02/11/2019 - 17/11/2019

#Premier12  

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II Premier12 2019 - Official Payoff

Takahashi, Suzuki lead Japan to Super Round

Takahashi, Suzuki lead Japan to Super Round
06/11/2019
Japan ensure qualification to Premier12 Super Round with shutout win over Puerto Rico.

A three-run blast by Seiya Suzuki and an outstanding start from Rei Takahashi have guaranteed no. 1 ranked Japan a place in the 2019 WBSC Premier12 Super Round, as they defeated no. 11 ranked Puerto Rico 4-0.

Japan's place in the 2019 Super Round was confirmed when no. 4 ranked Chinese Taipei defeated no. 9 ranked Venezuela in Taichung.

Takahashi was outstanding on the mound, as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks star struck out three and only allowed one hit in six innings of work. Takahashi’s offence came alive in the third inning, as Kensuke Kondo began the inning with an RBI single before Seiya Suzuki nailed a three-run blast to make it a four-run game.

Puerto Rican starting pitcher Giovanni Soto kept the Japanese offence quiet through the first two innings, but was tagged with the loss after surrendering all four runs.

Ivan Maldonado and Orlando Roman kept the Japanese offence scoreless in the last three innings, while Japan sent Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yasuaki Yamasaki to the mound in the final two frames.

Kevin Torres kept Puerto Rico in the game with a leadoff single in the eighth, but Yamamoto induced a double play, relieving pressure on the Japanese defence.

Hayato Sakamoto and Kensuke Kondo finished with two hits apiece for Japan.

Japan face no. 4 ranked Chinese Taipei in their third Group B game, while Puerto Rico take on no. 9 ranked Venezuela.