Ishibashi team lamenting their defeat against Aomori Yamada. The fifth person from the left is Coach Fukuda = both at Koshien Stadium
On the 10th day of the 106th National High School Baseball Championship on the 16th, Ishibashi, representing Tochigi, faced Aomori Yamada (Aomori) in the third round and suffered a 0-5 shutout loss. The team ended the tournament with tears of regret. Coach Hiroyuki Fukuda, who continued to inspire the team, could not stop his tears.
Starting pitcher Eita Yanagida
Number 1 pitcher Eita Yanagida (3rd year) started the game. It was a chance for redemption on the Koshien mound since being taken out early in the Tochigi tournament final (July 28), but after two outs in the first inning and a runner on second base, he allowed a two-run homer to Aomori Yamada’s cleanup hitter Junki Harada (3rd year). In the second inning, he gave a walk to the leadoff hitter, prompting a relief from Shota Irie (3rd year), who had thrown a shutout in the second round (against Seiwa Gakuen from Miyagi). Irie held the opponents to just two runs in seven innings, waiting for the batting lineup to rally.
In the 5th inning with no outs and a runner on first, a ball hit by Captain Taguchi hits Yuto Wakatsuki and he is on the ground in pain
However, the batting lineup did not click. In the second to fourth innings, they managed to push runners to third base with hits but could not convert, ending with a scoreless performance. In the fifth inning, an unfortunate play occurred when a ball hit by Captain Satsuki Taguchi (3rd year) struck a teammate, resulting in an out (interference). From the sixth inning onward, they were held hitless against Aomori Yamada’s three pitchers.
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＜Comment from Tetsuya Sakamura, Mayor of Shimotsuke City, Ishibashi’s hometown＞ Thank you for a wonderful game on the grand stage of Koshien. The achievements of the Ishibashi High School baseball team have brought us dreams and inspiration, creating a new history.