Japan earns baseball gold at Summer Universiade
TAIPEI, Taiwan-Japan outhit and outscored USA, dominated by star pitcher Masato Morishita in the final, to earn the baseball gold medal of the Universiade. Korea beat Czech Republic to secure the bronze medal
TAIPEI (Taiwan), Japan won the baseball tournament of the 2017 Summer Universiade, Korea secured the bronze medal.
Japan outscored (10-0) and outhit (10-3; left fielder Shimada, DH Kusumoto and center fielder Tatsumi had all multi hit games) USA in the final. Samurai broke the score open with a 6 run second inning against USA starter Lizarraga and reliever Dreyer and didn’t need to look back. Masato Morishita earned the win pitching 7 strong innings (2 hits, 1 walk, 11 strike outs).
Masato Morishita (Getty Images)
Korea defeated (6-2) Czech Republic, scoring the go ahead run in the fifth and breaking the score open with a 3 run eigth inning.
Korea played a perfect defense behind starting pitcher Yun Heeyeong, who went the distance allowing 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 8. Third baseman Choe Taeseong and left fielder Lee Kukpill both had a 3 hit game.
Michal Sobotka suffered the loss for Czech Republic, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits in a solid 6 inning outing. Korea scored 3 runs off reliever Cihlar. Third baseman Premek Chroust went 2 for 4.
France defeated (11-5) Mexico and finished seventh, while Chinese Taipei beat (7-1) Russia to finish fifth.
