Overview
- Japan beat South Korea 5-1 at Tokyo Dome on Sunday to claim the Asia Professional Baseball Championship and extend its unbeaten run in the event to three straight titles.
- Tomoya Masaki delivered a three-run homer in the fifth inning that broke the game open, his fifth home run of the tournament, after Misho Nishikawa opened the scoring with a first-inning solo shot.
- Starter Hiroto Takahashi carried the staff by throwing seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven.
- New manager Tadahito Iguchi, hired in July, guided Samurai Japan to a 4-0 run in this edition and is expected to remain in charge as the team prepares for the Premier12 and Olympic-qualifying cycle.
- The APBC is a U-24 development tournament that allows up to three overage players aged 29 or younger, Australia beat Taiwan 6-4 for third place, and Japan’s dominance highlights the strength of its young pro pipeline.