Yuki Saito worked tirelessly on the mound yet again to lead Tokyo's Waseda Jitsugyo to its first National High School Baseball Championship title after a 4-3 victory over Komadai Tomakomai from Hokkaido on Monday.
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| Waseda Jitsugyo Outfielder Yu Funabashi singles home a run off Komadai Tomakomai reserve pitcher Shota Kikuchi with one out and runners at the corners in the first inning during the rematch of the National High School Championship final on Monday at Koshien Stadium. Waseda Jitsugyo won 4-3 for its first championship. KYODO PHOTOS |
In a replay of Sunday's game that ended in a 1-1, 15-inning tie, Saito struck out 13 in his fourth complete game in as many days as Waseda Jitsugyo dashed Komadai Tomakomai's hopes of becoming only the second team to win a third straight national title in front of a crowd of 50,000.
Waseda Jitsugyo, which had played in the inaugural national championship in 1915 and reached the final for the first time in 26 years, claimed the title in its 27th appearance in the annual summer meet held at Koshien Stadium.