Canterbury Baseball Club
by Sean Callahan 09 April 2006
Yoshimitsu Fuchigami doubled home two runs with two outs to tie the game in the ninth inning and Tony Haerewa followed by beating out an infield single to give the Non-Stars a come-from-behind victory over the national team seniors, AAAs and AAs.
With Sam Ballinger allowing just one hit and no runs, Joshua Batchelor allowing no hits and just one walk, and Chad Denny allowing just two singles and a walk in his first two innings, the Non-Stars' position looked grim going into the top of the ninth.
Trailing 3-0, the Non-Stars finally put together a rally. Kristoffer Batchelor worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on Andrew Peasey's single. Denny got Sean Callahan on weak pop-up to second for the second out, before Kunio Kamiya worked another walk to load the bases.
Nick Prince walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring in a run and, more importantly, bring Fuchigami to the plate. Fuchigami drove the first pitch down the left-field line to tie the game at three.
Tony Haerewa worked another full-count before beating out a soft roller to short to score Prince. When the throw to first went wide, Fuchigami scored to make it 5-3.
The All-Stars scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth on Tak Inagawa's sacrifice fly, but Justin Holcroft flew out to end the game. Yuki Nakabayashi had held the All-Stars to just three runs (one earned) over seven innings, while striking out seven.
The All-Stars took a 1-0 lead in the third, as Denny lined the ball just out of Sean Callahan's reach to score Scott Woyak. They made it 2-0 in the sixth when Steve Phillips hit a ball off the handle into left to score David Roche. They added an unearned run in the seventh, when Haerewa lost Holcroft's fly ball in the sun.
Notes: Leftfielder Leigh Ryman denied the Non-Stars their first run in the eighth when he threw Prince out trying to score from second on Fuchigami's single.
With Sam Ballinger allowing just one hit and no runs, Joshua Batchelor allowing no hits and just one walk, and Chad Denny allowing just two singles and a walk in his first two innings, the Non-Stars' position looked grim going into the top of the ninth.
Trailing 3-0, the Non-Stars finally put together a rally. Kristoffer Batchelor worked a one-out walk and advanced to second on Andrew Peasey's single. Denny got Sean Callahan on weak pop-up to second for the second out, before Kunio Kamiya worked another walk to load the bases.
Nick Prince walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring in a run and, more importantly, bring Fuchigami to the plate. Fuchigami drove the first pitch down the left-field line to tie the game at three.
Tony Haerewa worked another full-count before beating out a soft roller to short to score Prince. When the throw to first went wide, Fuchigami scored to make it 5-3.
The All-Stars scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth on Tak Inagawa's sacrifice fly, but Justin Holcroft flew out to end the game. Yuki Nakabayashi had held the All-Stars to just three runs (one earned) over seven innings, while striking out seven.
The All-Stars took a 1-0 lead in the third, as Denny lined the ball just out of Sean Callahan's reach to score Scott Woyak. They made it 2-0 in the sixth when Steve Phillips hit a ball off the handle into left to score David Roche. They added an unearned run in the seventh, when Haerewa lost Holcroft's fly ball in the sun.
Notes: Leftfielder Leigh Ryman denied the Non-Stars their first run in the eighth when he threw Prince out trying to score from second on Fuchigami's single.
Box Score