Japan's baseball team, known as Samurai Japan, kicked off their campaign at the 2024 WBSC Premier12 on November 13 with a powerful victory against Australia. The game, held at Vantelin Dome, concluded with Japan triumphing over Australia by 9-3, marking the start of their quest for back-to-back championships.
The match began with Samurai Japan displaying their usual prowess. They quickly set the tone for the game with their first inning performance. Lead-off man Masashi Kuwabara walked, followed by Kaito Koinuma’s single, creating a prime opportunity with no outs and runners on first and third. Ryo Tatsumi then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, driving home the first run of the game.
Not stopping there, the Japanese offense continued to build their momentum. During the second inning, they loaded the bases with singles from Kotaro Kiyomiya and Shogo Sakakura. Further, Koinuma's groundout allowed another run to cross home plate, bringing Japan up 2-0.
Japan was not only capitalizing on hits but also took advantage of Australia's mistakes. A costly wild pitch from Australia's battery led to another run being added to their score, pushing the lead to three by the third inning.
By the fourth frame, Japan had extended their lead significantly to 5-0. Significant contributions came from Koutaro Beniayumi's single and Shogo Sakakura's hits, with Koinuma’s groundout resulting in two more runs due to another fielding error from Australia.
A brief scare occurred when Japan’s starter, Aondei Miyazaki, allowed two home runs, narrowing the lead to 5-3. Nevertheless, they were quick to regroup. Key hits from Shugo Maki and later, Yudai Mori showcased how the Samurai team excelled when it mattered most. Maki’s timely hit produced one more run, and Mori followed with additional RBIs, sealing the fate of the game.
The pitching was tight, featuring strong performances from Aondei, who ended with two earned runs over six innings and eight strikeouts. He was backed up by pitchers Riku Yokoyama, who allowed the two home runs but still managed to maintain control, and then the closers—Naozumi Fujita, Shouten Suzuki, and Tatsuya Shimizu—who completed the game flawlessly.
This victory marks the 20th consecutive win for Japan at international tournaments, emphasizing their dominance on the global scale. Following the match, Japan’s coach, Hirokazu Ibata, expressed his relief and joy over the team’s performance, emphasizing it as the perfect start to their championship defense.
Looking forward, Japan is set to face off against South Korea on November 15. With their firepower firmly on display against Australia, fans are eager to see if they can continue their winning streak and move another step closer to repeating their success from the last iteration of the tournament.
Stay tuned for more updates as Samurai Japan continues their quest for glory at the Premier12.
