Overview

• Yamanashi Gakuin erupted for five runs in the second inning, starting with Yu Yokoyama’s leadoff solo home run, and controlled the game from there.
• Kyoto Kokusai ace Ikki Nishimura allowed 10 hits and nine runs over six innings, later saying he will head to university with the goal of turning professional.
• Head coach Koji Yoshida said Nishimura’s fastball lacked life early and instructed his hitters to attack, and he removed starter Haruki Komoda midgame because his pitches were not running.
• Yokoyama’s shot was the tournament’s eighth home run, pushing this summer past last year’s seven under the lower‑rebound metal bat standard introduced in 2024.
• Nihon University Third’s Ryo Tanaka hit his second homer of the tournament—the first multi‑homer performance by a player in the low‑rebound bat era—as teams navigated workloads after the Aug. 18 rest day.