Edogawa pulls away from Washington County
Mark Marietta/For the Obsever-Reporter
The team from Edogawa, Japan, celebrates its 8-2 victory over Washington County in the Pony League World Series championship game Wednesday night at Lew Hays Pony Field
Mark Marietta/For the Obsever-Reporter
Yugo Inoue slides home with the second run for Edogawa and Washington County catcher Troy Stimpson waits for the throw as Japan takes the lead in the fourth inning of the championship game of the Pony League World Series.
Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, and despite the passion the country posses for the sport, it had one one Pony League World Series championship to show for it entering Wednesday’s title game at Lew Hays Pony Field in Washington Park.
Following Edogawa’s 8-2 victory over host team Washington County in front of a raucous crowd, Japan will bring home a second title when it flies out of Pittsburgh this morning.
Japan won its other championship 10 years ago when Okinawa edged Los Mochis, Mexico.
Wednesday evening marked the first time in a quarter century that a team from Washington County played in the championship. Tai Tong County, Chinese Taipei, defeated Washington, 4-0, in the 1998 finale.
Marietta, Georgia, topped Washington, 7-0, in 1985, and West Covina, Calif., edged Washington, 5-4, in 1982 for the championship.
Washington’s lone title in the Pony League World Series came in 1955 after a 4-0 victory over Youngtown.
Monongahela earned the championship in 1954 with an 8-2 triumph over Chicago, Ill. Monongahela returned to the championship game in 1976 but suffered a 14-0 setback to Tampa, Fla.
Edogawa broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth inning after stringing together three straight hits with two outs for a 2-1 lead.
Starting pitcher Yugo Inoue beat out an infield single before Natsuki Nakamura’s hit to left field. Inoue scored on Haruto Kawasaki’s base hit up the middle.
Inoue entered Wednesday’s game with an ERA of 0.00, but he allowed one run on two hits in the bottom of the first.
Ryan Huey led off with a single to left field and scored on Troy Stimpson’s double to right to tie the game at 1-1 after Edogawa scored one run on three hits in the top of the inning. Stimpson entered Wednesday’s championship game leading his team in batting with a .583 average.
After allowing the run, Inoue retired 12 in a row. Teammate Kai Miyagi saved an extra-base hit for his pitcher with a leaping grab to end the fourth on a ball hit by Teegan Williams to the right field wall.
Washington County’s Ayvari Chandler broke Inoue’s string of consecutive batters retired with a base hit to left to lead off the fifth. Unfortunately for the host team, Inoue forced the next batter to line out to shortstop and Chandler was doubled off at first base. A flyout to right field ended the frame.
Inoue allowed two earned runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in earning the victory. Inoue was pulled in the seventh after reaching the maximum number of pitches he could throw at 95.
In what was a recurring theme the entire tournament for Edogawa, it capitalized on walks and errors in the late innings. The Asia-Pacific Zone champion scored six runs on two hits in the top of the seventh to extend its advantage to 8-1. Washington committed two errors in the inning and Edogawa drew four walks.
Washington scored one run in the seventh, when Ben Koskoski walked with the bases loaded to force in Brayden Radue, who had singled to right field to lead off the inning. Williams walked and Chandler singled to load the bases.
Alex Eslep started on the mound for Washington County after shutting down Monterrey, Mexico, in the final inning in the morning session that moved into the championship final. Eslep kept his team in the game after allowing two earned runs on seven hits in five innings. He stuck out two and walked three.