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.