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Japan’s Ijima strikes out 11 in win vs. Nicaragua to advance to International final

By Jon Gerardi 5 min read

Japan's Shinnosuke Ijima entered the sixth inning sitting at 70-odd pitches and knew that if he wanted to get a complete game in his final-ever Little League World Series appearance, he'd have to be precise and dialed in for the next three batters.

Ijima did precisely that.

In the top of the sixth inning, Ijima mowed down all three batters he faced in the sixth inning, with three consecutive strikeouts to end with 87 pitches and secure that final complete-game performance.

Ijima's contribution on the mound in his final appearance was key for Tokyo, Japan to secure a 4-1 exciting win against Leon, Nicaragua at Volunteer Stadium on Thursday morning.

"I'm very grateful and happy to be on our team and to win," Ijima said. "I'm not satisfied with just the outs because I gave up a score in the top of the fourth inning. I'm so happy to contribute to the team."

The win advances Japan to the International championship game on Saturday afternoon at noon at Lamade Stadium against Willemstad, Curacao. It's a rematch from the two's first game at the Series.

Ijima struck out 11 batters in his complete-game performance, allowing one run, one walk and four hits, one of which was a double by Jonathan Urroz Chavez. But even giving up a run in the top of the fourth, Japan never batted an eye or panicked. The Joto Little Leaguers kept playing the way they play and it resulted in the win.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Japan got three huge runs to break a tied game open.

Suo Koyama led the bottom of the fifth with a single into left before Ryunosuke Maeda reached with a walk. Nicaragua induced back-to-back outs with a grounder to the pitcher and a strikeout. But with two outs, Rui Tobata delivered with a deep double into left field that brought both Koyama and Maeda in for a 3-1 lead. A batter later, Tensei Yazawa had an RBI double into centerfield and increased the lead to three runs.

"In the bottom of the (third) inning, I hit the same thing with a double. When I stood up with that at bat, I imagined the last time at bat and I also tried to not get a strikeout," Tobata mentioned. "I just tried to take my swing."

And that swing was key for the victory. In a tight game, Japan wanted to get runs and it worked out late.

"I'm so happy to be advancing to the International championship game, but Curacao is a tough team," Tobata said. "We lost that first game and I really want to avenge that on Saturday."

Tobata had two doubles on Thursday to lead Japan. He was one of three Japanese players with multiple hits as Ijima also went 2 for 2 with an RBI and Suo Koyama was 2 for 2 with a run scored. Tensei Yazawa was 1 for 2, Yunosuke Yabe was 1 for 2.

Nicaragua played well through the first four innings, limiting a talented Japan team to just one run entering the fifth inning, but that fifth inning was when Japan broke the game open.

"We just remembered about the two games where we came from behind," Nicaragua manager Jose Gabriel Rodriguez Mayorga said about what he told the team going into the sixth inning. "The Japan pitcher did a great job and executed their plan perfectly."

Nicaragua took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

Jonathan Urroz Chavez led the top of the fourth inning with a leadoff double into left before a grounder to short put an out on the board and advanced him to third. It was then Jose Martinez Padilla who connected on an RBI single into left to give the Ministerio Sobre Las Alas Del Aguila Little Leaguers a 1-0 lead before a fielder;s choice and strikeout/dropped third strike ended the inning.

That lead would be extremely short lived, however.

In the bottom of the fourth, Japan tied the game up. A leadoff error allowed Ryosuke Takaoka to reach base before a fielder's choice put Kei Kawanishi on base. A ground out put two outs on the board.

It was then Ijima's RBI single into shallow left on a hard shot which tied up the game at 1-all before the final out was recorded to end the inning.

"I said (to our kids) don't be ashamed. Just keep playing. In two years they're in the junior league. I want them to continue and to be proud of being here," Mayorga said.

Nicaragua wasn't able to take advantage when it got runners on base. The Latin American Regional champions had two runners reach in the first inning with one out when Moises Estrada Juarez and Jose Martinez Padilla both reached on a single and a walk, respectively But Ijimma struck out the next two batters, both going down swinging, to prevent early runs.

In the second inning, a single put Marvin Sombarriba Gonzalez on base with two outs before a key strikeout ended that inning as well.

In the fifth and sixth innings, Nicaragua went three up, three down as they couldn't get momentum going late to attempt to rally and keep their summer in South Williamsport going.

Nicaragua threw Clemente Sevilla Pichardo for 4 1/3 innings, the team's ace who had a stellar debut in the tournament. Against Japan on Thursday, had success by striking out five, but four walks and six hits proved costly in allowing three runs, two of which were earned.

Starting at /week.