Photo for illustrative purposes.
On April 11, the final of the 154th Hokushinetsu Regional High School Baseball Niigata Prefectural Tournament (Spring 2026) was held. Niigata Meikun defeated Niigata Sangyo University Affiliated High School 5-4 in a thrilling extra-inning game that went to 10 innings with a tiebreaker. The walk-off victory secured Niigata Meikun’s 16th overall tournament title, their first since the autumn of 2024, and notably their first spring championship in 10 years, dating back to 2016.
The game saw Niigata Meikun trailing 2-0 until the 7th inning when they scored one run. In the bottom of the 9th, with their last chance, they managed to tie the game and force extra innings. In the top of the 10th, they conceded two runs, putting them in a tough spot. However, in the bottom half, they capitalized on defensive errors by the opponent to score three runs, completing a dramatic comeback walk-off victory.
With this win, Niigata Meikun will advance to the Spring Hokushinetsu Regional Tournament, which begins on June 6 in Nagano (draw on the 28th).
