Defending world champion Japan is entering the semi-finals of the V IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup on Saturday as the number-one seed and will face Australia in the afternoon. They defeated Canada 9-7 on Friday evening in front of the best crowd so far at Telus Field in Edmonton, handing the hosts their first loss in the tournament. Canada will now take on Team USA in the second semi-final.
It was a thriller, and fulfilling the high expectations from before the contest. Japan had the better start, building up a quick and commanding lead. They led 9-1 after four innings, looking to capture an easy victory. However Canada fought back and nearly pulled off the comeback. After scoring two runs in the fifth to get back on the board, they plated four in the ninth, cutting the deficit to two runs. They loaded the bases with one out, when Nicole Luchansky worked a walk. Ashley Stephenson stepped to the plate and grounded into a 1-2-3 game-ending double play.
Japan was offensively led by Yukiko Kon who drove in three runs, and Ayako Rokkaku who crossed the plate three times. Canada out-hit Team Nippon 15 to 9 in the game. Nicole Luchansky continued her hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Jennifer Gilroy drove in two.
On the mound Ayami Sato bailed her teammates out, getting the final three outs for the save. Yui Shingu had started, giving up three runs on eight hits, while striking out three. Moemi Yoshii and Mika Konishi were supposed to close it out, but ran into trouble in the last frame. Brinley McLaren and Tara Sliwkanich had allowed a combined nine hits, nine runs and five walks in the first four innings. After them Hannah Martensen entered and kept Canada in the game by retiring all six batters she faced.
