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USA Softball: Japan Defeats U-19 Team in Paris; Women’s National Team Takes on Japan Saturday

The three competing U-19 teams in the 2019 Achille Challenge in Paris this weekend (l-r): Japan, USA and France. Photo by USA Softball.

It’s a big weekend of international softball for the two Women’s Team’s as the two top powers in softball–USA and Japan–are taking the field and the host for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games is already up 1-0 in games against Team USA… here’s a closer look:

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The U-19 Team traveled to Paris this week for four games in three days at the 2019 Achilles Challenge.

The Jr. Team competed early today against the rivals from Japan and lost 3-0, mustering just four hits against winning pitcher Akari Tanai who was aided by two runs from her offense and the first inning and one in the fifth inning.

In its first international competition of the summer, the U-19 Women’s National Team (U-19 WNT) dropped the opener of the 2019 Achille Challenge to Japan, 3-0. The U-19 WNT couldn’t capitalize on early scoring chances while Japan took advantage of early timely hitting taking the first of two meetings between the two teams in France.

“It was a great challenge today for our women to be able to figure out how to play at this level,” said U-19 WNT Head Coach Heather Tarr. “We’re excited to be able to build off of it and see how good we can get beyond this day. We get another chance to play Japan and that’s great for us this weekend and we are excited to continue to grow together.”

The Red, White and Blue had their chance at striking first. Charla Echols roped a single to center moving Jayda Coleman over to third while Echols took second on the throw to home. A strikeout followed by a ground out ended the USA threat in the top of the first.

Japan loaded the bases on three singles before striking with a two-RBI shot to center taking the early lead.

U-19 WNT starter Kathryn Sandercock settled in the after the first forcing up zeros through the next three frames. Sandercock picked up a big strikeout closing out the second where a pair of Japan runners were stranded in scoring position. Despite picking up the loss she struck out four Japan hitters in five innings of work.

Japan’s timely hitting in the fifth extended its lead to 3-0 thanks to a two-out RBI triple scoring its lead off double. The USA offense didn’t go away easy putting runners aboard in the fourth and sixth before Japan forced up another blank spot.

Reliever Kelley Lynch (Newnan, Ga.) kept Japan off the board in the sixth picking up a pair of strikeouts. ​

The U-19 WNT had one more shot at a rally in the seventh thanks to a two-out infield single by Coleman.

“I think both Kat and Kelley put together a good game,” said Tarr. “They threw well enough to win and offensively we just need to continue to grow, improve, evolve and find a way to execute when we have runners in scoring position.”

The U-19 WNT will get one more chance at Japan on Saturday, June 22 at 7 p.m. local time (12 p.m. CT). Prior to the rematch, Team USA takes on the host country France at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. CT).

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Could lightning strike twice? Rachel Garcia had a walk-off hit to beat Japan to advance to the WSBC title game. Photo by USA Softball.

Meanwhile, the USA Softball Women’s National Team (WNT) is set for their 2019 international season opener at the Japan All-Star Series, USA Softball announced today.

The highly-anticipated event features Team USA and the Japan National Team, the lone qualified teams for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and pits the top-two ranked teams in the world in a three-game series.

“We’re very excited for this opportunity to play Japan as it will prepare us not only for the 2019 season but also for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games,” said WNT Head Coach, Ken Eriksen.

“Japan has a lot of veteran players, as do we, and I expect very close games between us. Anytime you pit USA against Japan you’re guaranteed great competition and both teams are prepared to put on a great show here in Sendai and Tokyo.”

Click here for live stats and coverage from the Japan All-Star Series

The U.S. and Japan will face off at Shellcom Sendai twice with the opener taking place on June 22 at 1 pm JST (11 pm June 21 CST) and following with a June 23 1 pm JST (11 pm June 22 CST) matchup.

The series finale will be held at the Tokyo Dome on June 25 at 7 p.m. JST (5 am CST).

The excitement for softball’s return to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been evident since the inception of the Japan All-Star Series: over 31,000 fans attended the inaugural event at the Tokyo Dome in 2016 while 2017 saw 15,000 fans in the stands at Yokohama Stadium and 10,600 fans watched the rivalry contest at the Tokyo Dome in 2018.

“We know that this event is so much bigger than just these three games,” said WNT member, Haylie McCleney. “We want to improve and grow as a team prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and to do that, you have to play the best competition. For us, that’s Japan.”

In addition to the three-game series against Japan, members of Team USA visited the ruins of Arahama Elementary School which served as an evacuation site that saved the lives of 320 people during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated the region.

The USA team also visited Shichigo Junior High School in Sendai, which also served as an evacuation center, where members of the National Team met and interacted with local students.

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