Sendai Ikuei defeats Takudai Koryo and advances to the top eight for the first time in three years, national high school baseball championship

(15th, 108th National High School Baseball Championship 3rd round Sendai Ikuei 6-3 Takudai Koryo)

Sendai Ikuei had seven hits and four points through the second inning. He took the initiative by hitting a loose breaking ball. In the seventh inning, right after he was down to two runs, he allowed a triple and a sacrifice fly. Takudai Hongling made a tenacious attack with 11 of their 12 hits being singles. In the 8th and 9th innings, he got the first batter on base, but home plate was far away.

Director Nobuyuki Sakamaki (Takudai Koryo)

``I regret not being able to score with no outs on first and second base in the 8th inning.The players really showed their strengths.''

Miyagi has higher winning percentage

Chiba representative's total winning percentage in the championship has increased from .555 before the match to .552 (101 wins, 82 losses). The Miyagi representative improved their ranking from .551 to .553 (88 wins, 71 losses), making a reversal in both prefectures.

“About 2,000 points,” Sendai Ikuei coach praises the team.

Sendai Ikuei's Yuto Fukui, who started for the first time this summer, pitched until the middle of the 6th inning, giving up 3 runs and creating the game.

He is a second-year right-hander with a fastest speed of over 140km/h. In the opening game against Sapporo Nihon University (South Hokkaido), he provided relief in the sixth inning with one out and second and third basemen on base, and was able to overcome the crisis with one run allowed. After the game, he said, ``I want to pitch more.''

Manager Wataru Sue entrusted him with the starting role, saying, ``It's fine if you go until the fifth inning.'' He wasn't nervous and pitched with pace. Although they conceded three runs because of a soft ball, coach Sue praised them and said, ``I think we should score around 2,000 points.''

The team is in the top eight for the first time in three years. Although he played his role as a starter, he looked ahead to the next game, saying, ``I'll score about 50 points today.''