It was the first true pitcher’s duel at the V IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup in Edmonton, Canada. Japan shut out Venezuela 3-0 in a re-scheduled game from August 10. The defending champion allowed just four base runners all game for their fourth win in the tournament. Two runs in the second and one in the fifth provided the necessary run support. Venezuela dropped to 1-3 after the first leg of their doubleheader day.
Japan’s starting pitcher Ayami Sato was in control throughout the whole game. The right-hander allowed just two hits and a walk in seven scoreless innings. She faced just four batters over the minimum, earning the win. She struck out six. Southpaw Loudelis Moreno tried to match her for Venezuela, issuing four hits, three runs and three walks in six-plus innings. Although she kept her team in the game, she was charged with the loss.
It took until the second inning for Japan to bring anything on to the board. Tomomi Nishi and Yuki Kawabata led off the frame with back-to-back singles and moved to second and third on a sac bunt by Ayako Rokkaku. After Akane Nakamura struck out, Yukiko Kon came through with a single to left field to plate both for a 2-0 lead. Kon later scored in the fifth on a RBI single by Natsumi Nakano to extend the score to three runs.
