Japan completed an unbeaten run in the 45th Japan-USA Collegiate Baseball Championship Series on Sunday, July 13 at Tokyo's Jingu Stadium.
In the tournament final, Japan topped the United States 6-5.
The hosts jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Team USA, which holds a 24-21 all-time lead in the series, scored once in the second and once in the third to tie it up at 2-2.
In the fifth inning, Zion Rose's RBI single to left gave the Americans their lone lead of the game, 3-2.
Japan stormed back, tacking on four more runs in the fifth to pull ahead 6-3. Nanato Sakakibara ignited the rally with a triple and scored the tying run on a groundout. Kai Watabe had the other big hit for Japan in the fifth, smacking a two-run triple.
The visitors added one run apiece in the sixth and seventh, with Vahn Lackey (Georgia Tech) and Roch Cholowsky (UCLA) slugging solo home runs.
Both teams had 11 hits in the final game.
Team Japan reliever Taisei Suzuki, an Aoyama Gakuin University student, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game.
Hosei University infielder Ayuto Matsushita was named tournament MVP. In the series finale, he had a leadoff double in the first inning and scored Japan's first run.
"I'm really happy that we were able to win with a concerted effort, and that we were able to win the championship with five consecutive victories," Matsushita said during the euphoric postgame atmosphere for title-winning Team Japan on Sunday night.
Baseball Talent Pays Off for Japan
Japan manager Tetsuya Horii commended the team's players for a strong overall effort in the tournament.
"We managed to win out over a strong team," Horii told reporters after the final game. "It was nothing but the hard work of our players. The fourth-year students, led by captain Matsushita and vice captain [Akira] Shigenaga, made a cohesive team. I hope this tournament will be an opportunity for them to become leaders in the baseball world."
Shun Akiyama of Chukyo University was Japan's top hitter in the tournament with a .429 batting average (6-for-14).
The five-game series, featuring top collegiate baseball players from both countries, kicked off on July 8 at Es Con Field Hokkaido. Japan triumphed 6-1 in the first game and 8-1 a day later at the same venue.
The series shifted to Hard Off Eco Stadium Niigata on July 11 and 12. Japan's success continued with 2-0 and 6-5 victories in succession before the series resumed in Tokyo for the final game.
For the first time since 2004, Japan reeled off five victories in as many games in the tournament.
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Soccer
Japan Men Set for East Asian Title Clash with South Korea
In the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship final round, Japan and South Korea will meet in the title match on Tuesday, July 15.
Japan improved to 2-0 in the four-nation final round with a 2-0 victory over China on Saturday, July 13 in Yongin, South Korea. South Korea also owns a 2-0 record.
On Saturday, Mao Hosoya gave the Samurai Blue a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute, showcasing the strength of his long-range attacking skills by blasting the ball past China goalkeeper Junling Yan.
Henry Heroki Mochizuki extended Japan's lead to 2-0 in the 64th minute.
"I am glad that the players took on a good challenge and made the most of a difficult match," Samurai Blue manager Hajime Moriyasu said, according to Sankei Sports.
Looking ahead to Tuesday's final, Moriyasu added: "I think it will be a very difficult match [against South Korea), but we will do our best."
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Takeda Finishes 11th in the Evian Championship
LPGA Tour rookie Rio Takeda completed the Evian Championship with a 9-under 275, finishing tied for 11th place in the women's golf major in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Takeda was Japan's top finisher in the tournament that wrapped up on Sunday, July 13. She had her best performance in the second round, carding a 4-under 71.
"I was consistent, but I wanted to make a few more birdies," Takeda said after the final round, according to Nikkan Sports. "If I can't improve on the third and fourth days, it will be tough to contend for the championship. That is my challenge for the future."
Australia's Grace Kim shot a 14-under 270 and then won the event in a two-hole playoff against Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul.
Also for Japan, Chisato Iwai and Miyuu Yamashita were among a group of players tied for 14th and six strokes adrift of the winner.
Did You Know?
Four Japanese starters pitched on the same day for the first time in MLB history on Saturday, July 12.
Who comprised this history-making quartet?
Starting pitchers Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres), Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels) and Shinnosuke Ogasawara (Washington Nationals).
Previously, three Japanese pitchers were starters on the same day 30 times, according to MLB.com.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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