01/03/2020 2 Minute Read

WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup Day 9: Undefeated Japan claim U-18 World Cup title

Japanese captain Hitto Nagayoshi led his team to an unbeaten golden run in the U-18 Men's Softball World Cup and earned himself an MVP award.

Japan rallied from two runs down to record a 9-2 finish to complete their unbeaten run and claim their third world title on Sunday, while the Czech Republic triumphed against Argentina 2-0 for the bronze medal in the U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Day 9 Match Results & Info
Gold Medal Game
Australia 2-9 Japan
Bronze Medal Game
Czech Republic 2-0 Argentina

Read Also: All-World Team and MVP: U-18 Men's Softball World Cup

Japan are one of the three teams in the tournament which appeared in all 12 editions, having won the title in the inaugural event in 1981 and in 2016.

This time, the Japanese squad denied junior world champions Australia of clinching back-to-back titles by showing a lot of composure on the field. The Australians defeated the Japanese in the final of the 2018 edition with a 6-1 victory.

The top-ranked team are undefeated in nine matches with the help of captain Hitto Nagayoshi whose consistent performance throughout the tournament earned him the Most Valuable Player trophy.

The 17-year-old Nagayoshi was credited for an RBI and a run in the World Championship Game, complementing the stellar performances of Rui Mimoto, Masaru Nishimori and Koka Yagi. Nagayoshi averaged .412 in the tournament and tallied 10 RBIs to tie with the Czech Republic’s Adam Buchner.

Meanwhile, World No. 7 Czech Republic accomplished a historic run in the tournament as they finished with a bronze medal, following their defeat of No. 2 Argentina. The European side won their first-ever medal and achieved their highest finish in their history after a seventh-place finish in the last two editions.

Their start pitcher Jakub Osicka once again proved his dominance on the circle as he shutout his opponents with 13 strikeouts, allowing only one hit to secure third place. Osicka topped the pitching chart with a 1.13 ERA and a total of 84 strikeouts.