An absolute thrilling yet frustrating game of the day should be nominated to the first game of second round in Tokyo Dome and the second game of second round in Meiji Jingu. As in detail, Kyushu Sangyo-Sendai University in Tokyo Dome and Tenri-Hachigaku University in Meiji Jingu.
Kyushu Sangyo leads first in top of 2nd with two runs but then got caught in the middle of the game and Sendai tied up the game. Each teams manages to get one more run yet still got tied on until 9th ends.
Tie break started, and somehow while both of teams facing the most crisis pinch of two out base-loaded, they managed to survive the pinch and goes on to 11th. Kyushu Sangyo got the another two runs first, leading the score to 5-3. Sendai University was almost close to scoring another runs too, but only one run coming to home and game set with the result of 5-4. Kyushu Sangyo qualified as the best 8 for the first time since 2018.
Meanwhile Tenri was an absolute massacre for Hachigaku. Tenri scores first, Hachigaku caught up in top of 4th, and everything looks fine until bottom of 4th.
Tenri started the chaos with continuous hit and timely, while shaking off the pitcher to make a base-loaded chances for them. Few of hits comes as infield hit and fielder’s choice, and in a blink of eye, the game’s turns out into such a frustrating situation for Hachigaku as the gap got bigger into 9-1. And the result ends up in 5th as called game when Tenri succeeded to walk off the game with another two runs, 11-1 and game set. This called game marks their second called game of the tournament.
 |
| Tenri University’s Ishitobi Tomohiro |
The most surprising and exciting thing in this tournament is Tenri’s power hitter Ishitobi Tomohiro (石飛智洋). Being in his last year might made him become so heated up in his latest career of college baseball. So far he has recorded an average of 1.000 in batting with today’s result of 3-3, 3 RBI and 1 HR! As I haven’t seen any comments from scouters or even detailed information about him so far, I guess we can conclude that he’s a hidden gems among Japan’s amateur baseball. An interesting prospect that I would to discuss near in the future soon.