Tenri Beats Mie to Reach Final Four at Koshien
Listen to the story
Tenri High School has reached the semifinals of the Koshien national high school baseball tournament after defeating Mie High School. Koshien is Japan's most famous baseball stadium and hosts a major tournament every summer.
Mie was known for its powerful batting lineup, a team known for strong hitters, but the players struggled against Tenri's left-handed pitcher, Hashimoto Oyu. His pitching kept Mie from scoring any runs at all.
The game ended in a shutout victory for Tenri, meaning Mie failed to score a single run throughout the entire match. Reports say Tenri was leading after five innings, and the team held that advantage until the final out.
After the loss, Mie's coach, Okita, spoke about the closeness of the match. He said the difference between winning and losing was "a matter of a few centimeters," suggesting that small moments decided the outcome.
With this win, Tenri has now advanced to the semifinal stage of the tournament, joining the final four teams still competing. Reaching this stage is considered a major achievement in Japanese high school baseball.
The victory highlights how strong pitching can overcome even a team with a reputation for powerful hitting. Tenri's performance has drawn attention as the tournament moves toward its final rounds.
Vocabulary6 words
- Koshien
- a famous baseball stadium in Japan
- batting lineup
- a team known for strong hitters
- left-handed
- using the left hand to throw
- shutout
- a win with zero runs for the other team
- coach
- a person who leads and trains a team
- semifinal
- the round before the last game
Quiz
Answer key
1. A shutout win for Tenri 2. They were known for a strong batting lineup 3. The margin was very small, like a few centimeters
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Tenri High School has reached the semifinals of the _____ national high school baseball tournament after defeating Mie High School.
Mie was known for its powerful batting _____, but the players struggled against Tenri's left-handed pitcher, _____.
The game ended in a _____ victory for Tenri, meaning Mie failed to score a single run.
Reports say Tenri was leading after _____ innings, and the team held that advantage until the final out.
After the loss, Mie's _____, Okita, spoke about the closeness of the match.
He said the difference was "a matter of a few _____," suggesting small moments decided the outcome.
With this win, Tenri has now advanced to the _____ stage of the tournament.