Chukyo survives scare to win high school title
NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo Pref. (Kyodo) Chukyodai Chukyo survived a ninth-inning scare in the final against Nihon Bunri on Monday to win its first national high school championship in 43 years and a record seventh overall.
The Aichi Prefecture powerhouse pulled out a 10-9 victory over the Niigata school after giving up five runs and facing the potential tying run on third base in the top of the ninth.
With Nihon Bunri trailing by one and runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, a Naoki Wakabayashi line drive settled into the glove of third baseman Kanji Kawai at Koshien Stadium.
"We faced a stunning rally by Nihon Bunri in the ninth. My players stayed patient and managed to protect the lead," said Chukyo manager Toshiyuki Ofuji. "Our team scored a lot of runs throughout the tournament. It was a complete team effort."
The championship game appeared to be a one-man show by Shota Dobayashi until late in the contest.
The Chukyo pitcher and cleanup hitter had a two-run homer in the first and a tiebreaking two-run single in a six-run sixth that made it 8-2. An inning later, Chukyo extended the lead to 10-3.
But Dobayashi succumbed to Nihon Bunri's rally after retiring the first two batters of the ninth.
The first Niigata school to play the final in high school baseball's long history drew within 10-6 on back-to-back RBI extra-base hits off the right-hander.
A pair of singles off reliever Jumpei Morimoto drove in three more runs to make it 10-9.
Seven consecutive Nihon Bunri batters got on base before the final out. Four of them had hits with two walks and a hit-by-pitch.
In a post-game interview, Dobayashi did not look like a man on the winning team.
"I had a very hard time on the mound in the ninth," said a teary-eyed Dobayashi.
BoBA 2009 ISML Predictions: Diamond Match Day 4
ARENA 01: [Furukawa Nagisa] Mizunashi Akari
ARENA 02: [Chii] Misaka Shiori
ARENA 03: Hinamori Amu [Sakagami Tomoyo]
ARENA 04: C.C. [Ibuki Fūko]
ARENA 05: [Nagato Yuki] Patchouli Knowledge
ARENA 06: [Ryōgi Shiki] Kawazoe Tamaki
ARENA 07: Remilia Scarlet [Katsura Hinagiku]
ARENA 08: Shameimaru Aya [Shana]
ARENA 09: Kasuga “Ōsaka” Ayumu [Suzumiya Haruhi]
ARENA 10: Maria [Izumi Konata]
ARENA 11: Alice Carroll [Vita]
ARENA 12: [Asahina Mikuru] Hiiragi Tsukasa
ARENA 13: [Kinomoto Sakura] Kurata Sayuri
ARENA 14: Minase Nayuki [Sanzen'in Nagi]
ARENA 15: [Hiiragi Kagami] Kushieda Minori
ARENA 16: Sawatari Makoto [Fate Testarossa]
ARENA 17: [Shinku] Hakurei Reimu
ARENA 18: Tsukimiya Ayu [Takamachi Nanoha]
ARENA 19: [Ichinose Kotomi] Evangeline McDowell
ARENA 20: [Ryūgū Rena] Furude Hanyū
ARENA 21: [Sunohara Mei] Illyasviel von Einzbern
ARENA 22: Anya Alstreim [Kawashima Ami]
ARENA 23: Saber [Tōsaka Rin]
ARENA 24: [Suiseiseki] Konjiki no Yami
ARENA 25: Kawasumi Mai [Suigintou]
ARENA 26: [Furude Rika] Louise Vallière
ARENA 27: [Yagami Hayate] Kirisame Marisa
ARENA 28: [Misaka Mikoto] Nagi
ARENA 29: Chiba Kirino [Holo]
ARENA 30: Kōzuki Kallen [Katagiri Yūhi]
ARENA 31: [Index Prohibitorum] Kamio Misuzu
ARENA 32: [Fujibayashi Kyō] Aisaka Taiga
ARENA 02: [Chii] Misaka Shiori
ARENA 03: Hinamori Amu [Sakagami Tomoyo]
ARENA 04: C.C. [Ibuki Fūko]
ARENA 05: [Nagato Yuki] Patchouli Knowledge
ARENA 06: [Ryōgi Shiki] Kawazoe Tamaki
ARENA 07: Remilia Scarlet [Katsura Hinagiku]
ARENA 08: Shameimaru Aya [Shana]
ARENA 09: Kasuga “Ōsaka” Ayumu [Suzumiya Haruhi]
ARENA 10: Maria [Izumi Konata]
ARENA 11: Alice Carroll [Vita]
ARENA 12: [Asahina Mikuru] Hiiragi Tsukasa
ARENA 13: [Kinomoto Sakura] Kurata Sayuri
ARENA 14: Minase Nayuki [Sanzen'in Nagi]
ARENA 15: [Hiiragi Kagami] Kushieda Minori
ARENA 16: Sawatari Makoto [Fate Testarossa]
ARENA 17: [Shinku] Hakurei Reimu
ARENA 18: Tsukimiya Ayu [Takamachi Nanoha]
ARENA 19: [Ichinose Kotomi] Evangeline McDowell
ARENA 20: [Ryūgū Rena] Furude Hanyū
ARENA 21: [Sunohara Mei] Illyasviel von Einzbern
ARENA 22: Anya Alstreim [Kawashima Ami]
ARENA 23: Saber [Tōsaka Rin]
ARENA 24: [Suiseiseki] Konjiki no Yami
ARENA 25: Kawasumi Mai [Suigintou]
ARENA 26: [Furude Rika] Louise Vallière
ARENA 27: [Yagami Hayate] Kirisame Marisa
ARENA 28: [Misaka Mikoto] Nagi
ARENA 29: Chiba Kirino [Holo]
ARENA 30: Kōzuki Kallen [Katagiri Yūhi]
ARENA 31: [Index Prohibitorum] Kamio Misuzu
ARENA 32: [Fujibayashi Kyō] Aisaka Taiga
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