27/12/2023 1 Minute Read

Top-10 WBSC Softball World Cup Plays of the Year: No. 5 Ryuji Okawa (Japan)

The top five of the WBSC Softball World Cup Plays of the Year opens with an outstanding double play by Japanese shortstop Ryuji Okawa at the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup Final between Japan and Australia in Parana, Argentina.

Welcome back to the WBSC Top-10 Softball Plays of the Year, a review of the best 10 plays in the WBSC Softball World Cups in 2023. The top five opens with an outstanding double play by Japanese shortstop Ryuji Okawa at the WBSC U-23 Men's Softball World Cup Final between Japan and Australia in Parana, Argentina.

The top two teams of the tournament collided at the Nafaldo Cargnel Stadium in Parana, with the first-ever U-23 Men's Softball World Title on the line.

In the top of the third inning of a dramatic game, with Australia's Jack Besgrove and Japan's Koki Yagi engaged in a fierce pitching duel, the team from Oceania put two runners on with one out. Matthew Harrow stepped in the batter's box and connected a hard grounder up the middle. But not only did Okawa save a base hit (and a potential run) with a diving catch up the middle, but he had the wherewithal to step on second base and relay the ball to first quickly enough to pull off an incredible double play.

Nonetheless, Japan ended up losing the game, 1-0, to finish with the silver medal.