Shinsuke Ebara hit a three-run homer to key a four-run second inning Wednesday, helping to lift Nichidai Daisan to a 6-2 victory over Kochi in the second round of the national high school baseball championship.
Kochi, which replaced Meitoku Gijuku at the last minute after a scandal involving the students from the latter's school was uncovered, rallied to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth but Haseto Tada added a solo blast in the eighth as the Tokyo school clinched victory at Koshien Stadium.
Elsewhere, Hiroshi Toyama, Yuki Kurauchi and Ippei Mino combined to drive in six runs as Sakata Minami of Yamagata Prefecture clobbered Hyogo's Himeji Kogyo 10-2 in a first-round game. Okinawa Shogaku beat Matsusho Gakuen of Nagano a 4-1.