Written by 
Japan relief pitcher Tatsuya Shimizu came up huge in a 9-6 Premier12 victory over Taiwan on Saturday in an appetizer for Sunday’s championship game.
Japan and Taiwan entered the game having already clinched their spots in the final by virtue of the United States’ 6-5 victory over Venezuela earlier in the day at Tokyo Dome.
Japan pitcher Tatsuya Shimizu leaves the mound after pitching out of a tough spot in the fifth inning against Taiwan in their Premier12 game at Tokyo Dome on Nov. 23, 2024. (Kyodo)
Reliever Shimizu protected a one-run fifth-inning lead by pitching out of a no-out bases-loaded jam.
Samurai Japan took a 4-0 first-inning lead behind lefty Takahisa Hayakawa, only for Taiwan to threaten to overturn the game with a run in the third and two more in the fifth on back-to-back bases-loaded walks. Shimizu entered and fell behind 2-0 before getting a 1-2-3 double play and a strikeout.
A two-run triple from Kotaro Kiyomiya in the home half, after one run scored on a wild pitch, kept the scoreboard ticking over, with both teams scoring twice in the sixth to make it 9-5 Japan.
Japan’s Kotaro Kiyomiya belts a two-run triple in the fifth inning against Taiwan in their Premier12 game at Tokyo Dome on Nov. 23, 2024. (Kyodo)
“I haven’t performed up to my expectations in this tournament, so I wanted to give everything I had tonight,” Kiyomiya said. “When I came up with the bases loaded, I was really pumped.”
The visitors, however, did not go quietly with Lin An-ko blasting a long leadoff home run to open the ninth.
Related coverage:
Baseball: Maki grand slam powers Japan past Venezuela in Premier12
Baseball: Kozono powers Japan past U.S. in Premier12 Super Round
Baseball: Japan tops Dominican Republic, stays unbeaten at Premier12