Yokohama defeats Hanamaki Higashi to advance to quarterfinals, Oda shut out 108th National High School Baseball

(18th, 108th National High School Baseball Championship Quarterfinals Yokohama 6-0 Hanamaki Higashi)

They did not give Yokohama any chance to gain ground with their pitching and batting. They took the lead in the first inning thanks to Yoto Tajima's double. In the fourth and fifth innings, he collected six singles and scored two runs each. Starting pitcher Shoki Oda hit a fastball with the fastest speed of 156km/h and got a shutout. It hurt that Hanamaki Higashi couldn't tie the game in the third inning with two outs and 1st and 2nd base.

Yokohama's impregnable defense Esaka: "I'm confident in my shoulders"

Yokohama has not made an error in three consecutive games. His impregnable defense makes the presence of ace Shoki Oda even more brilliant.

What greatly changed the flow of the game was their defense in the third inning with a one-point lead. Left fielder Yoshifumi Esaka was wary of the opponent's long hit from No. 4 and was guarding himself behind his regular position.

He makes up for this with his quick reaction to the ball. He charged the ball that grounded out to Sanyuma and said, ``I can do it.'' He threw a strike ball into the catcher's mitt without making a cut. They did not allow a tie. "I have confidence in my shoulders, so I'm glad I was finally able to show it." Immediately after, they added two points in the fourth inning, firmly taking control.

Last summer, Yokohama suffered a walk-off loss in the quarterfinals against Prefectural Gifu Commercial after a fierce battle lasting 11 extra innings. In the third game, he was on the bench on the third base side and batted first. The situation on this day was the same as last summer.

Still, Esaka said, ``Last year was last year. It's our generation now, so we just focused on what we had to do.'' His words were filled with the confidence and pride he had built up over the past year.

Higashi Hanamaki gets two hits, Kojo ``It was a culmination''

Daisho Kojo, Hanamaki East's captain and No. 4 player, showed his determination by getting two hits off Yokohama's ace Shoki Oda.

Faced with a right-handed pitcher with the fastest speed of 157 km/h, I thought, ``I might not get a single hit,'' but in the third inning he hit a hit to left field, and in the sixth inning, he hit a 154 km/h fastball to center field. ``This is the culmination of the event,'' he said with pride.

In Koshien for five consecutive seasons, Kojo has finished 4th in each season. He also showed success this summer with 7 hits in 15 at bats. Although he was battling the pain of his broken leg in the spring, ``Right now, the emotional pain of not being able to play baseball with my friends hurts more.''

No soil from Koshien will be taken home. With the packed stands in my eyes, I started walking towards the next stage.

Higashi Hanamaki/Director Hiroshi Sasaki

``Yokohama's solid defense and pitching ability were several levels higher than theirs, so we were underpowered. It felt like we were playing against an adult team.''

Hanamaki Higashi Kyota Arakawa Outfielder

In the 9th inning, with two outs and 1st base, he was a pinch hitter and hit 154 km to the right field. “The people who supported me allowed me to hit. I can only be grateful.”

Tournament record

No-fault game = Yokohama - Hanamaki Higashi This is the seventh time in this tournament.

Kanagawa team wins first summer victory over Iwate team