INTERCONTINENTAL STADIUM. Japan remained undefeated at the XXVI 18U Baseball World Cup. They opened the second round with an easy 10-0 shutout over Korea, needing just seven innings to do it. Five runs in the first two frames and five in the fifth and sixth provided the run support for stellar pitchers Yuki Matsui and Taisuke Yamaoka.
After overcoming a bases loaded situation without harm in the top of the first, Japan struck in the bottom half with a sac fly by Tomoya Mori for a quick 1-0 lead. In the second they took advantage of some Korean miscues on bunt plays to put four more runs on the board, two on a big two-run single by Yuto Yoshida. Ryo Watanabe, who went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBI, had a pair of RBI singles in the fifth and sixth, where Japan added five insurance runs to put an early ending to the game due to ten-run rule.
Yuki Matsui, who already had stifled Chinese Taipei earlier in the tournament, didn’t have his best stuff, but still managed to keep Korea off the board. He allowed four hits and three walks in six scoreless innings for the win. Taisuke Yamaoka struck out the side in the seventh, but not before loading the bases.
Korea’s pitchers Ji Seob Lim and Ju Seong Han gave up five runs each on six hits in 1 2/3 respective four innings, as they weren’t able to stop Japan from scoring. Lim got charged with the loss. At the plate Ha Seong Kim had two singles. Byeong Wuk Lim reached base three times.
Japan is going to square off with Cuba on Friday evening at Taichung City Stadium. Korea hopes to reach the win column in the second round against Venezuela in the afternoon at Intercontinental Stadium.
