Goto, Yamashita combine for 1-hit shutout as Japan beats Puerto Rico in four

In a duel between two undefeated teams, Japan opened the Super Round with a strong victory against Puerto Rico, 10-0, in four innings. Left-handed pitchers Miu Goto and Chise Yamashita pitched a 1-hit ball game, with 5 strikeouts.

Rino Setoguchi led off the game with a line-drive single to center field and set the tone for a 7-run first inning for Japan, who hit a total of six hits and forced three defensive errors to take a huge early lead in the game.

Mahiro Takahashi RBI Single 🇯🇵🇯🇵🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/wCX9OsPfPX

— WBSC #U19SoftballWC (@WBSCsoftball) August 13, 2019

In the top of the third Japan stroke again with another big inning. Rino Setoguchi hit a single up the middle to plate Mahiro Takahashi and Yui Nakagawa with the last two runs of the game. Previously, Ako Imamura had scored the eighth run of the game on a wild pitch.

Goto started the game for Japan, and retired the six hitters she faced, with 3 strikeouts. Yamashita pitched a perfect third inning but allowed the only hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth, a double off the bat of leadoff hitter Aminah Vega. The second baseman advanced on a grounder to second base, but couldn’t score, since the Japanese reliever fanned Ariella Jackson and forced Victoria Figueroa to hit a fly ball in the foul zone, to end the game.

The loser of the game was Macey Cintron, who only lasted 0.1 innings and allowed 5 hits, 6 runs and 1 walk.

Japan remains perfect in the tournament and improves his Super Round record to 2-0. Puerto Rico is now 1-1.