Team Japan tops USA in gold-medal game to repeat as women's baseball world champions

Team Japan has once again been crowned women's baseball world champions.

Japan successfully defended its title at the 2024 Women's Baseball World Cup, defeating the United States 11-6 in the championship final at Port Arthur Stadium on Saturday.

"It was a great game," Japan Manager Risa Nakashima said following the win. "It was tense at the end."

Japan had just one loss during the week-long tournament; that came to the United States on Thursday, during the final day of round-robin play.

Nakashima said teamwork was behind Japan's success.

"We played as a team," she said. "If you look at the [individual] awards, no one got it."

Japan and the United States took the field at 3 p.m. under a light rain, and while both teams were kept scoreless for the first two innings, Japan broke through in the top of the third.

Nanako Hanabusa singled, and was then moved to second courtesy of a sacrifice bunt by Kae Iwami.

Ayaka Deguchi then singled to right field, advancing Hanabusa to third. A wild throw home, however, gave Hanabusa the opportunity to cross home plate safely, and Japan was up 1-0.

Japan added one more run shortly after, when Haruna Tadano singled down the left field line, scoring Deguchi.

That was followed-up by a two-run homer off the bat of Yuki Kawabata, giving Japan a 4-0 lead as the game moved into the fourth inning.

The United States made up some of the deficit in the top of the fourth, scoring one run.

But Japan's offence kept rolling, scoring three more runs in the top of the fourth, and four in the top of the fifth.

But the USA bounced back with a three-run homer over the centre field wall from Alexandra Hugo in the bottom of the inning, making the score 11-4.

The USA held Japan scoreless in the top of the sixth.