On the 4th, two second-round games of the Kinki Regional Qualifier for the 49th Japan Amateur Baseball Championship were held at Wakasa Stadium Kyoto in Kyoto City. Panasonic won 20-4 against Sekimeda Gakuin after a shutout in the seventh inning. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries West, which made it to the quarterfinals in this summer’s Intercity Tournament, beat SUN Holdings WEST 6-1, and both teams advanced to the semifinals.[Shimokawabe Kaho]

Panasonic Director Kanamori Takayuki

We were disappointed that we couldn’t participate in the Intercity Tournament this summer, so we put all our effort into this tournament. We started well, but we created chances in the first innings but couldn’t score, so we’d like to fix that and go into the next game.

(Shun) Hokane (who hit the grand slam) was in good condition. He’s been producing great results, so I’m counting on him. If the young players do their best, we can create a synergistic effect.

Kyosuke Miyazaki (who batted fourth) is a player who has grown since the Intercity Baseball Tournament qualifiers. He hit a home run and lived up to expectations.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries West – Manager Yuki Tsuno

At the start of the qualifying round, both the pitchers and fielders were a little nervous, but Takeda (Yuki) pitched carefully and kept the game going.

In the early stages of the offense, we had a bad flow, but Yamashita (Kota) hit a timely hit when we had the chance. After (Yamashita) entered the second position, the batting line-up was well connected and did a good job at the right time.

(Having made it to the quarterfinals of the Intercity Championships) now is a turning point for the team. This is a crucial time when we can either drop out or become a stronger team, so we want to win the right to represent Japan and take part in the Japan Championships.