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08/22/2003 Archived Entry: "Japanese Baseball News: Tuesday's Koshien Action and Baseball in China"
Koshien Tournament
Seibu Gakuen High School ace Yuji Matsumura put the down the last eight Tenri High School hitters in order to end up with a six hitter in a 7-3 victory toget his side into the quarterfinals. Everyone in the Seibu starting lineup had at least one hit and they collected 11 in all. They got a big break in the fourth when, with a man on first and Tenri ahead 2-1, Tenri's rightfielder and second baseman couldn't decide who was going to catch a looper off the bat of catcher Kazunori Tajima and it tipped off the second baseman's mit for a lucky RBI triple. They then pushed two more across in the frame on a triple to right by third baseman Tomonobu Maekawa and they were on their way. Seibo is also the alma mater of Waseda University shortstop Takashi Toritani, whose younger brother is now the team's regular catcher. Unfortunately, he has come down with an unspecified internal organ disease and is in hospital....Gonokawa High School outpitched Okinawa Shogaku High School to edge out a 1-0 triumph and move into the quarterfinals. Gonokawa ace Masaru Kinoshita has now tossed two shutouts in a row with a four hitter while Shogaku starter Seiji Hirooka permitted just three hits in absorbing the defeat. Gonokawa posted its lone tally in the fourth, when shortstop Yuzo Shirohashi doubled to left with one away and, two hitters later, busted for home on a single to right by second baseman Kitajima, who finished with two of his team's trio of safeties. Gonokawa held on as they were no hit the rest of the way. By the way, game time was 1:48....Tosu Shogyo High School outdid Toyama Shogyo High School to slot into the final eight 6-3. Lefthanded Tosu ace Shigeno cracked three hits and drove in the lead run with the score tied 3-3 in the sixth with an infield hit. Toyama's starter had control problems, walking two in the first and seeing both of those score and then freepassing more runners in the sixth and they came home to haunt him as well....Kiryu Number One High School used six singles and a triple plus two wild pitches to rally from four runs down in the third inning and put up a six spot against Komatsushima High School and then white knuckled out a 6-5 win. First baseman Naoki Shinozaki paced the attack with three hits and an RBI while four others smacked two hits for the victors.
In the News
Among Hanshin Hysteria, Daiei Hawks Excelling
See story at: Japan Times Article
Battle Over "Hanshin Victory" Phrase Going to Court
See story at: Mainichi Shimbun Article
Baseball in China
See story at: Sports Business News Article
Little League and Bogus Nostalgia
See story at: Slate Article
