Kazuya Toriyama big game powers Japan past Philippines

Thirty-year-old Kazuya Toriyama lit up the WBSC Men's Softball World Cup with three home runs and five RBIs in Japan's 8-3 win over the Philippines on Thursday in their Placement Round game at Rosedale Park on Thursday.

Toriyama, who had three hits in the tournament, doubled the tally with homers in the bottom of the first, fourth and sixth innings plus five RBIs while Japan registered four home runs in total.

The Philippines scored thanks to the handy work of Micheal Pagkaliwagan and Mark Gaspi, who scored the first run in the game when Julius Diaz singled down to right field line at the top of the first inning. However, Japan responded at the bottom of the first with back-to-back home runs from Tei Yamamoto and Toriyama, with Taiyo Kataoka and Yusuke Morita in tow, respectively, for two RBI doubles and the lead at 4-1.

As two and a half scoreless innings went by, Toriyama stepped up and connected for another home run to deep centre to widen the gap to 5-1.

The Philippines countered with two runs with Diaz’s single enabling Gaspi to score the second run and Pagkaliwagan to reach third base, who eventually scored, reaching home off a wild pitch to trail Japan 5-3.

Toriyama then swung another two-run home run in the sixth, until Seii Kuroiwa secured the inning with a run off a sacrifice fly.  

Japan move to 3-0 for the Placement Round while the Philippines stay winless at 0-3.