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In a match not for the faint of heart, the Puerto Rican U-15 team finished second in the category after losing 7-6 to Japan in the final of the Baseball World Cup at the Edgar Renteria Stadium in Barranquilla, Colombia.
This was the first time that Puerto Rico and Japan met in the gold medal match of the WBSC Baseball World Cup in all age groups. Puerto Rico made history by winning its first silver medal in the U15 Baseball World Cup.
Puerto Rico started the game on the right foot. Japanese pitcher Shoki Hayashi struggled to control the ball in the top of the first inning, loading the bases with two runs and one hit with no outs. However, the Japanese starter limited the damage, allowing only one run on Arnaldo Rodríguez’s sacrifice fly to left field, driving home Adniel Quiles. Puerto Rico took a 1-0 lead early in the game.
However, Japan immediately tied the score in the bottom of the first inning. Soya Kokubo reached first on an error, and then Yuga Arai tripled and scored two pitches later. However, the Japanese were trapped there, and Darrell Sanchez forced a ground ball and struck out the next two batters to keep the game tied.
Japan showed great defense in the top of the second inning, with two highlight plays from shortstop Kei Kawakami and first baseman Yusei Niwa.
Darrell Sanchez allowed three hits in the inning, including an RBI single by Kaklu Omiya, and was removed from the game. Emilio Solivan came on and he retreated to second base on a fly ball in the second inning, but was unable to prevent Japan from scoring the third run on a wild pitch. Japan won 3-1.
In the third inning, Puerto Rico got on base again with no outs, scoring three runs to take a 4-3 lead. Niwa Yusei’s error, Joseph Mendez’s single and Jean Rosa’s walk put three runners on base, and Hayashi Shoki then walked Valentin Carrasquillo and Edward Pineiro to tie the game. Bradley Rodriguez’s sacrifice fly gave Puerto Rico the lead in the game, and Hayashi was replaced. Tokura Mitsuki was the last to leave the game. Hayashi threw 74 pitches in the game, but only 31 were strikes. He reached base seven times, allowing four runs and only one hit.
With two on base and two outs, Nakajima hit a two-run 3-pointer from the right corner to extend Japan’s lead to 7-4. Nakajima’s 3-pointer was the third 3-pointer by the Asian team in the game.
Puerto Rico cut the deficit to 7-5. Carrasquillo led off with a single and Edward Pineiro singled to right field. Bradley Rodríguez drove in a sacrifice fly off Carrasquillo.
After five games, the Japanese team led 7-5.
In the top of the sixth inning, with two runners in scoring position, Arnaldo Rodriguez singled to center field, putting a runner on third base, but Kokubo So also hit Joseph Mendez home with a brilliant run. Earlier, Adenil Alexander Qualls scored the sixth run for Puerto Rico, bringing the score to 7-6, with Japan leading by one run.
In the seventh inning, Puerto Rico put two runners in scoring position with a walk, but great defense from Muneya Kokubo helped Japan maintain a one-run lead until the dramatic end of the game.
Puerto Rico only has one world championship title (the 1951 WBSC Baseball World Cup in Mexico City) and will be playing in their eighth final of the WBSC Baseball World Cup in all age groups (all in the WBSC Baseball World Cup) and the World Baseball Classic since the WBC has offered the world championship title since 2013. Their last appearance in the WBSC Baseball World Cup final was in 1976 in Cartagena, where they lost to South Korea, while Puerto Rico have also played in two World Baseball Classic finals since then, losing to the United States in 2017 and the Dominican Republic in 2013.
Japan has won two world under-15 titles and five medals overall. They also host the U-18 Baseball World Cup, U-23 Baseball World Cup, Women’s Baseball World Cup, Premier 12, World Baseball Classic and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Gold Medal Game.
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