【U18】Japan wins a bronze medal -U18Wcup -

9/19/2022 0 Comments

【U18】Japan wins a bronze medal -U18Wcup -

Japan won the third place game against Korea, 6-2, and obtained a bronze medal in the 30th WBSC Baseball World Cup on September 19, JST, in Florida, the U.S. Japan became a bronze medal team for the first time in five years since the 2017 Canada tournament. The USA won the finals against Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), 5-1, and had their first victory in five years for the tenth time.

Japan took the initiative at the beginning of the game.

In the first inning, Japan made a chance with runners on first, third base, and one out after Yoshinobu Kuroda singled to left field and Shion Matsuo hit a single to right field. The fourth batter, Yuta Utsumi, drove in Kuroda with a single to center field to score first.

Japan got its second run in the second as Yoshinobu Kuroda drew a walk to force home. The next batter Shion Matsuo hit a two-run double to left field. The fourth batter Yuta Ustumi walked, and Japan had a base-loaded chance again. The fifth batter Kai Watabe then hit a double with two RBIs. Japan got five runs in all by building a big inning in the inning to give it a 6-0 lead.

Japan's starting righty Ayuta Seimori, who did well in the tournament, kept the team in the game with three hits, although he gave up a two-run homer off Korean slugger D KIM in the fourth. Right-handed pitcher Shiki Kawahara, who allowed no runs in the tournament, pitched three strong innings from the fifth to the seventh with a hit and three strikeouts to hold the lead.

Japan was utterly defeated by Korea, with a score of 8 to 0 in the super round, in which Japan's batting lineup could not handle Korean pitchers. It, however, kept a rally alive and rocked them for eleven hits and six runs. Japan's pitchers, Seimori and Kawahara, limited the Korean lineup to two runs in the third-place match.

Today's win brought Japan a two-time bronze medal since they became a third-place team in the 2017 tournament, with Kotaro Kiyomiya playing for the Fighters, Kaito Kozono playing for the Carp, and Kyota Fujiwara playing for the Marines. Japan could not reach the long-cherished first victory this time. However, it successfully won the bronze medal with "small baseball" by using a bunt and steal that manager Shiro Mabuchi aimed to succeed internationally under complex conditions Japan usually faced for international tournaments. Japan's team was always built hastily just after the Summer Koshien tournament. The team did not have enough time to practice. Japanese players are not also used to dealing with a wooden bat.

The All-World Team for the best nine was announced after the game. Shiki Kawahara, as a pitcher, and Shion Matsuo, as a catcher, were selected from Japan. Kawahara earned the most valuable reliever as well.

Kawahara was outstandingly successful in pitching, with seven hits and 16 strikeouts over 13 frames. Matsuo hit .321 with nine hits and six RBIs.
(KAISPO No.1,224)

Japan Wins
Bronze Medal
for First Time
Since 2017

11 Hits and 6 Runs
to Utilize "Small Baseball"

Japan after the game

Pitcher Shiki Kawahara

Japan before the game

Pitcher Ayuta Seimori

Catcher Shion Matsuo

Japan after the game

日本、韓国を破り5年ぶりの銅メダル獲得

２０１７年以来、２回目

スモールベースボールで１１安打、韓国の好投手を攻略

　米国フロリダ州で開催されている第３０回WBSC U１８ベースボールワールドカップで日本は日本時間１９日４時から行われた韓国と3位決定戦を６−２で勝ち、２０１７年のカナダ大会以来５年ぶりの銅メダルを手にした。3位決定戦に先立って行われた決勝戦は、米国がチャイニーズタイペイ（台湾）を５−１で破り、５年ぶり１０回目の優勝を決めた。

　日本は初回、2番黒田選手の左前安打、３番松尾選手の右前安打による１死１、３塁の好機で４番内海選手が中前適時打を放ち１点を先制。

　２回には、１死満塁から３番黒田選手の押し出し四球で２点目。続く松尾選手の左前２点適時打でさらに２点を追加。4番内海選手の四球で再び満塁として、５番の渡部選手が左前2点適時打を放ち、この回打者一巡のビッグイニングを作り、合計５点を挙げ、６ー０と試合の主導権を握った。

　先発した好調の右腕・生盛投手は、４回に韓国５番のD KIMに左越２点本塁打を許したものの４回を投げ被安打３、２失点で試合を作った。５回からは今大会無失点の右腕・川原投手が登板。７回までの３イニングスで被安打１、３奪三振、無失点と抜群の安定感でリードを守り切った。

　日本はスーパーラウンドでは韓国に０−８と完敗。しかし、この試合は前の試合で攻略できなかった打線がつながり登板した５人の韓国投手陣に対し、二桁１１安打を浴びせ６得点と投打が噛み合った。

　日本のメダル獲得は清宮幸太郎（日本ハム）、小園海斗（広島）、藤原恭大（ロッテ）らを擁した２０１７年カナダ大会で銅メダルを獲得して以来。悲願の初優勝はならなかったが、甲子園大会後の急造チームで慣れない木製バットの使用など調整が難しい中、上位チームとの試合では苦戦ししながらも馬淵史郎監督の掲げるスモールベースボールで見事銅メダルに輝いた。

　試合後には、大会ベストナインにあたるオールワールドチームが発表され、日本から川原嗣貴投手と松尾汐恩捕手が選出され、川原投手は救援の最優秀投手と合わせて選ばれた。

　今大会の川原投手は１３回を投げて７安打１６奪三振、無失点と完璧な投球を披露した。松尾捕手は９安打、６打点、打率.321をマーク。攻守で躍動した。
(KAISPO No.1,224)

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