On the seventh day of the Summer Koshien high school baseball tournament, in the third match, Ibaraki’s Kasumigaura High School defeated Chiben Wakayama High School 5-4 after an 11-inning tie-break, advancing to the third round.
In the second inning, with one out and a runner on second, Kasumigaura’s seventh batter, Takato Kakumata, hit a timely single to score the first run.
In the fifth inning, the third batter, Sakutaro Hananari, hit a timely triple and the fourth batter, Kento Oishi, followed with a timely single, adding two more runs.
In response, Chiben Wakayama scored three runs in the eighth inning, as the substitute Kyoshiro Takakawa and the fourth batter, Yuzuki Hanada, each hit consecutive home runs off Kasumigaura’s sophomore ace pitcher, Saiki Ichimura, who had been pitching well up until that point.
In the 11th inning of the tie-break, with two outs and runners on second and third, Kasumigaura regained the lead as the eighth batter, Yutaro Katami, hit a timely infield single to the shortstop, bringing in two runs.
In the bottom half of the inning, the second pitcher, Taiho Manaka, who had come in during the eighth inning, contained the counterattack to just one run, securing the 5-4 victory and advancing to the third round.
This marks Kasumigaura’s first victory at Koshien in both spring and summer tournaments.
Kasumigaura High School’s coach Yuji Takahashi remarked, “Singing the school song at Koshien is far more gratifying than just being here.” Regarding the second pitcher, Manaka, who contributed to the victory in relief from the eighth inning, he said, “He has awakened since entering the summer tournament, but I never expected such pitching in that situation; I am very surprised.” He also praised the starting pitcher, Ichimura, who held the opposition scoreless until the seventh, noting, “Though we allowed two home runs to tie the game, I think he showcased his true abilities with outstanding pitching.”
Yutaro Katami, who delivered the go-ahead timely hit in the 11th inning for Kasumigaura High School, shared, “With Manaka behind me, I focused not just on getting a hit, but on the mindset of definitely connecting. I thought the ball was weak, but I was glad it rolled to a good spot.” Reflecting on the team’s first victory at Koshien in both spring and summer, he stated, “Since winter, we have worked hard with the goal of singing the school song at Koshien, so I couldn’t stop smiling when we did.”
Taiho Manaka, a third-year student at Kasumigaura High School who pitched from the eighth inning, said, “I stepped onto the mound with the feeling that if my juniors got into trouble, the seniors should finish it. I’ve pitched in many tight situations in the prefectural tournament, so I guess I was accustomed to pressure and performed well.” Additionally, about his timely hit in extra innings, he noted, “Thanks to the previous player scoring a run, I stood in the batter’s box with a relaxed mindset. I was happy we were able to score the winning run as a team.”