Japan won the final showdown with Taiwan in the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 Super Round held at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on the 23rd.
Both teams had already secured tickets to the finals. The U.S. won the match between the U.S. and Venezuela 6-5. Even if Taiwan lost to Japan, Taiwan and Japan won the Team's Quality Balance (TQB) ticket.토토사이트
With both teams confirmed their qualification for the finals, they played the final match of the Super Round, and Japan succeeded in boosting the mood ahead of the finals. Japan has lost 27 consecutive international competitions.
The two teams will play the Premier 12 final at the same venue on the 24th.
▲ Selection line-up
Japan: Murabayashi Ituki (second baseman) - Sato Toshiya (first baseman) - Tatsumi Ryosuke (center fielder) - Shota Morishita (designated hitter) - Keita Sano (left fielder) - Kotaro Kurebayashi (striker) - Kotaro Kiyomiya (third baseman) - Yuto Koga (possessed) - Ryota Isobata (right fielder), starting pitcher Takahisa Hayakawa.
Taiwan: Chen Chen Chen-wei (center fielder), Lin Li (right wing), Zeng Song-un (left wing) - official residence Ji Ji Ji-Rao (designated hitter), Pan Zekai (first baseman), Zhang Kunyu (striker), Daipifeng (captor), Yu Ei Dong-hwa (second baseman) - Zhang Jung-wi (third baseman), starting pitcher Chen Bo-ching.
Japan took the lead from the bottom of the first inning. Leading hitter Murabayashi hit the first one-run home run. Sato then walked and Tatsumi got on base with a hit ball, and Morishita hit a two-run double. Morishita then went to third base while Sano grounded out to second base.
Taiwan changed pitchers. He lowered his starting pitcher Chen Bo-ching and raised Zhang Guohao. Against the changed pitcher Zhang Guohao, Kurebayashi scored a sacrifice fly RBI to widen the gap by four points.
In the top of the third inning, Taiwan walked with two outs and Lin Li walked. Then, Zeng Song-eon hit an RBI double to make the gap three-run difference. He continued to narrow the gap in the top of the fifth inning. Jang Jung-wi and Chiu Zheng walked back-to-back to reach first and second base with no outs, and Lin Li hit an RBI timely hit. Later, Zeng Song-eon walked and loaded the bases with no outs, and Ji Rizirao hit an RBI single with a push walk to make it 3-4.
However, Panjekai sent a grounder to the pitcher, recording a double play. With runners on the second and third bases with two outs, Jang Kun-wi struck out and failed to come from behind.
Japan, which had maintained its lead until the end, hit back in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners on first base with two outs, Sano hit a hit, and Kurebayashi walked to get on base and created a chance to load the bases. Kiyomiya then hit a three-run triple and ran away again.
Taiwan also launched counterattack. With one out in the top of the sixth inning, Yue Dong-hwa's hit and Jang Jeong-wi's double made it a chance to hit second and third bases with one out, and Chiu Zheng's two-run double made it 5-7. However, Japan did not stay put in the bottom of the sixth inning. Leadoff hitter Isovata got on base with a bunt hit. After Murabayashi struck out, Sato hit a hit to create a chance for the first and third bases, and Tatsumi hit a two-run double to make it four again.
At the top of the ninth inning, Yokoyama Rikuto took the mound. Rin Anker, the leadoff hitter, hit a one-run homer off the changed pitcher. The gap was three points. However, pinch-hitter Keukisen was out with a catcher's fly ball, and Ji Rizirao was grounded out with a fly ball to the third base, and Panjekai was out with a fly ball to the left field, resulting in Japan's victory.