CC-True Championship of 2011 Game 7

2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-2
2011 St. Louis Cardinals-1

Pitching was the name of game 7 as both teams combined for only 3 runs on 14 hits. The Hawks took the lead in the 4th with an RBI groundout to short from Kokubo. An RBI single from the Cardinals pitcher in the bottom of the 7th inning knotted the game at 1-1. Fukuoka struck back immediately in the top of the 8th grabbing the winning run. Toshiya Sugiuchi, the game’s star, pitched 7 innings allowing just 1 run on 6 hits while tossing 8 strikeouts. The Cardinals lose the game and the series after 1 run on 8 hits with no errors. The Hawks win with 2 runs on 6 hits without any errors as well.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 23 Mar 2019

CC: True Championship of 2011 Game 6

2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-3
2011 St. Louis Cardinals-8

Again the home team in the series gets the win as the Cardinals grabbed their first blowout of the series, 8-3. Stacking up 57% of their runs into 2 innings certainly helped as St. Louis plated 3 runners in the 3rd and another 4 in the 8th. The Hawks tried to keep the game in reach facing a 2 run deficit going into the bottom of the 8th inning, but their bullpen just could not hold up under the loud cheers of the Cardinals faithful. Although Jake Westbrook pitched another wonderful game going 8 inning with 2 earned runs and 9 strikeouts, it is Skip Schumaker who gets player of the game honor with his 4 for 4, 2 double, 1 RBI, and 1 run performance. The Hawks scored 3 runs on 12 hits without a single error. The Cardinals grabbed 8 runs on 14 hits with 1 error.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 22 Mar 2019

CC-True Championship of 2011 Game 5

2011 St. Louis Cardinals-1
2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-7

For the last game of the series to be played in Japan, the Softbank Hawks swept the Cardinals in their homeland with a 7-1 stomping to go 3-0 in the land of the rising sun. Tsuyoshi Wada pitched a 4 hit 1 run complete game as the Hawks grabbed an easy victory. Wada started out with some accuracy problems early on, walking 4 Cards in the first 3 innings including a hit batter, but after that he held St. Louis to just 2 hits throughout the rest of the contest and earns the game ball. Offensively the Hawks piled up 5 runs in the second and 2 more courtesy of a Uchikawa homer in the 4th as they easily skated to the victory. St. Louis scored 1 run on 4 hits with 1 error while the Hawks grabbed 7 with 13 hits and no errors.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 22 Mar 2019

CC: True Championship of 2011 Game 4

Nobuhiro Matsuda

2011 St. Louis Cardinals-5
2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-14

Nobuhiro Matsuda does it again, even more impressively this time, in front of a sold out 38,000+ crowd in the Fukuoka Yahuoku! Dome. The Pride of Japan Hawks scored in every half of their inning for the first 5 frames on their way to a 14-5 rout over the Americans. Matsuda went 2 for 3 with 2 homers, 4 runs thanks to reaching on a walk and an error, a stolen base and 5 RBI’s. The Cardinals pitching staff was outmatched and overworked as the bullpen started pitching in the second and saw three relievers knocked out of the game before Lance Lynn settled things down in the last 3 and a third innings. The damage was already done however as the Hawks scored 14 runs on 16 hits without and error and the Cardinals scored 5 runs on 11 hits and 2 errors.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 15 Mar 19

CC-True Championship of 2011 Game 3

Nobuhiro Matsuda

2011 St. Louis Cardinals-4
2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-5

It looked to be more of the same as the Cardinals came out with 2 runs in the 1st inning and shut the Hawks down to only 1 hit in the first five frames, but then came the Japanese divine wind of the 6th as Fukuoka scored 3 runs in the bottom of the inning. When St. Louis tied it up with a run in the top of the 7th, the Softbank Hawks came back with a triple from Hosokawa and a 2 run long ball from Uchikawa to go up 5-3. St. Louis went deep in the 9th thanks to David Freese, but Brian Falkenborg sealed it with back to back strikeouts to end the Card comeback. Nobuhiro Matsuda helped his team get there going 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s, 2 steals, and a run scored in the 6th. The Cardinals get 4 on 7 hits with an error, and the Hawks get 5 on 9 hits without an error.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 15 Mar 19

CC: True Championship of 2011 Game 2

Jake Westbrook

2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-1
2011 St. Louis Cardinals-3

In the second game at Busch Stadium for this Championship Challenge, the Cardinals once again over powered the Japanese team with pitching. Cardinals Pitcher Jake Westbrook tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball while only giving up 4 hits thanks in part to 7 strikeouts. The Hawks’ only run came in the 4th inning thanks to a Matsuda RBI single, while St. Louis grabbed a run in the 3rd from a Descalso single, one in the 4th from an Allen Craig solo homer, and another in the 6th from Berkman. The 2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks go down 2 games to none after 1 run on 6 hits. The Cardinals take the advantage with 3 runs on 7 hits. Both teams also tallied an error a piece. The series now moves onto Japan where the Hawks hope to gain some momentum from their enthusiastic crowd.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 15 Mar 19

CC: True Championship of 2011 Game 1

Chris Carpenter

2011 Fukuoka Softbank Hawks-2
2011 St. Louis Cardinals-4

Game 1 of the True Championship took place at Busch Stadium and the Cardinals overpowered the Hawks on the mound. Chris Carpenter, the games standout performer held Fukuoka to one hit through the first six innings on his way to a 5 hit, 5 strikeout day. St. Louis grabbed 2 runs in the 4th and 2 more in the 5th before Matt Holliday sucked the wind out of the Cardinals’ sails after being caught using an illegal bat and getting himself suspended for the next week. Those 4 runs held up though as the Softbank Hawks were only able to grab a single run in the 7th and another in the top of the 9th. The Hawks lose with 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 error while the Cardinals win with 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 errors.

Notes: Played at Soothing Meadows on 15 Mar 19