Baseball World Cup Pool G, Novara:
Italy – Japan 6-4
JPN 020 000 002 4 12 0 ITA 000 114 00X 6 6 2
Host Italy finally has received win number one in the 2009 Baseball World Cup. In Novara the team of head coach Marco Mazzieri used six runs between the fourth and the sixth to beat Japan 6-4. The Asian baseball powerhouse threatened to come back in the ninth, but the cushion was big enough to seal the Italian victory anyway. Closer Franklin Torres struck out the last two batters with called third strikes and the bases loaded.
The Azzurri had taken the lead in the sixth with a four-run rally, which was highlighted by a big three-run double of Francesco Imperiali. Mario Chiarini and Leonardo Zileri had tied the game with solo shots in the fourth and the fifth. Japan led since a two-run single by Kenji Suzuki in the second. RBIs by Shiro Mori and Kentaro Miyazawa cut the deficit to two runs in the ninth.
Marco Grifantini (ITA) allowed six hits, two runs and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Motoki Higa (JPN) gave up three hits and two runs in five innings. Yovany D’Amico picked up the win, Yosuke Okamoto took the loss.