In the National High School Baseball Championship, Aomori’s representative, Aomori Yamada High School, faced Nagano’s representative, Nagano Nichidai High School, on the 13th, the seventh day of the tournament, winning 9 to 1 and securing advancement to the third round.
After a 7-year absence, Aomori Yamada made its 12th appearance in the summer Koshien, facing Nagano Nichidai in their first match on the 13th.
Aomori Yamada created a bases-loaded opportunity in the third inning, with captain Kousuke Hashiba hitting a timely single to right field, scoring two runs to take the lead. Following him, seventh batter Shouta Ebina also hit a timely two-base hit over the left fielder’s head, allowing the team to score four runs in that inning.
In the fourth inning, first batter Koushirou Sato extended the lead further with a solo home run to left, marking the second home run of the tournament.
The momentum of Aomori Yamada did not waver, and in the seventh inning, eighth batter Imma Kikuchi hit a timely two-base hit splitting the left-center field, and first batter Sato added a three-base hit, widening the gap to a 9-run difference.
On the pitching end, starting pitcher Kouichirou Seki kept the opponent to just one run over nine innings, leading Aomori Yamada to a solid victory of 9 to 1.
Aomori Yamada will play against Tochigi’s Ishibashi High School in the third round scheduled for the 16th of this month.
【Koushirou Sato, who hit a home run】
Koushirou Sato, who hit the second solo home run of the tournament in the fourth inning, reflected, “I went up to bat with the mindset to just get a hit. I hit a fastball down the middle. The moment I hit it, I felt it was going in. The cheers from the crowd were amazing, so it felt really good.”
Looking toward the next game, he said, “I don’t think we can always get as many hits as we did today, but I hope we can string together hits and score, and win.”
【Captain Kousuke Hashiba】
Captain Kousuke Hashiba, who hit a two-run timely single to open the scoring in the third inning, reflected, “Our pitcher Seki pitched with resilience, so I thought we needed to score the first run no matter how. It wasn’t a pretty hit, but I’m glad it went through the infield.”
Regarding the team’s overall performance, which included 11 hits despite the main batters not getting a hit, he stated, “We have confidence in our hitting as a team. Even if the middle order doesn’t hit, the lower order stepping up is a strength of ours, and I think we were able to show that today.”
【Coach Takurou Kabutomori】
Aomori Yamada High School’s coach Takurou Kabutomori said, “The players were calm and played as usual. Catcher Hashiba was able to catch a stealing attempt, and we all supported our pitcher Seki.”
He also praised Koushirou Sato, who hit the home run, saying, “That was nice batting. He couldn’t get hits during the Senbatsu, so I think this inning helped him gain confidence.”
Looking ahead to the next game, he added, “As we move forward with victories, the middle order’s batting will be a crucial point for the team, so I hope they adjust properly and prepare for the next match.”