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Japan's national high school baseball championship, commonly referred to as "Koshien" for the name of the stadium where it is played in Nishinomiya, a city outside Osaka, is headed for a replay Monday afternoon after Waseda Jitsugyo (outside Tokyo) and Komadai Tomakomai (from southern Hokkaido) played a 15-inning 1-1 tie. This will be only the second replay in the tournament since 1969 when two teams played an 18-inning scoreless tie.
Waseda's Yuki Saito threw his third complete game in three days and threw 178 pitches!. Komadai Tomakomai's Masahiro Tanaka didn't enter the game until the third and threw 12 2/3 and 165 pitches.
If Komadai Tomakomai can win Monday, they will win their third straight Koshien tournament and be the first school to pull off that feat since Chukyo Shogyo of the city of Aichi did so from 1931-33.
You can watch it live from the linked site. You can chat about it here with people who will know what's going on.
The game starts at 9 pm PST, midnight EST.
Update - Saito is starting again. Tanaka came in to relieve in the first after Waseda took a 1-0 lead.
Update - Waseda leads 3-1 after 6 1/2
Update - Going to the ninth, 4-1 Waseda. They don't waste time in high school ball in Japan. Saito, with the exception of one home run, has been tough to hit.
Update - Single and homer to start the ninth for Komodai. They trail 4-3. No one out.
Update - All over. Saito goes the distance again. Waseda, alma mater of Sadaharu Oh, wins 4-3!
Three complete games in three days with the third game requiring 178 pitches. That's criminal.
My distinct memories of Koshien include how when teams lost, they collected dirt from the field, many in tears, as a keepsake; how they ran to the stands of their supporters after the game and removed their hats and bowed with gratitude; watching overheated fans comfort themselves with baggies of crushed ice, the biggest selling concession item; how you could tell what position a player played by the number on their uniform, and anybody over "9" was probably a substitute; watching the same pitcher pitch nearly every inning of every game; and after a late game the previous day, watching a team take the field the next day with unlaundered uniforms.
Some of these things may have changed from 30+ years ago, but thats how the tournament was back then. Thanks for the link.
The stadium is packed. And it's very loud.
I'm not giving mine up.
The game is being played midday on Monday. And it's not a holiday.
Nothing stands between Bob and Japanese high school baseball
Although with less gambling.
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