In the third game on the first day of the Senbatsu High School Baseball tournament, Kumamoto Kokufu High School, making its first Koshien appearance throughout the spring and summer, won a walk-off 2-1 against Omi High School in Shiga after a 10-inning tiebreaker overtime, advancing to the second round. I did.
In the third inning, trailing by one run, Kumamoto Kokufu tied the score with a timely two-base hit from No. 3 Uchida Umi, who was on second base with one out, hitting the left-center field.
On the pitching staff, starting pitcher Rihito Sakai pitched by collecting the ball low and letting it hit, and got off the mound with one run allowed in the seventh inning, and from the eighth inning on, second pitcher Oki Ueda pitched three innings without allowing a run. I did.
From the 4th inning onwards, pitchers from both teams continued to pitch well, and the game went into overtime with the score tied at 1-1.
In overtime with a tie-break starting with no outs on first and second base, Kumamoto Kokufu won a walk-off 2-1 in the 10th inning, with one out and the bases loaded, Omi's ace pitcher, Tsunemasa Nishiyama, made a wild pitch that sent a runner on third base. .
Kumamoto Kokufu, who participated in Koshien for the first time throughout the spring and summer, advanced to the second round.
In Omi, pitcher Nishiyama, armed with a powerful fastball and a slider with a wide curve, threw 169 pitches during the 10th inning, and showed strong pitching with 14 strikeouts, but he couldn't hold on in the end and finished runner-up for the first time since the year-old tournament. I didn't make it through the first round.
《Kumamoto Kokufu Coach/Player Statement》
Coach Yamada: ``I'm proud that we played like ourselves.''
Kumamoto Kokufu's manager, Yuki Yamada, commented on his first victory in his first Koshien appearance in the spring and summer, ``I'm glad that we were able to get our first win among the strong teams participating in Koshien.We play baseball that defends and wins. We strived to achieve this goal, and I'm proud that we were able to perform as ourselves on this stage," he said with a smile.
Looking ahead to the second round, he said, ``We want to continue to play matches that give courage to those who support us.We want to continue to play our own way of fighting with our defensive skills that have been thoroughly honed by repeating the basics. ” he said.
Captain Nozomi Noda: ``I want to enjoy Koshien''
Nozomi Noda, captain of Kumamoto Kokufu, said, ``We were conscious of playing Koshien while having fun. Some players were nervous at the beginning, but after the fourth inning, the nervousness disappeared and they started playing their own baseball. We were able to expand," he said.
On top of that, he said, ``It was easy for us to defend because the pitching staff kept pitching by reducing the number of walks and letting them hit the ball.In the next game, we want to play baseball like ourselves, defending and winning.'' We were talking.
Pitcher Rito Sakai: ``It was reassuring to hear the cheers from the Alps seats.''
Pitcher Rihito Sakai, starting pitcher for Kumamoto Kokufu, said, ``I'm confident in the team's defensive ability, so I thought that if I continued to let them hit and take pitches, I would definitely be able to suppress the opponent's batting lineup. I believed we could win if we played," he said, looking back on the match.
Regarding his first win at Koshien, his first in the spring and summer, he said, ``I'm glad I was able to deliver my first win to the people who cheered me on.Every time I stopped the opponent's batter, I could hear the cheers from the Alps seats, which was reassuring.'' "It is," he said.
《Omi Coach/Player Statement》
Coach Taga Omi ``Rebuild the team from scratch again''
Omi coach Akihito Taga said, ``We were able to create some chances, but we weren't able to convert them into points. It was particularly painful that we couldn't score in the first inning.''
When asked about the team's challenges, he said, ``There are too many. I want to utilize the experience I had in games like this in the summer. I want to rebuild the team from scratch once again.''
Captain Naota Oishi ``I want to come back to Koshien again''
Omi's captain and No. 4 player Naota Oishi reflected, ``Even though pitcher Nishiyama did his best, our fielders couldn't help him, which is very frustrating.''
He added, ``Since I squandered our chances and lost, I want to bat in a way that will help the team win.I want to turn today's game into strength and return to Koshien again.'' We talked about our determination towards.
Pitcher Tsunemasa Nishiyama ``It wasn't my rhythm''
Omi pitcher Tsunemasa Nishiyama, who pitched hard but lost, said, ``My opponent didn't swing the first pitch, so I wasn't in my rhythm.It was the first pitch, there were a lot of walks, and it was difficult to finish with three players. So that wasn't a good thing," he recalled.
Regarding his 14 strikeouts, he said, ``I was able to break the opponent's rhythm with my slider, so I think that was a good thing.''
He then said, ``His physical strength was declining in the second half, so I want to strengthen his physical strength.'' He vowed to overcome his challenges in preparation for the summer.