Sakuin Gakuin "Baseball to breathe" from the shadow of dramatic victory August 11, 15:43
Sakushin Gakuin (Tochigi) has won the victory since 3 years ago when it won the summer Koshien. Behind the dramatic victory in the extra game, there was a discerning baseball that the director who achieved the revival of the traditional school told the players “to breathe”.
I feel the difficulty of winning one
The first match against Chikuyo Gakuen. Sakuin Gakuin shook off the heavy atmosphere of the same score from 9 outs and 2 outs of the 2 points lead, and won 2 points over the 10th extension.
For the first time in three years in the summer Koshien, Takahiro Kobuchi struggled, “I felt how hard it would be to win one in Koshien.”
Baseball that “breathes from the water”
The 36-year-old manager Kobayashi became the director of Sakushin Gakuin in 2006. From here, we have led the team to Koshien 12 times in spring and summer. Three years ago, Tatsuya Imai (now Seibu) was held and the national school was won for the first time in 54 years.
The aim of the small needle is “Baseball where players can breathe”. Rather than waiting for the director's instructions, he tells the player that he wants players to think and move by watching the game.
Even in regular practice, players have been repeatedly instructed that it is important to always be prepared, react and judge play, and put it into practice.
Athletes are “breathing” and moving
In the game against Chikuyo Gakuen, there was a scene in which the players embodied the guidance of the small needle. Immediately after being caught up from 9 out 2 out. There was a tough atmosphere as the team entered the extended game, but Kobuchi formed a circle in front of the bench and told the players, “Let's attack immediately this time.”
And 10 attacks. The first player, Mayu Fukuda, met with a hit and suddenly succeeded in the first batter's first ball, creating a chance to win. If you go out, you might get the other person to gain momentum. Stealing was not a sign from Kobuchi, but a decision from Fukuda. Mr. Fukuda, a fast-acting player, is told by Mr. Kobashi that "If you think you can go, run at your own discretion!"
Mr. Fukuda confirmed the video of the pitcher in advance and recalled that he was observing the pitching motion from the bench. Fukuda said, “The catcher's shoulders are strong, but there are not many tensions from the pitcher.
It was exactly the moment when Koshien showed the “baseball that“ breathed ”by myself” that Kobayashi told me.
Challenger baseball
From the chance of no-out second made by Fukuda's stealing, this time the small needle manager set up. The sign that came out after the batter was driven was "hit-end run". The hit end run from the second runner is a daring strategy where the chances may be lost in an instant if the batter flutters.
As a result, the batter was struck out, but Futada, the second base runner, started off with outstanding timing and succeeded in stealing the third base. With one out three bases, the opponent's infielder was forced to take forward defense, and third player Yoshiaki Nakajima pulled out the side of the second that had come out in front of him to remove the winning points. It was.
“The player won the game. He played a new baseball game. I want to attack the next game with a big dash,” says Kobuchi.
Sakushin Gakuin, where the players ran through the ground “breathing from the ground” and practiced the baseball they were aiming for in the first match, is aiming to win the national championship for the first time in three years.