▁at ▁some ▁of ▁her ▁sh ots ." ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁K ats ura ▁faced ▁the ▁und efe ated ▁Ho ppe , ▁losing ▁ 5 0 ▁to ▁ 3 1 ▁in ▁ 3 6 ▁inn ings . ▁Though ▁Ho ppe ▁was ▁a ▁dar ling ▁of ▁the ▁public , ▁the ▁crowd ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 0 ▁spect ators ▁was ▁clearly ▁root ing ▁for ▁K ats ura ▁throughout . ▁The ▁next ▁day ▁she ▁faced ▁her ▁ment or , ▁M ats uy ama , ▁considered ▁the ▁cont ender ▁with ▁the ▁best ▁shot ▁at ▁be ating ▁Ho ppe . ▁M ats uy ama ▁ed ged ▁out ▁his ▁prot ég é ▁with ▁a ▁close ▁ 5 0 ▁to ▁ 4 8 ▁finish ▁in ▁ 5 1 ▁inn ings . ▁By ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁in ning ▁M ats uy ama ▁held ▁a ▁ 2 9 – 2 1 ▁lead . ▁K ats ura ▁batt led ▁back , ▁the ▁score ▁ 4 3 – 4 2 ▁in ▁her ▁favor ▁by ▁in ning ▁ 3 3 , ▁but ▁M ats uy ama ▁ran ▁three ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 6 th ▁in ning , ▁and ▁K ats ura ▁could ▁not ▁close ▁the ▁gap . ▁M ent or ▁and ▁prot ég é ▁al ike ▁posted ▁high ▁runs ▁of ▁six ▁in ▁the ▁match ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 8 ▁K ats ura ▁tr ounced ▁Art ▁Rub in ▁ 5 0 – 2 8 ▁in ▁ 5 8 ▁inn ings . ▁but ▁was ▁handed ▁a ▁worse ▁defeat ▁in