Hi guys! Just finished up a big weekend with my Japanese team.

It was our only three-game weekend, and we definitely kept the momentum from the Japan Cup going. We started off with Iyo Bank on Friday, and Yamane earned the win as we scored in multiple innings for a final score of 11-0. Up next we faced Sagawa on Saturday, and I started and threw five innings for the win in that game. Our offense came out strong again, so Yamane finished off the final innings and we won, 6-0. Sunday was our biggest game, facing first-place Shokki on the final day. As I've mentioned before, foreign pitchers have a limit on innings, so as we are nearing the final stretch our coach has to create a strategy for when to use those innings. I think I had 33 innings left going into the weekend, so after Sagawa that left me with 28.

Yamane started against Shokki, and we faced American Katie Burkhart. We scored two runs in the second inning after Itoh led off the inning with a hit and we were able to load the bases. Our shortstop Kageyama was given the hit and run sign, and she delivered to score Itoh. Our captain Misato followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to score the second run. Unfortunately Shokki answered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the second inning. The score would remain 3-2 until the top of the top of the seventh .

Our team never seems to quit, and Monday was no exception. Erina Inoue hit a line drive up the middle, which Burkhart deflected, and Erina got stuck deciding whether to try for second base. Fortunately she was safe at second after a rundown. Then she was bunted over to third by Kageyama, and Misato scored her with a hit and run to shortstop. I came in to start the bottom of the seventh and walked their leadoff hitter Karino before settling down a little and getting out of that inning.

In extra innings we used the international tiebreaker, which means that each team puts the person who made its last out on second base. Our right-fielder Nagayoshi was placed on second, and Natalie bunted her over to third. Ono smashed a line drive to the third baseman, who wasn't able to handle it, allowing Nagayoshi to score and Ono to reach first safely. In Shokki's half of the inning we were able to keep them from bunting, and the first batter flew out to shallow left. The second hitter struck out, and a fly ball to deep short stop was the last out to finish the game and secure the win. It was definitely a very exciting game and a big win to move us a game ahead for fourth place. After the weekend the League standings look like this

15-3 Renesas
15-3 Shokki
15-3 Toyota
13-5 LeoPalace
12-6 Software
12-6 Denso
7-11 Yuden
6-12 Sagawa
5-13 Toda
4-14 Shionogi
2-16 Honda
2-16 Iyo Bank

We have a short week ahead - back to practice today (Wednesday) and leaving again Thursday for our next trip. We face Shionogi and Hitachi Software this weekend as we head into our final four regular-season games. Software is only one game behind us, so it's yet another must-win game for us as it seems every game is at this point!

Off to practice..

Thanks!
Angela