KORIYAMA, JAPAN – Japan homered in four straight innings Saturday to beat the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, 9-1, at Kaiseizan Stadium. Japan tied the series 2-2 and forced Sunday’s deciding Game 5 at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo.
“We are excited about Game 5 tomorrow night,” said manager Dan McDonnell (Louisville). “I was a part of this series 10 years ago and we lost in Game 5. If you would’ve told me I could come back and get another Game 5, I would’ve said sign me up.”
Yuya Gunji hit two of Japan’s home runs, solo shots in the fourth and sixth innings. Takashi Umino started the scoring with a two-run homer in the third inning and Shugo Maki hit a solo shot in the fifth.
The Collegiate National Team could not get anything started at the plate against Japan starter Takashi Hayakawa, who scattered three hits over four innings in his second start of the series. Team USA scored its only run on a double play ball in the eighth.
Alika Williams led Team USA with two hits. Japan issued six walks and allowed six hits but the Collegiate National Team hit into three double plays.
The Collegiate National Team and Japan bus to Tokyo tomorrow morning for Game 5 of the series Sunday at Meiji Jingu Stadium, the home of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team.
Key Moments
• Japan’s Takashi Umino hit a two-run homer over the left field wall as part of a four-run third inning.
• Japan’s Yuya Gunji hit a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning and Japan added another run in the inning to increase its lead to 6-0.
• Shugo Maki hit a solo homer to straight away center field in the fifth inning.
• Gunji hit his second homer of the day as rain began to fall int he sixth inning.
Notable Information
• The eight-run differential snapped a streak of 14 straight games in the series decided by three runs or fewer.
• The Collegiate National Team played at Kaiseizan Stadium for the first time ever.
• All-Star series: USA leads, 24-18
• Series in Japan: Japan leads, 17-3
• Team USA has lost 15 straight series in Japan dating back 40 years.
• Team USA lost its last series in Japan, 3-2, including a 5-4 loss in 10 innings in the deciding Game 5 on July 17, 2016 at Kusanagi Stadium in Shizuoka.
• All-Star series games: Collegiate National Team leads, 133-106-2
• Overall games: Collegiate National Team leads, 156-125-2
• The last four series (2013, 2016, 2017, 2018) have all finished 3-2. Japan won in 2013 and 2016 in Japan, while the Collegiate National Team won in 2017 and 2018 in the United States.
• Team USA has won two straight series vs. Japan, a 3-2 win in 2017 throughout the Northeast United States and a 3-2 win in 2018 in North Carolina and Georgia.
• The longest series winning streak in the series is five by Team USA from 1973-77.
On Deck
• July 21 vs. Japan (5 a.m. ET; Tokyo, Japan; Meiji Jingu Stadium)
