Haruku Makishi threw 579 pitches over the course of the tournament, carrying the Ginowan High School baseball team into the semifinals of the autumn prefectural tournament before their run ended in a 10-inning battle against Koza.
The autumn prefectural tournament serves as a qualifier for the upcoming spring Senbatsu Koshien tournament. In the semifinal round, Okinawa Shogaku secured a commanding 9-0 victory in seven innings over Energetic Sports, earning their third berth in the Kyushu tournament, according to regional reporting. The second semifinal featured Ginowan’s push against a Koza side seeking its first Kyushu tournament appearance in 49 years.
Makishi and Ginowan Fall Short in Ten Innings
Makishi handled every inning on the mound for Ginowan from the opening round onward, including two shutout victories that carried the team into the final four.
“I talked with the manager before the game about pitching by myself, so I took the mound with the absolute mindset to shut them down,” Makishi said.
Koza capitalized on early command issues in the opening frame, collecting two run-scoring hits to build a two-run lead. Makishi settled into a rhythm from the second inning onward, holding the deficit steady while waiting for offensive support.
Ginowan broke through in the fourth inning. After plating their first run, the team loaded the bases for eighth-hitter Masashi Minei. Minei hit a ground ball to shortstop, allowing the tying run to score. A subsequent wild pitch brought home the go-ahead run, putting Ginowan ahead.
Makishi Throws 121 Pitches to Eliminate Ginowan
Makishi protected the one-run advantage through the seventh frame, escaping a two-out, third-base jam in the middle innings with high-intensity pitching. Koza erased the deficit in the bottom of the eighth when the fifth-hitter, Miyahira, delivered a run-scoring hit with two outs and a runner on third.
Having already surpassed 100 pitches, Makishi continued to throw with maximum effort into extra innings. The decisive moment arrived during the bottom of the tenth inning on his 121st pitch of the game, ending Ginowan’s tournament campaign.
“I feel frustrated,” Makishi said after the game. “My teammates told me I was the only one who could do it, and I feel apologetic that I couldn’t live up to that expectation. I’m going to work hard through winter training with the mindset that I’ll pitch and win again in the spring and summer, so we can make it to Koshien.”
Both Okinawa Shogaku and Koza advanced out of the prefectural semifinals to represent the prefecture at the regional Kyushu tournament held in Kumamoto Prefecture.
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