The MVP is “42-year-old legend.” Ueno

The Japanese national team beat the U.S. team 6-1 in the final of the “2024 Women’s Softball World Cup” hosted by the World Baseball Softball Federation (WBSC) in Castion di Strada, Italy, on the 21st (Korea time).

In the bottom of the first inning, early in the game, the U.S. took the first point with Lorenz Amanda’s timely hit to the right, but U.S. pitchers Kelly Maxwell and Megan Faraimo gave up the game by allowing six runs to the Japanese lineup.

On the other hand, Japanese starter Miu Goto struck out four in four innings, blocking the U.S. batters with just one run, leading the team to victory.

It was an unexpected event. The U.S. defeated Japan 2-0 in the Super Round, but when they met again in the final, they collapsed.

Japan displayed concentration at an important moment by garnering 11 hits in both directions against key U.S. pitchers. The U.S. destroyed itself by making two errors by garnering only five hits in both directions.

Canada, which beat the Netherlands 11-7 in the 3rd and 4th places ahead of the final, took third place.

The MVP of the tournament went to pitcher Yukiko Ueno (42), Japan’s “legend” softball. Ueno took the mound as relief pitcher in the top of the fifth inning with Japan leading 6-1 and pitched a scoreless game, allowing no single hit during three innings.

Ueno led Japan to the championship with an ERA of 0.00 in three appearances and struck out 10 in 9.2 innings.

Ueno, who is also a gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2022 Tokyo Olympics, told WBSC after the game that he was “very happy to win,” adding, “I never thought I could pitch until I was 42 years old. I want to throw the ball until my body lets me.”

It is a four-time World Cup champion, but also its first championship in 10 years. Japan won the second World Cup held in Osaka, Japan in 1970, and lost the cup to the U.S. and New Zealand for a while.

In 2012, he became the champion at the 13th event held in White Horse, Canada, for the first time in 42 years. Soon after, he won three tournaments in the 14th event in 2014, but lost to the U.S. in three consecutive tournaments.

Japan has also played against the U.S. This time. Japan has competed against the U.S. in all of the 10 times it reached the final. Japan won the championship by a wide margin this year, securing a total of four championships. The championship, which started in 1965, has the largest number of winners in the U.S. (12 times in total).토토사이트 순위

“Softball has not been selected as a sport for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We are focusing on the 2028 LA Olympics,” said Reika Utsugi, the coach of the Japanese women’s softball team, shortly after winning the title. “Our world championship title will give great confidence to our young athletes.”

Meanwhile, the Korean women’s softball team ranked fifth in the “2023 Women’s Softball Asia Cup” held in Incheon in April last year, and failed to win a ticket to be given a World Cup berth until fourth place.