The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks shut out Samurai Japan 2-0 in a pre-WBC matchup in Miyazaki on Saturday. Masayoshi Tsukada and Tasei Makihara drove in both runs with RBIs in the fifth and the eighth. Ryosuke Kikuchi went 3-for-4 for Japan. Japan managed only one more hit in the game. Shota Takeda, Kodai Senga, Shintaro Fujinami, Yoshihisa Hirano and Ryo Akiyoshi pitched for Japan. Japan will play four more exhibition games, twice against Chinese Taipei on Tuesday and Wednesday in Fukuoka and one each against the Hanshin Tigers and the Orix Buffaloes on Friday and Sunday next week.