The USA Jr. Men take on Japan in a crucial, “must win” game Friday morning at 8am. The USA is 4-3 in the tournament, with losses to the top three, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, while Japan is 5-2. A win by the USA would make tonight’s New Zealand-Canada game determinative as to who gets the final spot in the playoff round, which takes the top four teams. <\/p>\n
Australia has locked up the top spot, with a perfect 7-0 record and only winless Denmark remaining on their schedule. Japan beat Canada and New Zealand and appeared to be cruising to a playoff spot — until Argentina (2-5) upset them, and opened the door again for the USA team.<\/p>\n
Four teams are battling for the remaining three spots, with all four going head to head today, Japan (5-2) v. USA (4-3) and Canada (5-2) v. New Zealand (5-2). <\/p>\n
Here are the possible scenarios:<\/p>\n
If USA beats Japan, then tonight’s Canada v. New Zealand will send the winner of that game into the playoff round, joining Australia which has already locked up the top spot, and leave the USA, Japan and the loser of Canada-New Zealand sorting out a three way tie for the remaining two playoff spots.<\/p>\n
If Japan were to beat USA, then it’s over, and Japan would join Australia, Canada and New Zealand in the playoff round.<\/p>\n
Mexico (3-5), Argentina (2-5), Czech Republic (1-6) and Denmark (0-7) have been eliminated from playoff contention.<\/p>\n
Update: 8:05am PST\/11:05am EST<\/strong>: We’re getting reports from the press box during the game. Game just getting underway. Here we go ! USA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c USA is the home team<\/p>\n First inning<\/strong><\/p>\n Japan was held scoreless in the first inning despite an illegal pitch call USA BATS<\/p>\n JASON LOE \u00e2\u20ac\u201c reached on a walk Update: 8:28amPST: 0-0 after one inning of play;<\/p>\n 2ND INNING<\/strong><\/p>\n KOJI ITO \u00e2\u20ac\u201c THIRD TO FIRST OUT; Ito said it was off his foot, umpire Masyuki Shimoto \u00e2\u20ac\u201c hit to left field, single. On first.<\/p>\n SHINJI KAWAMURA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Kelly gets in jam 3-0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6but a ball off the foot goes into USA<\/p>\n EVAN O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122REILLY – fly out to centerfield not tied anymore JASON LOE SOLO SHOT to the vendor tent in bottom of the MORE TO COME USA threatening for more..<\/p>\n Update: 8:47amPST\/11:47am EST<\/p>\n 3rd Inning<\/strong><\/p>\n AKIHUMI HORITA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c pop up to the second basemen, out<\/p>\n MASAKI SAWADA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c slap bunt to second, thrown out at first by three steps.<\/p>\n SHIGERU HIGASHI \u00e2\u20ac\u201c two hopper to third, over to first out.<\/p>\n USA<\/p>\n BRANDON HUERTA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c made contact with the ball, out at first<\/p>\n LOE \u00e2\u20ac\u201c sends a no doubter over the left field scorebolard\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6it was gone as DECKER \u00e2\u20ac\u201c walks to first<\/p>\n JAPAN changes pitcher to Toshyuki Sakamoto. Fans give Hakahashi a huge CASTILLO \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikeout, hard swing but he got nothing but air<\/p>\n LEAVITT \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strike out on an outside looking call that split and caught After three innings, USA leads 1-0 in this \u00e2\u20ac\u0153must win crucial game\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/strong><\/p>\n 4th inning – Japan Ties it up 1-1<\/strong><\/p>\n JAPAN<\/p>\n Takuto Tsutsui \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Kelly walks him\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n Norihiko Aoyama \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikeout swinging; out no. 1<\/p>\n Koji Ito \u00e2\u20ac\u201c sends hopper to short; runner advances to second; out at first MASAYUKI Shimoto – shot up the middle, brings home Tsutsui to tie the Shinji Kawamura \u00e2\u20ac\u201c flied out to right field as the US halted the damage USA<\/p>\n OLSEN \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikes out swinging at a high ball<\/p>\n O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122REILLY \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikes out looking<\/p>\n BEZZANT \u00e2\u20ac\u201c fly out to second base<\/p>\n Game has been on for just over an hour and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re thru four innings already.. 5th inning<\/strong><\/p>\n Japan at bat:<\/strong><\/p>\n KITAKOA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c flied out to left fielder Bobby Olsen.<\/p>\n HORITA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c ground ball to second basemen, over to first out.<\/p>\n SAWADA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Huerta over to Castillo, out by a long shot<\/p>\n Three up three down fifth inning for Kelly; game moving along nicely<\/p>\n USA at bat<\/strong><\/p>\n MATTHEWS \u00e2\u20ac\u201c NICE RUNNING CATCH BY THE Japan cf to out Andy.<\/p>\n HUERTA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c hit by pitch, didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t move out of the pitch\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way<\/p>\n LOE \u00e2\u20ac\u201c walks, Huerta moves to second<\/p>\n DECKER \u00e2\u20ac\u201c US charged for one meeting before Decker\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s at bat; one out; CASTILLO \u00e2\u20ac\u201c fly out, no runners tag up.