Ashikaga Daifu secured a dramatic walk-off win in extra innings to reach the semifinals of the 79th Tochigi Fall High School Baseball Tournament on September 27, highlighting a round of quarterfinals that set the stage for the Kanto tournament qualifiers.
Extra-Inning Drama Secures Ashikaga Daifu’s Semifinal Berth
The quarterfinal matchup between Ishibashi and Ashikaga Daifu unfolded as a tense, back-and-forth battle at Kiyohara Stadium and Agec Stadium in Utsunomiya. Ashikaga Daifu struck first with a run in the opening inning, but Ishibashi answered with an equalizer in the second. Both squads traded blows through seven innings, locking the score at 3-3 to force extra innings.
In the 10th-inning tiebreaker, Ishibashi pushed across a single run in the top half. Ashikaga Daifu responded in the bottom of the frame with two runs to capture a 5-4 walk-off victory. The result marks Ashikaga Daifu’s fourth appearance in the tournament semifinals in 17 years.
Sano Nichidai Prevails Over Bunsei Fuzoku
The showdown between Sano Nichidai and Bunsei Fuzoku delivered a hard-fought battle. Sano Nichidai attacked Bunsei Fuzoku’s starting pitcher, 1st-year left-hander Soichiro Ishii, early in the game. Consecutive hits from No. 5 batter Hayato Kojima and No. 6 batter Ao Ikuda generated three runs to give Sano Nichidai an early cushion.
Sano Nichidai starting pitcher Tsubasa Okizaki surrendered single runs in the first and fourth innings but tightened his delivery in the middle and late frames, pitching a complete game while allowing two runs against Bunsei Fuzoku’s heavy-hitting lineup. Bunsei Fuzoku turned to second-pitcher Dairin Komori in relief starting in the sixth inning, who pitched three scoreless frames. Captain and No. 4 batter Shion Hiruta contributed two hits and one RBI for Bunsei Fuzoku, but the comeback fell short in a 3-2 defeat.
Tochigi Kogyo Overcomes Yaita Chuo in Unseeded Battle
The unseeded matchup between Tochigi Kogyo and Yaita Chuo turned into an offensive struggle from the outset. Yaita Chuo held a 5-4 lead at the end of the fifth inning, maintaining pressure into the late stages of regulation. However, Tochigi Kogyo broke through with two runs in the seventh inning to grab the lead, then added an insurance run in the eighth to secure a 7-5 victory. The win propels Tochigi Kogyo to its fifth semifinal appearance in 25 years.
Sakushin Gakuin Advances Behind Dominant Pitching Relay
Playing without manager Takahiro Kobari, Sakushin Gakuin kept its defensive record intact with a shutout performance. Sakushin Gakuin manufactured a run in the third inning, added two runs in each of the sixth and seventh frames, and padded the lead with three runs in the eighth to trigger a 7-0 mercy-rule victory in eight innings.
Starting pitcher Zen Kobayashi and two relief pitchers combined for a shutout relay. Sakushin Gakuin has advanced through the second round, third round, and quarterfinals without conceding a single run.
Prefectural Semifinals Set for October 3
The tournament serves as the Tochigi prefectural qualifier for the 79th Fall Kanto Regional High School Baseball Tournament, which acts as a feeder for next spring’s Senbatsu High School Baseball Tournament at Koshien. The semifinal games are scheduled for October 3, where the two victorious schools will earn qualification for the Kanto tournament opening October 17 in Gunma Prefecture.
Keep reading
