Edogawa rallies to advance to championship game
Kelli Alderson/For the Observer-Reporter
Players for Edogawa, Japan, celebrate a run in their victory Thursday night over Youngstown, Ohio. The win puts Edogawa in the championship game of the Pony League World Series.
Kelli Alderson/For the Observer-Reporter
Players for Edogawa, Japan, celebrate a run in their victory Thursday night over Youngstown, Ohio. The win puts Edogawa in the championship game of the Pony League World Series.
Youngstown, Ohio, simply ran out of gas.
The Host Area champions played three games Tuesday and reached the division finals of the Pony League World Series, but suffered a 12-7 setback to Edogawa, Japan, in the first game of the evening session.
Edogawa advanced to this evening’s championship game at 7 against Washington County or Monterrey, Mexico. The result of the Washington County-Monterrey contest late Tuesday night was not available at press time. Visit www.observer-reporter.com for the full story.
If Washington won the late game, it would advance to the championship because it didn’t lose a game, but if Monterrery won, it would play Washington again this morning at 10 to determine who would play in the finale. The hosts defeated Monterrey, 7-5, in Tuesday’s morning session.
“They worked very hard and they are very happy that they were able to win this game,” Edogawa manager Yutaka Furusawa said through an interpreter. “The kids are very happy that they will be able to sleep in tomorrow and not have to come to the ballpark in the morning.”
Youngstown was in a must-win situation after losing 6-2 in the morning session to Edogawa, Japan, and had fallen behind in the first inning after Koudai Minematsu blasted a three-run homer to left field. Youngstown defeated Covina, Calif., 3-1, courtesy of a three-run walk-off homer to advance to the division finals.
“We just ran out of gas,” Youngstown manager Joe Gabriel said. “I am very proud of our boys. A couple of these boys will be back, but most of them, this will be their last year. The boys had a blast, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
The Host Area champions didn’t let the early deficit get them down, as they battled back to take a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
Youngstown manufactured a run without a hit in the third as Ryan Weibling walked, moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a balk before scoring on Joey Gabriel’s sacrifice fly to right field that cut Edogawa’s lead to 3-1.
Youngstown, which was held hitless by Edogawa starter Yudai Hayashi for the first three innings, exploded for five runs on four hits in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead.
Layne Rider reached on an error and Jayden Amos’ single to right field broke up the no-hitter before Ben Oddis walked to load the bases with nobody out.
Brayden Verroco’s single to left field scored Rider and Amos and Oddis raced home on Logan Patellis’ double to provide Youngstown with a 4-3 advantage. Verroco scored on Ryan Weibling’s single to right and Patellis sprinted home on Joey Gabriel’s groundout to short for the three-run lead.
Youngstown extended its advantage to 7-3 in the top of the fifth as Rider doubled to leadoff the frame, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
“We had a big inning, but then they came back and had a big inning, and that is eventually what killed us,” Joe Gabriel said. “We had them on the ropes, but Japan is a tough group and they make you accountable.”
Edogawa cut the deficit to 7-4 with a run in the fifth. Kaito Saita doubled to leadoff the inning and scored on Kaisei Fukuchi’s RBI single to left field.
Edogawa scored eight runs on three hits in the sixth to take control of the game. Yugo Inoue and Kai Miyagi had two-run singles in the inning. Haruto Kawasaki and Natuski Nakamura scored on wild pitches and Minematsu stole home after a dropped third strike.
“These kids are able to connect and communicate with each other, and that’s how they are able to keep coming back in games,” Furusawa said.