Japan baseball secures bronze medals with a one-run comeback victory over China.
Japan’s baseball team has won the bronze medal at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Japan defeated China 4-3 in the baseball bronze medal game on Sunday at the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center in Zhejiang, China.
The team, comprised of players from the Social Baseball (corporate unemployment team), had suffered a shock 0-1 loss to China in their Group A opener on March 3. As a result, Japan finished second in Group A (2-1) and China finished first in Group A (3-1) to advance to the Super Round.
In the Super Round, both Japan and China fell short of advancing to the final. Four days later, in a rematch in the bronze medal match, Japan had the last laugh.
It was China who struck first.
China opened the scoring in the first inning with runners on first and third on a single to right by Cao Jie.
Japan responded in the top of the second with a walk and a double to left field, followed by a two-RBI double by Seifu Suzuki that put runners on first and second and third.
China then turned the tables again in the third.
After a single and a walk, Kou Yongkang hit a two-run arch over the fence to regain a 3-2 lead.
Still trailing by one run, Japan came from behind in the eighth inning.
Leadoff hitter Masashi Maruyama led off with a double to right field. Hiroki Makagawa followed with a grounder to third, and pinch-hitter Ryuga Ihara lined a single to right to tie the game at 3-3.
After a wild pitch and a walk, Japan loaded the bases with one out when Tatsuhiko Sato singled in front of the pitcher. With one out, 카지노사이트킴 Hisaya Nammoku reached on an error by China’s shortstop, allowing the runner from third to score the game-winning run.
With the score 4-3, Japan held on to the one-run lead and secured the win.
China, considered the “fringe” of baseball, made a splash by upsetting Japan in the group stage, but couldn’t carry the momentum all the way.
They lost back-to-back games to Chinese Taipei (1-4) and South Korea (1-8) in the Super Round, and then fell to Japan in the bronze medal game, leaving them empty-handed. Their dream of winning their first Asian Games medal will have to wait until the next edition.
Meanwhile, South Korea, looking for a fourth straight title, will play Chinese Taipei in the final at 7 p.m. tonight.