The No. 1-ranked Japan Women’s National Team won its first game of the Women’s Baseball World Cup 2024 Group B qualifier.
The Japan Women’s National Team defeated Puerto Rico (ranked No. 9 in the world), 4-2, in the first game of Group B of the Women’s Baseball World Cup 2024, organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), in Miyoshi, Japan, on Wednesday.
It was Puerto Rico who struck first. In the top of the third inning, with the score tied at 0-0, Puerto Rico drew back-to-back walks against Japan’s Kana Onodera to put runners on first and second with no outs. The Puerto Ricans took the lead when Paradizo singled through the left side. She then scored on a wild pitch by the Japanese pitcher.
Down 0-2 in the bottom of the fourth, Japan rallied with a big inning. Yuki Kawabata led off the inning with a single to right and Naraoka Miwa followed with a single to right to put runners on first and second. Akari Hoshikawa followed with a single up the middle to load the bases, and Takami Muramatsu tied the game with a double up the middle.
Japan didn’t let up. With runners on first and third, Kae Iwami laid down a bunt toward the first baseman, and the runner from third came home to make it 3-2. Japan extended their lead to 4-2 when Ayaka Deguchi singled to right field with two outs.
The game went to the seventh inning, but neither team was able to score and the game ended with a 4-2 Japan victory.
Japan’s Kana Onodera pitched all seven innings, striking out 12 and allowing two runs to earn the win.
The Japanese bats pounded out six hits at the plate, led by fifth baseman/right fielder Naraoka Miwa’s 3-for-2 performance and seventh baseman/catcher Tamaki Muramatsu’s 3-for-1 performance with two RBIs.
Puerto Rico’s offense shines. Puerto Rico is ranked No. 9 in the world, the same as the No. 10 South Korean women’s national team. But against the world’s top-ranked team, Japan, the Puerto Ricans scored two runs on three hits and committed just four errors, demonstrating their meteoric rise over the past five years.
Earlier in the day, Chinese Taipei (ranked No. 2) and Cuba (ranked No. 7) won 9-1, while Venezuela (ranked No. 5) and France (ranked No. 16) won an 11-1 sixth inning cold game.메이저놀이터
First Lady Yuko Kishida, wife of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between Japan and Puerto Rico. First Lady Yuko Kishida is a native of Miyoshi, Japan, where the tournament was held.
Yuko wore the number “815,” which the WBSC explained was chosen because August 15 is her birthday and the date World War II ended. Miyoshi, Japan is a small city in Hiroshima Prefecture, the site of the atomic bombing.