U18 Asian Youth Championship: Taiwan team lost to Japan 1-2 and missed the championship

Shoki Oda. (Photo by reporter Lin Zhengkun)

[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] In the 14th U18 Asian Youth Baseball Championship Super Round Robin, the Taiwan team was suppressed by Japanese ace Shoki Oda today and ultimately lost 1-2 and missed the championship. Japanese team coach Ryusei Okada said directly after the game, "The children worked hard. This victory makes me as happy as I was when I won the championship in Koshien. I am really grateful to the children."

Oda Xiangxi was unstable with the ball in the first inning. Taiwan team's lead Hu Chenrui received a walk and was escorted to second base by teammate Zhang Yi'an's bunt. Then Oda Xiangxi made a wild throw and allowed Taiwan to capture third base. Liu Huanyu hit an infield grounder to score Taiwan's lead. In the bottom of the first inning, the Japanese team relied on Yamada Rintora's chasing hit and Manaya Kenshin's lead-off hit to help Japan take a 2-1 lead.

The Taiwanese team had scoring opportunities with one out and the bases loaded in the second inning, and two outs in the third inning to capture second and third base, but Oda Shoki was able to resolve the crisis. In total, Oda Xiangxi pitched 106 pitches in 6 innings, allowed 3 hits and 1 run, struck out 7 times, gave up 5 walks, and the fastest pitch was 155 kilometers.

Japanese media "Nikkan Sports" reported that Oda Xiangxi said, "Although the situation is not good, I still managed to keep the points lost to a minimum. I can also enjoy the game while pitching."

Ryusei Okada admitted that he was a little worried about Shoki Oda's starting situation, "So I went up to the mound and told him: 'The strike zone is very narrow. Try to be aggressive with fastballs.'"

Regarding Oda Xiangxi smiling when pitching, Okada Ryusei said, "He has always been such a kid. I always thought he was Japan's ace, so I never thought about changing pitches and wanted him to pitch 105 pitches (referring to the upper limit of pitches)."

Shoki Oda. (Photo by reporter Lin Zhengkun)