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Pita Rona rounds the bases after hitting a home run for the Black Sox against Japan.
The Black Sox are now likely to finish eighth in the Men’s Softball World Cup after losing 7-4 to Japan on Friday-evening.
It was the hosts’ fourth defeat in seven games at the Auckland tournament, but it was one of their better at bats and captain Cole Evans shone with excellent fielding.
The Black Sox defeated Japan 10 hits to seven, with Joel Evans leading the way with three hits out of four, including a home run.
Japan led 1-0 in the top of the first inning when Kazuya Toriyama drove in Tei Hamamoto in the bottom six seeding rounds.
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Japan loaded the bases by two against reliever Pita Rona before Yusuke Morita tripled to the hole in centerfield to score two runs.
Morita made it 5-1 on a single by Ryoyu Une into shallow centerfield.
Joel Evans – the best hitter of the Auckland Black Sox – narrowed the deficit with a big home run over leftfield in the third inning.
Reilly Makea tied it up in the second inning with another blast in the left field stands.
Starting pitcher Daniel Chapman was relieved in the third inning after giving up a single, then appeared to stretch into a throw before throwing a wild pitch.
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A panoramic shot of the Whakaata MÄori Stadium diamond during the Softball World Cup game between New Zealand and Japan.
Rona homered in front of his home crowd at North Harbor. Tane Mumu later doubled to centerfield, moved on Joel Evans’ second hit of the game, and scored with a brilliant slide to home plate on captain Cole Evans’ sac-fly.
Rona later said it was “definitely a good feeling” to home in front of family and friends and “a little bit of frustration came out as well.”
But Japanese star Hikaru Matsuda – who played a few seasons with North Harbor – knocked out Rona with a two-run shot over the right midfield fence at Whakaata Māori Stadium.
“It was good to take one from him, but he got me too,” said Rona.
Relief pitcher Matsuda also closed out the win in the seventh inning while Kiwi closer Josh Pettett held Japan scoreless in the last two innings.
Shortstop Cole Evans made two world-class outs in the fifth frame – a case of Cole in the hole when he grabbed a shot destined for the “five-six” gap between shortstop and third base. Then he made a great stretch catch as he raced back into the outfield.
Rona said the Black Sox’s results had been disappointing, but the competition had become much tougher.
“It definitely shows the level of the world right now, it’s gotten a lot better, it’s just not a three or four team race anymore.
“The better team of the day will win. Unfortunately for us, it wasn’t us tonight.”
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Daniel Chapman pitches for the Black Sox against Japan.
Black Sox battery coach Patrick Shannon said there were no concerns about Chapman’s fitness following his early withdrawal.
“He had just had a high tone load from the work he’d done the past two nights and he was working to get his body right.
“Of course we wanted to put in a good fight against Japan, so he knew he was going to get a little game stiffness. We knew he was a little fed up, that’s all.”
Chapman had back surgery in April and didn’t return to pitch until October, but Shannon said he had “came through pretty well” at the tournament and the plan was always to get him out after two to three innings.
Shannon admitted that Japan has been “in control lately”, but was pleased with the way his team fought back from a 5-1 deficit.
“The guys got pretty good with the bats. It was one of our better efforts of the tournament.”
But he said “one or two pitches here and there that make all the difference” this week.
The Black Sox’s final game is against Denmark on Saturday.
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Garth Tattersfield delivers the ceremonial first pitch for the Black Sox-Japan World Cup softball game, watched by fellow 1966 New Zealand ‘Pilgrims’ softball player Dave McKerchar (L), Andy Leslie and Terry Nunns.
The Black Sox game was preceded by a first-pitch ceremony where four of the original New Zealand softball men ‘Pilgrims’ were guests of honour.
Garth Tattersfield – a pitcher for the first New Zealand team to compete in a world championship – threw the ceremonial pitch to the Black Sox reserve catcher.
Tattersfield was watched by 1966 teammates Dave McKerchar, Terry Nunns and Andy Leslie (a former All Black captain).
McKerchar led the New Zealand side to a bronze medal in Mexico City, while Nunns was a catcher on the first five World Series teams.
Results placement round Friday
Czech Republic 10 South Africa 3, Philippines 8 Denmark 0, Japan 7 New Zealand 4.