USA beat Japan in extras, secure World Championship Final home team advantage

World No. 4 USA beat No. 1 Japan 4-3 in eight innings on Thursday in the WBSC Women's Baseball World Cup Finals 2024 presented by CARNEXT at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Canada.

Jillian Albayati, the lead tie-break runner, scored the winning run on a balk in the top of the eighth. Reliever Maggie Meidlinger got the final out on strikes with runners at second and third. This marks Japan's first loss in a World Cup game since 12 August 2012, when they fell 5-2 to the US during pool play of the V Women's Baseball World Cup.

Valerie Perez led off the third inning, driving Japan's starter Ayami Sato's second pitch off the wall in left field. She became the first out while trying to turn a single into a double.

Japan got the first hit against USA starter Jamie Baum in the bottom half of the frame. Nanako Hanabusa singled on a pop to shallow right field and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Baum escaped the inning with a couple of groundouts.

USA took the lead in the top of the fourth. Kelsie Whitmore reached on a one-out single. Remi Schaber advanced her to third with a two-out single to left-centre. Albayati then turned Sato's fifth pitch into a three-run homer to left field.

Akari Hoshikawa reached on a one-out double in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Baum hit Miwa Naraoka but then escaped the inning with a pair of groundouts.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kae Iwami reached on a one-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ayaka Deguchi put Japan on the scoreboard with a single up the middle. Baum got out of the inning by getting Iori Miura to ground into a double play to shortstop.

Yuna Tsuchiya relieved Sato in the top of the sixth.

Miwa Tanaka led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Baum walked Hoshikawa, then got Naraoka to ground into a double play to third. Hoshikawa reached second on the play. Baum also walked Nakamura, and Miu Shiraishi sent both runners home to tie the game with a double to left field. Hanabusa kept Japan's at-bat alive with a single, which was Baum's last batter.

With runners at the corners, USA called Megan Meidlinger from the bullpen. The right-hander retired Iwami on a fly to centre to escape the inning.

Wakana Mori took the mound for Japan in the seventh.

Miura reached on a one-out error in the bottom of the seventh. She stole second and would have scored on Yuki Kawabata's grounder, but USA shortstop Perez stopped the ball with a diving catch and got the third out at first.

USA won it in the first extra inning. Perez bunted the tie-break runners Albayati to third and Benites to second. Mori walked Naomi Ryan to load the bases, then struck out Ashton Lansdell but allowed the go-ahead run on a balk. She got Hugo swinging to escape the at-bat.

In the bottom of the eighth, Naraoka bunted the tie-break runners Kawabata to third and Hoshikawa to second. Ryan got the second out on a foul-territory pop-up by Nakamura. Meidlinger struck out Shiraishi to give USA the win.

The United States will have the home team advantage in the World Championship Final, scheduled for Saturday, 3 August, at 15:00 local time.