(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
   Japan second finalist of World Port Tournament
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Japan recorded a convincing 8-1 victory against Chinese Taipei on Saturday-evening (July 20) to become the second finalist of the 17th World Port Tournament Baseball.
Last year, these two teams faced each other in the Final, with Taipei winning the event.
In the Final of this year, to be played on Sunday at 2 PM, the university-team of Japan will face the Netherlands.
On Friday-evening, the Netherlands became the first finalist when it also won against Chinese Taipei.
Like Japan today, the Orange-squad scored eight runs, but gave up no runs.
On Saturday-afternoon, North America shutout Curaçao 6-0 in a rainshortened game to finish in fourth place.
With the loss, Curaçao finished in fifth place.
The American/Canadian team took an early lead, scoring twice in the first inning and adding three runs in the third at bat.
With a 6-0 lead, the team got its first two batters on base in the bottom of the sixth when a heavy rain/hail-shower halted the game.
Shortly thereafter, the game was ended definitively due to the field-conditions.
On Saturday-evening, Japan also took an early lead against Chinese Taipei.
Japan, which is represented by the team of Kanagawa University, scored four runs in the bottom of the first on four basehits, including a 2-run double by Joh Ohkanda.
Chinese Taipei scored its only run in the top of the ninth on a basesloaded walk for Chen-Yu Yang.
But with the bases still loaded, two strikeouts and a force play-grounder ended the game.
After completion of the preliminary round, which ended on Wednesday, Chinese Taipei was in first place followed by Curaçao.
Remarkable enough, the two teams that will face each other in the Final, finished in fourth and fifth place in the preliminary round.
The Netherlands (fourth) and Japan (fifth) didn't play that well on the first days of the event.
Because of the format of the Play-Offs, all teams remain in the race for the Final.
And with that, it can happen that teams in last place can advance to the deciding game.
Which is what has happened this year.
(July 20)
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