SHAOXING, China (Xinhua):Defending champion Japan had a dominating 5-0 win over Puerto Rico in the gold medal match to win back-to-back U23 Baseball World Cup title here on Sunday.
China lost 3-1 to Nicaragua in the bronze medal match, but the fourth place finish was already the best for the host country in a baseball World Cup.
Despite losing 6-1 to Puerto Rico in the group phase, world No. 1 Japan had a dream opening with two runs and expanded their lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning before wrapping up the 5-0 victory over the Central American side that did not manage to score despite an equalling six hits with the eventual champion.
"We learned a lot from the opening round defeat against Puerto Rico," Japan manager Tomoyasu Kawaguchi said. "We understood how to approach these strong hitters, and that was the foundation for our victory."
The silver medal was the best result at U23 Baseball World Cup for Puerto Rico, who last won a baseball World Cup in 1951.
"We did our best," commented outfielder Edgardo Villegas. "We hit the ball hard and I believe we were not lucky. You need to credit Japan, they played very sound baseball."
In the bronze medal match, China lost 3-1 to Nicaragua, but a fourth place finish was worth celebrating for the tournament debutante who kept making histories.
China had never reached top six at a baseball World Cup before, but the world No. 24 managed to progress into the super round with three wins and two losses on home soil and secured a berth in the bronze medal match after shutting out world No. 5 Nicaragua 4-0 on Saturday night.
Facing the same opponent in 24 hours, China suffered an early blow in the first inning as Emanuel Trujillo hit a 2-RBI triple. The two sides each scored one in the third inning as Godwin Bennett and Zhou Yi made an RBI single, but neither was able to change the scoreline thereafter.
"It's a pity we did not finish with a medal, but we have already made history in our first appearance in the event. It is the persistence and confidence of our players and the wisdom of our coaching team that made this historic run possible," said Chen Xu, president of the Chinese Baseball Association.
"Next we will build on this experience and work hard towards the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games," he added.
Baseball and softball will return to the Olympics at LA 2028 after an absence from Paris 2024. - Xinhua
