International
Championship Game
Japan vs. Latin America
Thursday, August 26, 1999
Japan back in final
Two up, two down. All was going well for Latin America in the first inning.
Latin America pitcher Christian Gonzalez retired the first two Japanese batters in order. Then, seven straight players crossed the plate and Japan jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. It started with a walk, then an error, and then six straight hits.
"It’s a good feeling to start out that way," said Japan manager Tsutomu Kameyama through an interpreter. "But when my pitcher had a stomach ache, I began to worry."
Kazutoshi Adachi did have to come out of the game, but Japan hung on for a 12-2 victory in front of 19,000 at Howard J. Lamade Stadium.
In addition to the seven-run first, Japan scored one in the second, two in the third, and two in the fifth. The game ended in the fifth due to the 10-run mercy rule.
For Japan, Kazuki Sumiyama was 2-3 including a homerun and a double. He scored three times and drove in two runs. Right-fielder Kazuya Yamasaki went 3-3, scored a run, and drove in two of his own. Sho Nishida closed out the game with a two-RBI single.
Japan will send Sumiyama to the mound Saturday as they play for the world championship. "Not only have I pictured myself pitching in the World Series, but I pictured myself pitching for the Honshin Tigers as well," he said.
|
The Tigers are a Japanese major league team, and the way Sumiyama’s pitching, he could very well make his dream come true.
Japan awaits the winner of Thursday night’s U.S. Championship Game. "We are a different team from last year so a possible rematch doesn’t mean anything to us," said manager Kameyama.
--Mark Rogoff
Special Correspondent |
|
Game Scoring By Inning:
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
R |
H |
E |
| LATIN AMERICA |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
| FAR EAST |
7 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
13 |
0 |
Home Team Box Score:
| FAR EAST |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
AP |
As |
PO |
E |
| Ikeda, Masato |
lf-1b-c |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Umekawa, Yoshitomo |
3b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Sumiyama, Kazuki |
p-1b-rf |
3 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Nishida, Sho |
c-p |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
| Adachi, Kazutoshi |
1b-p |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Morishita, Kazunori |
cf |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Narita, Teruhiko |
rf-lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Oki, Shinichiro |
2b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Kunisada, Yasuhiro |
ss |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Koyama, Tetsuo |
lf-rf |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Sakurai, Takashi |
ph-2b |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Minamisako, Tsuyoshi |
ph-3b |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Kameda, Yuuki |
ph-ss |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
| Yamasaki, Kazuya |
ph-rf |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Totals |
|
27 |
12 |
13 |
11 |
31 |
6 |
15 |
0 |
Visiting Team Box Score:
| LATIN AMERICA |
POS |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
AP |
As |
PO |
E |
| Gonzalez, Cristian R. |
p-3b |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| Colon, Jorge |
c |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
| Casanova, Jose R. |
3b-1b-p |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| de Jesus, Francisco J. |
lf-cf-1b |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
| Galarza, Xavier O. |
1b-p-lf-* |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Rivera, David |
cf-p-lf-* |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Rivera, Juan R. |
rf |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Quinones, Richard |
2b-ss |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Rivera, Josue |
ss-2b |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| Sanchez, Jorge |
2b-cf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Davila, Carlos |
cf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Cruz, Luis |
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Rivera, Victor I. |
lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Hernandez, Nelson I. |
ph |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Totals |
|
18 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
22 |
6 |
12 |
3 |
Pitchers
Winning Pitcher: Nishida, Sho
Losing Pitcher: Gonzalez, Cristian R.
| FAR EAST |
IP |
R |
ER |
ERA |
H |
K |
BB |
HP |
TP |
KP |
BP |
| Sumiyama, Kazuki |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
14 |
5 |
| Adachi, Kazutoshi |
3.0 |
2 |
2 |
4.00 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
54 |
30 |
24 |
| Nishida, Sho |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
20 |
13 |
7 |
| LATIN AMERICA |
IP |
R |
ER |
ERA |
H |
K |
BB |
HP |
TP |
KP |
BP |
| Gonzalez, Cristian R. |
.7 |
5 |
0 |
0.00 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
24 |
15 |
9 |
| Galarza, Xavier O. |
.0 |
2 |
0 |
N/A |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
| Rivera, David |
1.0 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
22 |
11 |
11 |
| Casanova, Jose R. |
2.3 |
4 |
4 |
10.29 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
49 |
27 |
22 |
ERA computed assuming 6 innings per game
© 2002 Little
League Baseball Incorporated