Mie vs Tenri

Tenri struck first in the top of the 2nd inning. Leadoff hitter Kanemoto launched a solo home run to left field, putting Tenri ahead 1-0 and setting the tone for the morning.

They added another run in the 4th. A single, a sacrifice bunt and a timely hit extended the lead to 2-0, with Mie’s defence unable to contain Tenri’s patient approach.

The game remained 2-0 through seven innings as Tenri left-hander Osuke Hashimoto kept Mie’s hitters off-balance with a steady diet of fastballs and breaking pitches. Mie stranded runners in scoring position in the 3rd, 5th and 6th innings, unable to deliver the key hit.

The floodgates opened in the 8th. Tenri batted around, scoring three runs on a combination of singles, walks and a costly Mie error. Two more runs crossed in the 9th, putting the game well beyond reach.

Hashimoto sealed the complete-game shutout with his fourth strikeout, finishing on 154 pitches.

Kanemoto’s leadoff home run in the 2nd inning changed the complexion of the game entirely. Tenri — who had scored 12 of their 13 tournament runs from the 6th inning onwards in earlier rounds — showed they could strike early, and Mie’s “first-inning” scoring threat (they entered having scored all 10 of their runs by the 5th inning across two games) never materialised.

LHP Osuke Hashimoto (Tenri) — The #10 pitcher, making his first start of the tournament, threw a complete-game shutout: 9 IP, 154 pitches, 9 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts. He never allowed Mie to string together a multi-run inning despite facing traffic on the bases.

Kanemoto (Tenri) — His solo home run in the 2nd inning proved to be the game-winner. It was the spark Tenri needed to seize control before their usual late-inning surge.

Tenri batting lineup (1-4) — The top four hitters consistently reached base, combining for multiple hits and scoring most of the runs.

Tenri out-hit Mie 13-9 but the margin feels wider given when the hits came. Mie committed 4 errors to Tenri’s 2, a critical difference in a tournament where defensive mistakes snowball quickly. Tenri’s 5-run outburst across the 8th and 9th innings — when Mie’s pitching depth ran thin — accounted for over two-thirds of the scoring.

Hashimoto’s 154-pitch complete game is notable in a tournament where pitch-count management is increasingly discussed, but he never wavered: only 3 walks against 9 hits scattered across nine innings.

Tenri advance to the semi-finals of the 108th Summer Koshien for the first time since 2017, keeping alive their bid for a third national championship (1986, 1990). They await the winner of the later quarter-finals.

For Mie, the tournament run ends in the quarter-finals after wins over Matsumoto Shogyo and Riseisha. Their offence, which had scored all 10 of its runs by the 5th inning in the first two games, never got going against Hashimoto.

Tenri’s 7-0 victory is their 51st Summer Koshien win in school history, a testament to the programme’s enduring pedigree.

Hashimoto delivered the performance of the tournament so far when his team needed it most. Tenri’s combination of a dominant starting pitcher, timely early hitting, and a deep lineup makes them a genuine threat to reach the final. Mie, for all their early-tournament promise, simply had no answer for the Tenri lefty.