind is blowing out to center to start the game, which might make things interesting. The wind has played more of a factor in the Spring Koushien that I remember in years past.

Nagano Nihon’s road was against two teams that certainly aren’t pushovers - Imabari Nishi and Kita Ootsu Koukou. Chiba Keizai’s last victory was dispatching last year’s champs Tokoha Kikugawa in impressive fashion. Certainly two teams deserving of advancing, but only one will.

Nagano Nihon
SS Ikeda
2B Chino
3B Itou
1B Kobayashi
C Ishikawa
LF Arai
CF Nagato
RF Koide
P Uemura

Chiba Keizai Fuzoku
SS Shigetani
3B Kawashima
C Tani
RF Inaba
1B Kubota
LF Naitou
CF Gamou
2B Higuchi
P Saitou

After Nagano is retired neatly in the top of the first, it’s Chiba’s turn at bat. And Shigetani starts it off with a single to Chino at 2nd. Then Kawashima takes a high pitch down the 3rd base line for a double scoring Shigetani. Just like that, Chiba has the 1-0 lead. Kawashima takes an aggressive stance as he heads to third on a hit by Tani to Uemura, only to be thrown out. Tani is then caught stealing 2nd. But Inaba walks, and then Kubota hits a shot to deep right center to score Inaba! The aggressive baserunning may have cost a couple of runs. But, they still have the 2-0 lead.

And it just gets better for Chiba in the 2nd. Gamou strikes out on a wild pitch and reaches 1st. Higuchi can’t get the bunt down though and fouls out. Saitou then gets hit by Uemura. Shigetani then delivers another hit, this time a slicer down the left field line. It works it way into the bullpen in foul territory and Gamou scores. Then Arai has trouble getting the ball out of the bullpen allowing the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd. As though things couldn’t get worse, with a 1-1 count on Kawashima, Ishikawa allows a passed ball letting Saitou score. Then Ishikawa’s throw to 3rd is bad and Shigetani scores! It’s now 5-0 Chiba and Nagano is really behind the 8-ball.

It just gets worse. With 2 down in the 3rd inning, Higuchi singles up the middle. Saitou reaches base, this time painlessly as he walks. And wouldn’t you know it, Shigetani is up again. Like clockwork, he hits a liner over Kobayashi’s head and down the right field line this time scoring both Higuchi and Saitou and it’s a blowout 7-0.

Nagano looks to be in pride-saving mode now. In the 4th, they get themselves on the board. Itou reaches on a one-out error by Shigetani and is later driven in by a single from Arai. They continue to fight though, futile as it seems.
Now anyone who knows my writing knows that right around this point if nothing happens, my commentary generally wraps up here. So the fact I’m continuing to write means that something happens later on.

And it happens in the 7th for Nagano Nihon. Nagato leads it off with a double to left field. Yano (#18), who came in as a defensive replacement for Koide, puts down the perfect safety bunt! Then with Uemura up at bat, the runners pull a double steal on a 2-1 count!! The very next pitch Uemura puts one through the right side scoring both! They’re still down 7-3 though, so it’s nothing to be excited about... yet.

Ikeda’s up next. He hits a ball to left center. Naitou dives, but it bounces away from him! Uemura scores and Ikeda reaches 2nd. After Kitazawa, who pinch hit for Chino in the 4th, grounds out for the first out of the inning, Itou grounds one to Higuchi. But he slips while fielding and his throw is low and wide and Ikeda scores! Itou then steals 2nd before Kobayashi walks. With runners on 1st and 2nd and the lead only at 2 now, Saitou slows down his pace and begins focusing on the runners. As the saying goes, if you start focusing on the runners, you tend to make a mistake on the batter. And that he does to Ishikawa, leaving one right over the plate that he takes to center scoring Itou and it’s now a 1-run game!! While Saitou finally settles down and gets the next two batters out, it’s now a ballgame.

With the newfound confidence by Nagano, they look to tie the game in the final two innings. Top 8 now, Yano walks. Uemura looks to put down the bunt, but pops it up! Saitou charges but it drops in front. He picks it up, drops it! Gets it again, but the throw is late! Now it’s Ikeda’s turn to put down the bunt. Kawashima charges, makes the throw to 1st and gets Ikeda. But then Kubota throws it to 3rd to catch Yano. There’s a collision and the ball comes out!! Yano comes in to score! Tie game!! And Uemura advances to 3rd!! Nagano has the go-ahead run 90 feet away with only 1 down!! Kitazawa walks to the plate with the opportunity, and on a 2-0 pitch hits one to the left side. Shigetani dives and makes the great stop. His throw home is high, but it’s enough to prevent Uemura from scoring! Runners are still at the corners though with 1 down for Itou. Down 0-2 in the count, he tries to put down the suicide squeeze but it goes foul! Nagano can’t push the go-ahead run home, but at least they’ve tied the game.

Chiba Keizai, after going up 7-0 early now find themselves tied going into the 9th. They’d like to end the game now after all that they’ve been through. And the man of the day, Shigetani, leads it off. After all that’s happened, both starting pitchers are still in the game. Uemura throws a hanging fastball and Shigetani puts it down the RF line for another double!! Kawashima looks to put the bunt down and does, but Uemura gets to it quickly and looks to 3rd to get Shigetani out. But Itou was charging it and there’s no one covering! So Uemura throws to 1st for the out and the winning run is 90 feet away for Chiba Keizai! Tani makes contact and it’s a slow chopper to Miyabuchi (who took over for Kitazawa after he was pinch-run for in the 8th by Hirabayashi). But Shigetani elects not to run home on the slow ball!! Tani is retired at 1st, and Inaba K’s to end the inning! We’re going into extras!

The first opportunity goes to Nagano. With 2 down in the 10th, Ikeda singles to the left side. Miyabuchi then bloops one to left center. Naitou dives, but can’t catch the blooper! Then Itou walks to load the bases!! But Kobayashi grounds out to Saitou to end the inning.

Chiba Keizai gets their own 2-out opportunity right afterwards. Yasaka, pinch-hitting for Gamou reaches on an error by Miyabuchi. Then Higuchi singles up the middle. But Saitou strikes out to end that threat.

Nagano goes quietly in the top of the 11th, so it’s Chiba’s turn again. Shigetani leads off the inning and gets on base. Not by the bat this time, but by getting hit. Kawashima then puts down the bunt moving Shigetani over. Tani then pops up to Kobayashi and now it’s two down. But Inaba walks on 4 straight. Kubota gets the sayonara chance now.

And he takes the first pitch to right!! Hiraguri in right tries to get it in, but bobbles it!! That’s all Shigetani needs to score and the game is over!! After blowing a 7-0 lead, they pull through in the 11th and win 8-7!! This is certainly the most exciting game of the Spring Koushien.


Player Lines
Ikeda (Nagano Nihon) - 2-4, 2B R, RBI, K, BB
Ishikawa (Nagano Nihon) - 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2BB
Nagato (Nagano Nihon) - 2-6, 2B, R
Shigetani (Chiba Keizai) - 4-5, 2 2B, 2R, BB
Kubota (Chiba Keizai) - 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI, GW single