USA's Premier12 Battle - Japan's Dominance Unleashed
Game Beginnings: A Pitcher's Duel
The game started with a pitcher's duel between U.S. starter Rich Hill and Japan's Hiroto Takahashi. Hill showed exceptional control, putting up zeroes for the first four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. Takahashi matched him on the other side, striking out eight batters and yielding only two hits and a walk over four shutout innings. This initial phase set the stage for an exciting battle.It was a testament to the skill and determination of both pitchers as they faced off, each trying to gain the upper hand. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the first sign of offense.
USA's Early Lead and Japan's Comeback
In the top of the fifth inning, Team USA struck first when Colby Thomas hit a towering homer over the left field wall. This was the stars and stripes' 10th home run at the Premier12, tying them for the most in the tournament field. It gave the U.S. a 1-0 lead.However, Japan quickly responded. In the bottom of the fifth, they scored three runs as part of nine unanswered tallies. Darrell Thompson replaced Hill and retired the first batter on a ground out, but three consecutive hits, including an RBI double by Shogo Sakakura, knotted the game at one. Austin Vernon then relieved Thompson, but Kozono's two-out triple down the right field line gave Japan a 3-1 lead.
Japan's Late Rally and Final Score
In the seventh inning, Japan got to the U.S. bullpen and pulled away. Two consecutive batters were hit by a pitch, setting the table for Kozono. He continued his hot night with a three-run homer to right field, putting the home team up 6-1 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. An inning later, Masayuki Kuwahara hit an RBI single and Kozono hit his second homer in as many innings, a two-run shot that gave Japan a 9-1 advantage.Rikuto Yakoyama then entered for the ninth and allowed a walk and a hit, but the contest ended when Carson Williams was thrown out diving back into third base as Japan secured the 9-1 Super Round win. Kozono's performance was remarkable, driving in seven of Japan's nine runs and having three hits and scoring twice.
Player Performances
Team USA collected six hits overall, with Termarr Johnson having a two-hit night. Chandler Simpson stayed hot at the plate with an eighth-inning single and has a hit in all six Premier12 games. Thomas' fifth-inning homer and Williams' second-inning double were the only two extra-base hits for the U.S.Japan used five pitchers, combining for 16 strikeouts. Every pitcher struck out at least one batter for the victors, with Sumida (2-0) having three punch outs over two innings in his winning effort. Hill continued his strong tournament for the U.S. with his four strong innings, still owning a 0.00 ERA through three starts and 10.1 innings pitched. Spencer Patton turned in his fourth scoreless frame out of the bullpen. Thompson (0-1) suffered the loss after being tagged for three runs in 0.1 innings pitched.
Upcoming Action
Team USA returns to action on Friday, taking on Chinese Taipei in Premier12 Super Round action. First pitch from the Tokyo Dome is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. local/10:00 p.m. ET (Nov. 21), and all the action can be watched live on DAZN.