Two innings into their opening round matchup at the 2016 Japanese Region tournament, Chofu Little League looked unlikely to survive until that afternoon's quarterfinal round matchup. Okayama Little League scratched for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, then batted around and hung six more on the scoreboard in the second. Chofu chipped away with a single run in its half of the second, but still entered the third inning facing an 8-1 deficit.

That's when Chofu turned on the jets.

The Tokyo runner-up scored in 17 of their remaining 18 offensive innings at the region tournament, and tallied two or more runs in 15 of those innings. Chofu roared back to eliminate Okayama, 15-12, then won their next three games to emerge as Japan's champion and advance to the Little League World Series.

Chofu scored 57 runs in its four victories at the Japanese Region tournament, including a record-tying 20 runs in a 20-10 championship game win over Sendai Higashi Little League. Chofu broke to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning -- Ryoto Endo's two-run blast was the first of five Chofu home runs in the game -- and catcher Akira Jozawa added a two-run shot in the second to stretch Chofu's advantage to 6-3. Endo added a three-run homer in the third, and two batters later, Rin Ikemoto added a solo shot as Chofu stretched its lead to 11-3.

Sosuke Igawa's grand slam highlighted a six-run fifth that gave Chofu an 18-4 advantage before a late Sendai Higashi rally narrowed the final margin.

The win gave Chofu its tenth-ever Japanese championship, and its first since 1987. Chofu has won more Japanese championships than any other league in the 50-year history of the tournament.

Chofu reached the championship game by eliminating Nagasaki Minami Little League, 11-1 in five innings, in the semifinal round. Igawa threw a complete game, while Jozawa and Endo homered to fuel the Tokyo offense. Chofu took control early with a two-run rally in the top of the first inning, then added four in the second and two in the third before running out to the win.

In the other semifinal round draw, Sendai Higashi pushed past Tokyo Nakano, 7-5 in seven innings, in a battle between two of the tournament favorites. Sendai carried a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning before Tokyo Nakano rallied to tie the game. Sendai Higashi then posted a four-run rally in the top of the seventh, and held on as Tokyo Nakano rallied for two in the bottom of the frame.

The win lifted Sendai Higashi into the Japanese championship game for the third time, and for the first since 2004. Sendai Higashi won the Japanese championship in 2002 and 2004, and the league's 2002 squad won that year's Little League World Series.

Chofu won a pair of games on the tournament's opening day, first rallying from that early deficit to eliminate Okayama, and then dispatching Toyota Little League, 11-3. Against Okayama, Chofu rallied for four runs in the third to narrow Okayama's lead to 8-5, then Endo's three-run homer in the fourth fueled the first of two five-run rallies as the Tokyo team took command of the game.

Later, Endo and Shotoku Sato homered as Chofu muscled past Toyota in the quarterfinal round. Chofu scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, then slowly pulled away with two more in the third and fourth before capping the game with a five-run burst in the fifth.

Nagasaki Minami joined Chofu in the semifinal round with a 16-6 win over Takarazuka Little League, while Sendai eliminated Hamamatsu Minami Little League, 9-3, and Tokyo Nakano scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to edge Osaka Namihaya Little League, 3-2.

Chofu advanced to the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, following their win at the Japanese championship tournament. Chofu dropped its first two games at the Series, then won a consolation matchup against McAllister Park American Little League (San Antonio, Texas West).

Following its official games, Chofu had opportunity to play a friendship game on the Original Little League Field in Williamsport. The field -- now named Carl E. Stotz Field -- was where the Original Little League played its regular season games, and was the site of the Little League World Series before it moved to its present location in South Williamsport in 1959. Two players from the Original Little League's inaugural season in 1939 participated in pre-game ceremonies before Chofu faced off against Bend North (Oregon) Little League.

Linescores:

Opening Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R
Tokyo Nakano	3	0	0	0	3	2					8
Ushiku	1	0	0	0	0	0					1
Opening Round
Osaka Namihaya	1	2	0	2	0	2					7
Niihama	0	0	0	1	0	2					3
Opening Round
Sendai Higashi	9	0	3	0							12
Sapporo Toyohira	1	0	0	0							1
Opening Round
Hamamatsu Mianmi	4	4	1	0	2	1					12
Asahi	0	1	0	2	0	0					3
Opening Round
Okayama	2	6	0	0	0	4					12
Chofu	0	1	4	5	5	x					15
Opening Round
Aomori Hirosaki	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		1
Toyota	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2		3
Opening Round
Takarazuka	0	2	4	3	0	3					12
Omiya Higashi	0	2	0	0	0	4					6
Opening Round
Nagasaki Minami	0	2	0	0	0	3					5
Iida	0	0	0	0	0	0					0
Quarterfinal Round
Omiya Higashi	1	0	0	0	1	0					2
Tokyo Nakano	1	1	0	0	0	1					3
Quarterfinal Round
Hamamatsu Minami	2	0	0	1	0	0					3
Sendai Higashi	0	1	0	3	5	x					9
Quarterfinal Round
Toyota	0	0	0	1	2	0					3
Chofu	2	0	2	2	5	x					11
Quarterfinal Round
Takarazuka	0	0	0	2	4						6
Nagasaki Minami	7	2	0	0	7						16
Semifinal Round
Sendai Higashi	1	0	0	2	0	0	4				7
Tokyo Nakano	0	2	0	0	0	1	2				5
Semifinal Round
Chofu	2	4	2	1	2						11
Nagasaki Minami	0	0	0	0	1						1
Championship Game
Chofu	4	2	5	1	6	2					20
Sendai Higashi	3	0	1	0	6	0					10

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