Right-hander Masahiro Tanaka labored over nine innings striking out 14 batters but got run support as defending champion Komadai Tomakomai beat Nanyo Kogyo 5-3 in the second round of the national high school championship on Thursday.
Tanaka struggled with his control early on but was helped to a 4-0 lead through the third. First baseman Ryuya Nakazawa went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and center fielder Atsushi Honma and catcher Suguru Kobayashi drove in a run apiece at Koshien Stadium.
Tanaka, who allowed three runs and seven hits against the Yamaguchi school, also drove in a run to move the Hokkaido school into the third round and a step closer to becoming the first school in 73 years to win the summer title three years in a row.
Yutaka Muraoka allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings after taking the mound with one out in the third.
In first-round action, first baseman Tomoaki Taniguchi had a two-run single and a sacrifice fly, helping to power Kumamoto Kogyo to a 6-4 win over Mie. Mie rapped out 15 hits but scored only four runs and Manato Umemura allowed six runs in eight innings.
In the day's second game, first baseman Yusuke Takahashi hit a two-run homer as Tenri from Nara Prefecture batted around in a five-run fifth inning and pitchers Takayuki Fujii and Masato Goto held off a late charge by Honjo of Akita Prefecture for a 7-5 victory.