Kyoto International Captures Japan’s High School Baseball Title for 1st Time; Edges Kanto Daiichi in 1st-Ever Use of Extra-Inning Tiebreaker at Koshien

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:24 JST, August 23, 2024

NISHINOMIYA, Hyogo — Kyoto International won its first-ever title at the National High School Baseball Championship, holding on for a nail-biting 2-1 victory over East Tokyo’s Kanto Daiichi on Friday after the first-ever use of extra-inning tiebreaking runners in the final of the summer tournament.

The two sides, both looking to become champion for the first time, were knotted at 0-0 after the regulation nine innings at Koshien Stadium.

The 10th inning started with each team having runners on first and second bases, and Kyoto managed to scrape together two runs before holding Kanto Daiichi to just one, striking out the last batter with the bases loaded.

“When we were in the field in the 10th inning, it was a situation that makes the legs shake,” Kyoto manager Noritsugu Komaki said.

“But I kept telling them we cannot lose the mental game. The entire team went out and batted with that in mind and this was the result.”

Kyoto International, founded in 1947 as a school for Korean students, became the first Kyoto Prefecture team to win the title of the prestigious tournament since Heian (now Ryukoku University Heian) won it in 1956. The victory in the 106th edition comes after the school was dealt a first-round defeat at the national invitational tournament in the spring.

Both teams had chances in the early innings, but could not break through against starters Rui Nakazaki of Kyoto and Kanto Daiichi’s Tetsushin Hatanaka.

In the top of the 10th, a leadoff single to left loaded the bases with no outs for Kyoto, which got runs in consecutive at-bats with a walk and a sacrifice fly.

After a single to center filled the bases again for Kyoto, Kanto Daiichi limited the damage by getting the force at home on a grounder to second and a flyout to center to end the inning.

Kyoto turned to left-hander Ikki Nishimura, who had pinch-hit for Nakazaki, to pitch in the bottom of the 10th. His mishandling of a bunt left the bases loaded, and a fielder’s choice allowed a run to score.

A walk reloaded the bases, but a grounder to first got the forceout at home, and Nishimura struck out Shintaro Sakamoto swinging to end the game.

“I never imagined we would get here [to the final],” Komaki said. “These kids have given this old man a wonderful summer break.”

The tiebreak system was adopted at Koshien in 2018, but starting from the 13th inning. It was changed last year to be used from the 10th.