Japan remain undefeated, secures podium spot; New Zealand and Mexico to meet tomorrow

Japan remain undefeated in the WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship. Today they beat New Zealand by a score of 6-4, and already secured a place in the podium. The Japanse National Team was able to handle the pressure of its opponent at the end of the game and claimed the win. Tomorrow they will play for a spot in the World Championship Finale.

New Zealand loaded the bases in the top of the first inning with tow outs, on a single and a pair of hit by pitches. However Shota Onodera retired the last out of the inning on a line drive fly to center field, to escape the jam.

Japan scored its first run in the bottom of the first; Wataru Seki was hit by pitch, and advanced to third on a single by Shoki Matsuo. Then, with two outs and runners on the corners, Matsuo stole second base and Seki took advantge of the assistance to steal home.

Ayumu Nishimori swings for the fences

One inning later the defending world champions added one more. Joshua Kelly left a pitch in the top of the zone and Ayumu Nishimori crushed the ball for a solo home run to left field.

New Zealand got on the scoreboard in the third inning. Sheldon Weller and Reilly Makea walked, and then Andre Hart scored Weller with a single to center field.

But in the bottom of the fourth Japan scored again; Nishimori hit a line drive to left field, directly to the position of New Zealand’s left fielder, but Waller looked into the sun and lost the ball, allowing Nishimori to round the bases.

One inning later Makea made it a one-run ballgame again. He smashed a long home run to left field, that landed well behind the bleachers, to make the score 3-2.

In the fifth inning Japan added one more, on a double by Rikuya Iwamoto and a defensive error by New Zealand’s short stop. With the score 4-2, the Junior Black Sox tied the game in the top of the sixth inning, with a bases loaded walk by Jared Gillard, and an RBI single off the bat of Ryschan Thompson.

However, the Japanese team regained the 2-run lead with an RBI single by Hiroki Chikamori to plate Nishimori, and a sacrifice fly to left field by Sakata.

With the 6-4 lead, Onodera then completed the game with a pair of strikeouts and a grounder to third base to claim the victory. The right handed threw the complete game, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs and 4 walks, with 11 strikeouts.

With this triumph Japan has already secured its place in the podium. Tomorrow they will face the winner of the game between Canada and Australia, at 17:30 local time.

New Zealand will play tomorrow against Mexico, in an elimination game. The first pitch is scheduled at 12:30.

Mexico 4-2 Czech Republic

In the first playoff game Mexico defeated Czech Republic, 4-2, and advanced to the top six teams in the WBSC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship. The key play of the game was a solo home run by Omar Angel in the sixth inning, when the game was tied at 2.

Iran Torres started the game with an infield hit to short stop, who committed an error allowing the leadoff man to move to second. Torres scored immediately, since Jorge Lopez singled short to left field to produce the first run of the game. Lopez scored the second run of his team with a short single to right field off the bat of Alexander Peña.

In the bottom half of the inning Ludek Oplustil hit a leadoff single for Czech Republic, and Vojtech Buchner followed with a walk, but the European team only scored once, on a single by Vojtech Forman between shortstop and third base, to plate Oplustil. Then a pair of fly balls ended the threat for the Czechs, who stranded three runners on base.

One inning later again the European team put two runners on base, with two outs, but they couldn’t score since Mexican pitcher Jose Felix retired the last out of the inning with a grounder to shortstop.

In the bottom of the fifth Jiri Seda was hit by pitch, and advanced on a soft grounder to third base. Then Felix threw a wild pitch, Seda went to third and catcher Kevin Saldaña tried to catch him on third, but a throwing error allowed Seda to cross home plate with the tying run.

Omar Angel homerd for Mexico against Czech Republic

However, Mexico retook the lead in the game quickly. In the top of the sixth, Angel swung at the first pitch for a long home run to center field, to put the score 3-2. And in the top of the seventh the Mexican team added a security run, with an RBI single off the bat of Ruben Minjares, scoring Torres from second base.

In the last inning Czech Republic put a runner on first base, on a walk, but then left fielder Gilberto Sanchez made an spectacular catch to end the game.

Felix earned the win in a complete game effort, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs and 4 walks, with 2 strikeouts. The loss went to Czech reliever Vojtech Buchner.

Czech Republic is the first eliminated of the tournament and finished at seventh position in this tournament and evened its best ever performance (2016); while Mexico advances in the playoff. Tomorrow Mexico will face New Zealand.