The U.S. Women’s Elite Team took on the No. 1 team in the world, Japan, on the final day of group play at the USA Softball International Cup. Japan took the 9-2 win to lock down the No. 1 spot in Group A. Miu Goto pitched a complete game for Japan and allowed just 2 runs on 3 hits. She struck out 6 with 1 walk.
In the first inning, Goto took the ball for Japan and ran into immediate traffic. Morgan Zerkle led off with a single for her sixth hit of the International Cup. Then with two outs, she came in to score on a Kendall Wells sacrifice fly to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead. Sahvanna Jaquish reached on a hit by pitch. Taylor Shumaker followed with an RBI single to score her. This made it 2-0.
Goto struggled with command in the opening inning, with 17 balls thrown, and could not get off the field quickly enough. Finally, on her 35th pitch, she got Reese Atwood to go down on strikes to end the top of the first.
Keilani Ricketts started for the U.S. and opened by hitting Ayane Nakagawa with a pitch. Ricketts loaded the bases with one out after a Saori Yamauchi single that was placed perfectly as a swinging bunt.
Minori Naito followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice. As Aleena Garcia attempted to turn a double play, Yamauchi was hit in the helmet with the ball. The ball ricocheted and sailed over Jaquish’s head at first base.
Two runners scored to tie the game. U.S. head coach Patty Gasso questioned the ruling for a possible interference call, but nothing changed. The U.S. got out of the inning with no further damage.
Ahead in the bottom of the second, Wells made a perfect throw down to second base to catch Ayana Karoji stealing for the third out. Goto settled in and kept the U.S. quiet. Through the top of the third, she retired seven consecutive hitters.
Ana Gold began the bottom of the third with an uncharacteristic throwing error that allowed Urara Fujimoto to reach second base. Fujimoto advanced to third and, with two outs, came home on a Minori Naito RBI single to center to take the 3-2 lead.
Naito advanced to second on a wild pitch from Ricketts and came home on a Yume Kiriishi RBI single that fell into the outfield. Japan extended its lead to 4-2. Then Ricketts exited for Ally Carda, who struck out the first batter she faced to end the inning.
Goto got stronger as the game went on. In the top of the fourth, she retired the side in order for the third consecutive inning and tallied 2 more strikeouts to move her total to 4.
Carda traded strikeouts and walks in the bottom of the fourth to get into a two-out situation. Then the two-out trouble began. Kyoko Ishikawa jumped on a pitch for an RBI single to extend Japan’s lead to 5-2. Then, Saori Yamauchi cleared the bases with a 2-RBI triple to make it 7-2 Japan.
In the top of the fifth, A. Garcia finally broke through for the first U.S. hit since the top of the first inning. Then, Bubba Nickles-Camarena took a hit by pitch to put two on. However, Goto escaped without allowing a run and recorded another scoreless inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, after Gabbie Garcia, A. Garcia, and Baylee Klingler completed a 4-6-3 double play, Teagan Kavan came on to relieve Carda. Kavan retired Kanna Kudo on a flyout to left to end the fifth inning. After Goto retired the U.S. in order, Japan ended the game in run-rule fashion. Yamato Fujita then hit a 2-RBI double to center for a 9-2 win in six innings.
With the loss, the U.S. Women’s Elite Team will face the U.S. Women’s National Team on Sunday night, at 7 p.m. CT.
