Day 9 Wrap Up
With information compiled via usual sources, etc.
Game 1 Takigawa Daini 1-7 Sendai Ikuei. For me this game was an enjoyable "no contest" because sometimes it's fun to sit back and watch a fun team play well. Sendai Ikuei plays solid ball and I disagree with Goroshigeno about Satou Sena, I think he's one of the better pitchers at Koshien. Last night I was impressed not only by his consistent speed on his fastball but also the amount of apparent movement on the ball. He's got a consistent slider & forkball and the occasional 12-6 curve. They draw Hanamaki Higashi for the third round which means one of the two threats will be out after that game.
Game 2 Tsu Shogyo 2-4 Toba. First time Koshien participant Tsu Shogyo put in a good showing this summer. Unfortunately for Toba a win here resulted in drawing Kounan for their next game.
Game 3 Takasaki Kenko Fukushi Daigaku Takasaki 8 - 3 Sohseikan. Not a real surprise here. Winners got a favorable draw for third round.
Day 10 Preview - Third Round Begins!
Today and tomorrow are the third round games. All start times Japan time, starting at 8am.
Game 1 8:00 東海大甲府 Tokai Daigaku Fuzoku Kofu - 早実 Waseda Jitsugyo. Once again for my purposes the game I want to see is up first! I am expecting offensive fireworks and frankly very little in the way of pitching. Waseda Jitsugyo's pitching was thoroughly exposed by Hiroshima Shinjo and Tokaidai Kofu hasn't looked much better. So key to the game for both teams will be managing their pitching relay. For Waseda Jitsugyo, forget media attention, they have to have Kiyomiya and Katou have big games to win.
Game 2 10:30 鶴岡東 Tsuruoka Higashi - 花咲徳栄 Hanasaki Tokuharu. Not much of a preview I can give to this one, not having watched a game with either team yet. Hanasaki Tokuharu put up 15 in their first game.
Game 3 13:00 遊学館 Yugakkan - 東海大相模 Tokai Daigaku Fuzoku Sagami. With Tsuruga Kehi out Tokaidai Sagami has to be the favorite to win everything - with good reason. Forget that they have an ace throwing 94, they've got a backup who cruised easily through 8 innings of their first game, so they've got pitching for daaaaaaaays. On the other side we have Yugakkan, with a pitcher whose fastball tops out in the 70s. He has a tricky delivery to mask that but this could get ugly.
Game 4 15:30 作新学院 Sakushin Gakuin - 九州国際大付 Kyushu Kokusai Daigaku Fuzuoku. Kyushu Kokusai Daigaku Fuzuoku pulled off the slight upset by knocking out Osaka Kaisei (;_
. Meanwhile Sakushin Gakuin had an easier path with Ueda Nishi but gave up 6 runs to get here.