Shaoxing, China, October 2, 2023: Japan shut out China 4-0 to win the Asian Games women’s softball gold medal at Softball Stadium Field on Monday night. The victory gave Japan the gold for the sixth straight time in the competition.
Cleanup hitter Minori Naito clubbed a two-run home run to right center field in the bottom of the first inning to stake Japan to 2-0 lead, Nodoka Harada drove in a run with a single in the sixth, and Hitomi Kawabata scored on a steal of home the same inning to account for all the scoring.
“I didn’t think it was a home run, because it was just the first inning,” Naito stated. “We had a runner on and two outs, so I was just trying to be stable. It was a relief it was a home run.”
Japan’s left-handed starter Miu Goto struck out eight while allowing five hits in four and two-thirds innings before departing. Reliever Yukiko Ueno, the star of many Japan triumphs over the years, came on to get the final five outs in the win.
“Goto was stable from the first inning,” Ueno stated. “I was watching her pitches in peace. I would like her to be able to go the distance and take the title as a Japanese ace pitcher.”
China outhit Japan 7-4 in the loss, but left eight runners on base.
“It’s all right getting silver, but I just felt the gap between us and Japan,” China’s left fielder Yan Siyu remarked.
After Ayane Nakagawa led off the game with a base hit, Naito stepped to the plate with two outs and turned on a pitch from China starter Chai Yinan driving it well over the fence.
Japan threatened again in the bottom of the fourth when Kawabata hit a comebacker to Chai who threw wild to first base. Chai was then pulled and reliever Wang Lang promptly plunked the first batter she faced in Yui Sakamoto.
Japan failed to capitalize on the opportunity when Kawabata was tagged out on a failed squeeze play to end the inning.
After China got runners on first and second with two outs in the fifth, Goto was pulled for Ueno, who struck out Siyu to end the threat.
“I have learned from every single game and have grown a lot from them,” Goto commented. “Ueno can build a sense of security. When I was pitching, I was thinking as though Ueno was with us, and the feeling gave me a sense of relief.”
Chai went three-plus innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out five in the loss.
“I feel like I didn’t give my best performance,” Chai said. “We had more hits than the opponents, but we couldn’t string them together.”
*In earlier action, Chinese Taipei edged the Philippines 3-2 in the bronze medal game on a two-run home run by Lin Feng Chen in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Ke Hsia Ai started and pitched five innings for the winners, before being relieved by Chiu An Ju who hurled the last two frames.
Royevel Palma went the distance on the mound for the Philippines.
The Philippines lost despite outhitting Chinese Taipei 8-5 in the contest. A lack of timely hitting was the difference as the Philippines left nine runners on base in the loss.