Japan is the Women’s Baseball World Cup champion for the seventh time in a row. They avenge their loss to the United States in pool play, winning 11-6 and receiving the gold medal.
On Aug.1, these two teams faced off in the last game of finals pool play. Both teams were undefeated and had clinched a spot in the title game, so this game was to determine who had an advantage in that game as the number one overall seed. Team Japan had won 39 consecutive games going into the matchup. The United States shockingly ended that streak, winning 4-3 in a tight contest and taking momentum into their rematch for the championship.
It seemed that defeat was at the top of team Japan’s mind, as the Japanese women got on the board first, scoring four runs in the top of the third inning. The United States got one back in the bottom of that inning, but Japan was unrelenting. They had eight women get plate attempts in both the fourth and fifth innings. They added three runs to their total in the fourth and four more in the fifth to give them an 11-1 lead midway through the fifth inning.
The United States, despite being down ten runs, refused to quit. Alexandra Renee Hugo hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth that accounted for all of the runs. Ashton Grace Lansdell had an RBI single in the fourth, and Naomi Joy Ryan added another with an RBI groundout in the same inning. The American women had cut the lead in half, making it 11-6 going into the seventh and final inning.
Megan Elizabeth Meidlinger made quick work of the Japanese lineup in the top of the seventh, only pitching to four batters. That meant the United States were down to their final three outs and final batting chance. Jillian Graciela Albayati started the inning with a leadoff single to extend hope to her lineup. However, Japan pitcher Akino Tanaka stood strong through this, as she struck out the second batter and forced the third batter to fly out. Kylee Suzanne Lahners got hit by a pitch and took first, disrupting Tanka’s rhythm, but Tanaka snapped right back into form for the next batter. She forced Ashton Grace Lansdell to fly out in foul territory and clinched the championship for Japan.
A dynasty immortalized, Japan wins their seventh straight gold medal in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. This was the fifth time that Japan played the United States in the final of the tournament with the record 2-2, and this allowed Japan to grab that tiebreaker. The United States won the first two World Cups, and Japan has won every iteration since. These two women’s baseball programs consistently showcase their greatness, but Japan once again has a leg up. Team Japan are your 2024 Women’s Baseball World Cup champions.
Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of WBSC.org
