Great Britain
Japan
Great Britain’s U23s battled hard in their opening contest of the WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup presented by RAXUS, leading for most of the game, but eventually falling in extra inning to reigning World Champions Japan 5-4 in nine innings.
The Brits struck early. With one out in the top of the first, Charlie Collins reached on a error by the shortstop, followed by a Sean Benjamin singled to put two runners on. Tucker Stockman was hit by a pitch by a Hiroto Ito pitch to load the bases, and Cole LeClair reached on an error thatscored Collins. Walker Selley then hammered an RBI single up the middle to score Benjamin, though Stockman was thrown out at the plate. Japan managed to retire the side, but GBR starter Zac Sohosky had a 2-0 lead before he had thrown a pitch.
Sohosky twirled a scoreless first and Ito worked around a walk to Jackson Kraemer – who stole second with two out – to do the same in the second. Sohosky allowed a two out single in the bottom of the frame but picked the runner off with the help of Selley and captain Jake Lambdin to end the inning.
Ito and Sohosky both tossed a scoreless third, and Japan went to the bullpen in the fourth. Manato Fujii was greeted by a Selley single and walked Quinn Allen before an errant pickoff attempt set in motion a bizarre sequence that saw Selley thrown out at the plate and Allen advance to third. He was stranded there, however, as Fujii came back to retire the side, working around a two-out walk to Jackson Kraemer.
Sohosky ran into trouble in the fourth and, with the bases loaded and one out, manager Jonathon Cramman went to the bullpen for righty Andrew Campbell. He was met by a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 2. Campbell came back to strike out pinch-hitter Tomohiro Matsunaga and a grounder back to mound, but the game was all knotted up.
The first two Great Britain batters in the fifth were retired before Stockman was hit by another pitch. A bunt single by LeClair and a fourth error by Japan put both runners in scoring position, but Fujii struck out Selley to end the threat.
Campbell recorded a 1-2-3 fifth and Fujii retuned the favour in the sixth. Zac Colletti entered for GBR in the sixth and worked a scoreless frame, with Great Britain retired in order in the seventh. Miles Langhorne was called on for the bottom of the inning, and with one out Asahi Watanabi walked and stole second. He advanced to third on a groundout, but Langhorne struck out Taisei Wada to end the inning and send the game to extra innings.
With the extra inning rule in play (runners on first and second to start each inning), Stockman flew out to right and LeClair struck out, but with two outs Selley blooped a double into the outfield to score Collins and pinch-runner Royce Clayton Jr. to give GBR the two run advantage again. Ollie Duthie entered from the bullpen for the save with automatic runners aboard for Japan but allowed a leadoff hit to Kikyu Yamashita and was lifted for Graydon Vyse. Vyse allowed an RBI single before getting a grounder for a fielder’s choice. With runners on the corners, a wild pitch scored the tying run for Japan. Vyse settled in with a strike out and a fly out to send the game to the ninth.
The ninth saw Great Britain retired in order with a double play to start the inning. In the home half, a leadoff single loaded the bases for Japan, and with one out, a hit batter ended the game with Japan eking out a 5-4 win.
Sean Benjamin, Walker Selley, Ollie Hogan, Royce Clayton Jr., and Graydon Vyseall made their Great Britain debuts in the contest.
Great Britain continues Group B play when they face Venezuela at Estadio Roberto Clemente in Masaya, with first pitch set for 00:30 GMT on 8 November (18:30 on 7 November in Nicaragua). The 2026 WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup can be watched on gametime.sport.
For the latest news and notes from the 2026 WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup and more, make sure to follow Great Britain Baseball on Facebook, gb_baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, TikTok at @gbbaseball, and on the British Baseball Federation Website, britishbaseball.org.uk.