<\/p>\n Leavitt \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikes out to end the threat<\/p>\n U.S. leaves the bases loaded, game remains tied 1-1 heading to the sixth Update: 9:28amPST\/12:28pm EST Sixth inning<\/strong><\/p>\n HIGASHI \u00e2\u20ac\u201c shot to third, first basemen almost misplayed the ball<\/p>\n U.S.A. makes change in defensive fielders; Castillo out; Drew Bode in to Zach Warne comes in to pitch replacing Kelly after a strong outing<\/p>\n Japan takes a 5-1 lead in 6th inning on 3 run homer<\/strong><\/p>\n 6th inning<\/p>\n U.S.A. makes change in defensive fielders; Castillo out; Drew Bode in to Tsutsui \u00e2\u20ac\u201c walks on four pitches; goes to second on a passed ball;<\/p>\n Aoyama \u00e2\u20ac\u201c stand up double to left field corner brings home Tsutsui to give Zach Warne comes in to pitch replacing Kelly after a strong outing Ito \u00e2\u20ac\u201c popup in foul territory; out no. 2<\/p>\n Shimoto \u00e2\u20ac\u201c issues the free pas; shows four fingers, he takes his base<\/p>\n KAWAMURA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c makes USA pay for walking Shimoto; three run blast to the Coors KITAKOA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Flys out to right field; out<\/p>\n USA<\/p>\n OLSEN \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikes out looking; three pitches no swings<\/p>\n O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Reilly \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strikes out; thrown out of the game for arguing call on the Bezzant \u00e2\u20ac\u201c strike out<\/p>\n Update: 9:45amPST\/12:45pmEST <\/p>\n 7th inning<\/strong><\/p>\n Japan batting<\/strong><\/p>\n Horita \u00e2\u20ac\u201c flied out to the left fielder<\/p>\n Sawada \u00e2\u20ac\u201c line out to first base out no. 2<\/p>\n HIGASHI \u00e2\u20ac\u201c out no. 3<\/p>\n USA coming to bat in the bottom of the 7th, down 5-1<\/strong><\/p>\n US has one last chance to remain in the hunt for a top four; as it is now, Matthews \u00e2\u20ac\u201c re-enters the game; flied out to centerfielder<\/p>\n Huerta \u00e2\u20ac\u201c fly out to centerfielder behind second<\/p>\n Loe \u00e2\u20ac\u201c pop up in foul, out.<\/p>\n WP \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Sakamoto; LP \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Kelly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The USA Jr. Men take on Japan in a crucial, “must win” game Friday morning at 8am. The USA is 4-3 in the tournament, with losses to the top three, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, while Japan is 5-2. A win by the USA would make tonight’s New Zealand-Canada game determinative as to who gets […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fastpitchwest.com\/morningbrief\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n
\nUpdate: 8:19 am PST\/11:19am EST<\/strong>
\nSUMMERSIDE PEI \u00e2\u20ac\u201c<\/p>\n
\nJAPAN –<\/p>\n
\nby the men in blue.<\/p>\n
\nNext guy k\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d
\nKEVIN CASTILLO \u00e2\u20ac\u201c sends a hard single to center. Safe at first, Loe to second
\nCURTIS LEAVITT \u00e2\u20ac\u201c hit single; runner Castillo out at second..after long
\nbattle at plate; Loe to third
\nBOBBY OLSEN \u00e2\u20ac\u201c struck out looking on pitch that caught the inside corner.
\nNO SCORE after one, USA leaves two men on base<\/p>\n
\ndisagreed, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s out #1.<\/p>\n
\nfair and the ump says it didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hit foot (it did) and runner out..SHIMOTO
\ngoes to second
\nDAISUKE KITAKOA \u00e2\u20ac\u201c hits to short, over to first inning over
\nNO SCORE AFTER 1 AND A HALF INNINGS . USA coming to bat<\/p>\n
\nMATT BEZZANT \u00e2\u20ac\u201c shortstop gets ball behind second; out
\nANDY MATTHEWS \u00e2\u20ac\u201c fly out to right field
\n
\nAFTER TWO innings, the score remains tied at 0-0<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nthird. 1-0.<\/p>\n
\nsoon as Loe cracked the bat. About 250 feet\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6near one of the vendor tents.
\nTo the rora of the USA fans (with a good crowd piling in on Canada Day)<\/p>\n
\novation for his work.<\/p>\n
\ncorner of the plate<\/p>\n
\nno. 2<\/p>\n
\ngame at 1-1.<\/p>\n
\nUS Pitcher John Kelly is on today\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6he is rolling through the Japanese
\nlineup with relative ease, knowing what is at stake for him and his
\nteammates in this game.<\/p>\n
\nGame tied 1-1<\/p>\n
\nwalks; bases loaded<\/p>\n
\ninning<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nCF; Evan O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Reilly to RF and Decker to DP<\/p>\n
\nCF; Evan O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Reilly to RF and Decker to DP<\/p>\n
\nJapan a 2-1 lead<\/p>\n
\nAbout 1000 fans in the stands now as they prepare for the 2, 4, 7 p.m. games<\/p>\n
\nLight inflatable beer can; 5-1 lead<\/p>\n
\noutside corner of the plate. Replaced by Brian Malakowsky in the field<\/p>\n
\nJapan and Aussies for first and second and tonight\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s CAN-KIWI game will go
\nin the three and four game, it will determine who is third and who is
\nfourth<\/p>\n