Japan tops Team Italy in U18 Baseball World Cup debut

Japan tops Team Italy in U18 Baseball World Cup debut
09/09/2022
Top-ranked Japan shut out Team Italy 6-0 on day one of the 13th edition of the U18 Baseball World Cup at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida on Friday, September 9, 2022.

Placing fourth at the recent U18 European Baseball Championship, the Italians had an uphill battle against #1 ranked Japan in their U18 Baseball World Cup debut Cup at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida on Friday, September 9, 2022.

Team Italy U18 manager Francesco Aluffi started pitcher Simone Carnevale, who gave up one run in the top of the first inning and surrendered five more in the top of the second inning. Lefty Sebastiano Castellani did a great job pitching three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit before being relieved by Davide Montanari, who threw a hitless sixth inning. Closer Filippo Venditti also kept the Japanese scoreless in the seventh inning.

Japan manager Shiro Mabuchi countered with starting pitching ace Ayuta Seimori, a promising prospect possessing a 90+ mph fastball and a wicked forkball. The Japanese hurler pitched three scoreless innings and held the Team Italy offense to a single by Williams Wong in the bottom of the first inning and a double by Azzurri captain Tommaso Adorni in the bottom of the second inning.

Reliever Shiki Kawara was equally as impressive limiting the Italians to a single by Edoardo Cornelli in the bottom of the sixth inning during his three innings of work. Andres Anunziata led off with a single off closer Kaito Noda in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, a quick strikeout of Tommaso Adorni and an Alessandro Volpe 4-6-3 game-ending double play secured the Japan 6 to 0 shutout over Team Italy.

JAPAN-ITALY BOX SCORE

Team Italy returns to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida on Saturday, September 10, 2022.at 11 am (ET) for a game against second-ranked Chinese Taipei. The U18 Baseball World Cup continues through Sunday, September 18, 2022.

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Forza #Italia!

by Roberto Angotti