April 9th Ishikawa v Hasegawa - Ishikawa wobbles

Carp avoided a sweep with an efficient but partially lucky win. They were a much more subdued outfit this game with none of the cockiness of the previous days. Tigers did quite well, once again the relief was strong. Ishikawa went seven innings but lost focus during the middle of his session. He was punished for his laxness. Still an excellent series win. Box scores.

       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Carp   0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 4 7 0
Tigers 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 9 0

Starting lineups

Carp
1. Akamatsu (Centre)
2. Higashide (Second)
3. Amaya (Right)
4. Kurihara (First)
5. Shima (Left)
6. Seabol (Third)
7. Ishii (Short)
8. Ishihara (Catcher)
9. Hasegawa (Pitcher)

Tigers
1. Akahoshi (Centre)
2. Hirano (Second)
3. Toritani (Short)
4. Kanemoto (Left)
5. Arai (Third)
6. Sekimoto (First)
7. Mench (Right)
8. Kanoh (Catcher)
9. Ishikawa (Pitcher)

Ishikawa would start well, his pitching was smooth and focused. Akamatsu struck out firs and the next two batters followed in quick succession. Hasegawa would start in a less assured manner but would have more stamina and control over his session. He started with a one out hit to Hirano (who had a good game). This meant he had to face Kanemoto whom he walked to set up runners on first and second with two outs. Arai though flew out and that chance was wasted. Carp's second was likewise quiet as the batters were retired in order. Tigers second saw Kanoh walk but nothing came to this. Things started to happen in Carp's third. Everything looked fine - Ishii was out but then Ishihara hit, driving the ball into right field. Hasegawa bunted and this took Ishihara to second but with two outs. Next batter Akamatsu - he swung at his second pitch and got a lucky impact. The ball ballooned up and over Hirano who ran back and dived but couldn't reach the ball. Akahoshi was also too far back to catch it and Ishihara motored home 1-0 Carp runner on first. Akamatsu next stole second (though replays showed he was out) and this really rattled Ishikawa. Higashide took a swing at a low pitch and produced a nice two base hit to centre right with Akamatsu home 2-0 Carp runner on second. Kurihara grounded out to end that innings which has turned out satisfactorily for the Carp. Hasegawa now had to protect the lead but he ran into trouble with one out. Hirano hit to left for a two base. Next was Toritani who hammered a two base to right Hirano was home 2-1 Carp, runner on second. Kanemoto walked and a wild pitch took the runners to second and third. Here a sacrifice fly would have tied the score but Arai messed this up. His batting was poor this game and he didn't put the ball far enough. Sekimoto was the final batter and he grounded out.

In the fourth Ishikawa walked Shima with one out - a poor piece of pitching to a batter who is currently no threat. Shima stole second (though once again replays showed he was out). Seabol hit to left and Carp had runners on first and third. Next was Ishii who took a swing and planted a nice two base hit also to right centre 3-1 Carp runners on second and third. This looked like a big innings but Ishihara flew out to short and Hasegawa fell to a superb piece of fielding. The pitch wasn't good, in fact it was terrible and Hasegawa punched it through the infield into right. Mench charging in dipped, picked it up and fired it straight into Sekimoto's glove at first. It just beat the runner and Hasegawa was out and the innings over. Mench had saved two runs. Tigers fourth was quiet but Ishikawa was still wayward. He walked Higashide and with two out faced Kurihara. Another swing and the ball landed in left field for a two base hit. Higashide was home 4-1 Carp and Kurihara was ensconsed on second. Shima though flew out and the innings was over but Carp were comfortably in the lead. Hasegawa returned and walked Hirano with one out but a Toritani double play ended the innings. In contrast to the past three innings Ishikawa's and Carp's sixth was superb. He struck out all three batters, Seabol looking, Ishii and Ishikawa swinging completely fooling them. Hasegawa did not return for the sixth. Brown thought he had done enough and so Umetsu took the mound. He gave up a hit to Kanemoto who drilled the ball down the centre. Arai flew out and then it was Sekimoto's turn to hit into a double play and end the innings.

Surprisingly Ishikawa returned for Carp's seventh. Mayumi seems to want seven innings out of his starting pitchers (except Shimoyanagi). How would he do - would this be too much? Actually, Ishikawa handled the innings well, he did give up a two out hit to Higashide but the Carp second didn't advance beyond first. Tigers seventh was pitched by Schultz who gave up a hit to Katsuragi (pinch hitter and replacement first). He advanced to second on a Hiyama (pinch hitter) ground out but the innings also ended tamely. Carp's eighth was pitched by Egusa who really has become a useful utility pitcher. He walked Kurihara but then found his groove and retired the next three batters. For the bottom Brown went to Yokoyama. He faced Hirano who once again hit a two base. Next batter Toritani hit to centre but Hirano once again stopped at third. There should have been easily enough time for him to make home. Maybe there is some medical reason why he can't run too fast. If he had made home it would have increased the pressure on Carp. However, it was not to be and with runners on first and third with no outs Yokoyama faced Kanemoto. He tried to lift a pitch over the right wall but the wind caught it and the ball dropped short into the glove of right. Hirano tagged up and made home 4-2 Carp runner on first. This didn't work out as Arai hit into a double play and ended the innings. Mayumi brought Atchison in for Carp's ninth. Eight pitches was all it took him as all the batters grounded out. So to Tigers ninth and once again Brown went to Nagakawa. The first two outs were smooth enough and then he faced Katsuragi who steered the ball into left for a base hit. Imaoka (pinch hitter) followed next to a rapturous welcome. He slammed his first pitch into left for a two base hit, runners on second and third with two outs. Nagakawa looked shaky again. Saka (pinch hitter) followed but he grounded out and Carp had won.

Good pitching by Hasegawa had kept the Tigers under control but they had also had a fair amount of assistance from Ishikawa. Kanoh had once again done well but had been unlucky not to have the two steals awarded. Okazaki had made an appearance in the eighth and had called better than before. Perhaps using Saka as a pinch hitter wasn't such a good idea and maybe Takahashi would have been better. Kanemoto went 1-2 with an RBI and is really looking on form.