Edogawa pulls away from Washington County to win Pony title
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.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter The ball comes loose as Washington's Keegan Williams goes for the tag on Japan's Takashi Shikakura successful steal of second base in the top of the fifth inning of the PONY World Series championship game at Lew Hays Field on August 16.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter Washington's Ryan Huey leads off the bottom of the first inning of the PONY World Series championship game with a single at Lew Hays Field on August 16.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter Washington shortstop Keegan Williams applies the tag that catches Japan's Koudai Minematsu stealing for the second out of the fourth inning of the PONY World Series championship game at Lew Hays Field on August 16.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter Washington catcher Troy Stimpson throws to first after fielding a bunt from Japan's Yusei Sasaki in the top of the seventh innning of the PONY World Series championship game at Lew Hays Field on August 16.
Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, and despite the passion the country posses for the sport, it only had 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.
“Baseball is No. 1 in Japan, and we are so happy to win this tournament for our country,” Edogawa starting pitcher Yugo Inoue said through an interpreter. “It was awesome just to get to this tournament because teams from Chinese Taipei have been really tough for us to get through our zone tournament, so winning this is amazing.”
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 1998.
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 won the championship in 1954 after an 8-2 triumph over Chicago. 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.
Inoue beat out an infield single before Natsuki Nakamura’s hit a shot 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 score 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. He won the John D. Voytek Memorial Award for being the top Washington hitter.
“I’m extremely proud of our team,” Washington manager Anthony Wuenstel said. “This is something that I will never forget, and I know they will never forget. Playing and coaching in front of this crowd was amazing.”
Wuenstel will be finishing his work in graduate school this year at Geneva College, and if his schedule allows it, would be glad to return as the manger for Washington.
“I’ll finish up my coaching at Geneva this year, then I’ll be on the hunt for a job,” Wuenstel said. “If they want to have me back, I’d be more than happy to be back, but I just don’t know if I’ll be able to commit at this point. These kids are graduating from Pony League, but I already have a couple of guys on my radar as they complete their high school careers and hopefully move on to play in college.”
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 short and Chandler was doubled off at first base. A flyout to right field ended the inning.
Inoue allowed one earned run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in earning the victory. Inoue was pulled in the seventh after reaching the pitch limit of 95.
“He (Inoue) used the screwball and that pitch worked really well for him,” Edogawa manager Yutaka Furusawa said through an interpreter.
In what was a recurring theme the entire tournament for Edogawa, it capitalized on walks and errors in the later 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 frame and Edogawa drew four walks.
“We saved our worst inning of baseball for the last inning of the year, and it sucks, but I’m proud of what these boys accomplished, and I hope they are proud of what they accomplished, too,” Wuenstel said.
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. Keegan Williams walked and Chandler singled to load the bases.
Inoue was in line for winning the ERA award for the tournament, but the second run for Washington in the seventh gave Monterrey, Mexico’s Luis Guajardo the plaque, but Inoue wasn’t worried about any individual accolades.
“I just wanted us to win the championship,” Inoue said. “I don’t care about individual awards.”
Alex Eslep started on the mound for Washington County after shutting down Monterrey, Mexico, 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.
Pony tales
Covina, Calif.’s Ayden Vieth won the award as the tournament’s most outstanding hitter.