22/08/2018 - 31/08/2018

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VIII Women’s Baseball World Cup 2018 - Official Payoff

Japan and Chinese Taipei are ready for the final of the Women’s Baseball World Cup

Japan and Chinese Taipei are ready for the final of the Women’s Baseball World Cup
31/08/2018

Just a few hours before the World Championship game, you can read how Ayami Sato, manager Megumi Kitta are approaching the final with Japan. Tseng Chi, Lee Shin Yun and Tu Yu Chuan are anticipating a historical event for Chinese Taipei

Everybody expects Ayami Sato to take the ball and lead Japan in the final of the VIII Women’s Baseball World Championship. But as we mentioned this possibility to her, she replied in a low voice “maybe.”
Then, through an interpreter, she added: “Chinese Taipei is a very good team and we respect them a lot.”
If you pitched, would you try to keep them off balance with the curve ball: “Well, I have many other pitches I can use, not only the curve ball….”
Sato has played in four World Cups and is the two-time reigning MVP: “I witnessed the progress of this tournament. Here in Viera we found the perfect environment for Women’s Baseball. It’s the first time I play in the USA and I find it very exciting.”

Ayami Sato will pitch the final for Japan

Ayami Sato

Japan’s manager Megumi Kitta welcomes the press with a respectful bow.
“Sato? I would like to say I don’t know, but everybody expects she will pitch…”
Despite eight wins in a row, Kitta is not totally satisfied by the way her National Team has performed so far: “We needed to merge four different categories of players, from professionals to high school and it’s not been easy. We have worked a lot on communication, through various meetings. In our last game I’ve seen everything work beautifully.”
What will help you win? “We are not the team that will come up with the big hit. So we need to play the short ball, manufacture runs, think about the best way to score.”
What do you think about Chinese Taipei? “They know us well and their playing style is similar to ours.”

Three players on the Chinese Taipei roster currently play in the Japanese Professional League: infielder and pitcher Hsieh Yu Ying, and outfielders Tseng Chi and Shen Chia Wen.
Talking to Japanese reporters, Tseng made it clear: “We know pretty well Sato. We respect her a lot, but we will try to beat her.”

Catcher Lee Shin Yun added through and interpreter: “We achieved something historical. Now the pressure is all on Japan.”

Hsieh Yu Ying has just conquered third base

Infielder Tu Yu Chuan, a professional soldier in her everyday life, said: “We worked very hard to get here. In this last game we will give all that we have.”

Manager Yung Hsin Hsu was not available for interviews and the name of the starting pitcher for Chinese Taipei is still a mistery. The three starters of the super round have been Hsieh Yu Ying against the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, Hu Ching Wen against Japan on Wednesday and Huang Chiao Yun on Thursday against Canada. The feeling is that the ball will go to Hsieh Yu Ying, with anybody else ready in the bullpen.

The World Cup final is set to start at 6 pm Eastern USA Time on Friday, 31 August.