The USA Collegiate National Team is now 0-2 in Japan. On Wednesday, July 9, the Japanese defeated the USA college stars 8-1.
Final from game two. pic.twitter.com/fivgKfOPxI
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 9, 2025
Japan Strikes Early and Often – Japan struck early in the third inning as Nanato Sakakibara hit an RBI double to get them on the board. He would then score himself on a two-base error. This gave Japan a 2-0 lead.
In the fourth and fifth innings, Japan would score six runs. Ayuto Matsushita hit an RBI double to get their third run on the scoreboard. Then, Sakakibara struck again with a three-run home run to make it a 6-0 game.
Sakakibara led the way with scoring in the game as he had four RBIs.
A sacrifice fly ball and another RBI knock for Matsushita in the fifth inning rounded out the scoring for the Japanese as they had an 8-0 lead.
Louisville’s Zion Rose with the Only RBI Knock – Japan had a no-hitter going into the fifth inning. However, Louisville’s Zion Rose ended that with an RBI single that scored Virginia’s AJ Gracia.
Zion delivers 👏
He brings AJ home on an RBI single after reaching on a double to left.
B6 | 🇯🇵 8, 🇺🇸 1 pic.twitter.com/S4GgKeZzP9
— USA Baseball CNT (@USABaseballCNT) July 9, 2025
Rose had two hits in the game and led the USA Collegiate team. Gracia and fellow Virginia Cavalier Eric Becker both had hits in the game as well. Gracia followed new Virginia head coach Chris Pollard to Virginia this offseason and while Becker initially entered the Transfer Portal, he decided to withdraw and stick with the new Cavaliers regime for this upcoming year.
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When it came to pitching for the United States, North Carolina’s Ryan Lynch and N.C. State’s Jacob Dudan pitched two shutout innings a piece in the final four innings of the game. Lynch struck out two Japanese hitters.
Up Next – Japan and the USA Collegiate National Team will play again on Friday, July 11. This time, the games will be played at Hard Off Eco Stadium in Niigata, Japan.
The first pitch for this third game between the teams is scheduled for 4 a.m. EDT.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
Photo: ES CON Field Hokkaido in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Japan, hosted the first two games between the US Collegiate National Team and Japan in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
