◆ RAXUS Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026: Australia 1-16 Japan (7-inning mercy rule) (14th, Tokyo Dome)

In the 'Luxas Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026', Samurai Japan overwhelmed Australia with 16 runs, winning by a called game in the 7th inning for their third consecutive victory. They have secured a spot in the finals. In the first inning, infielder Rui Muneyama (23) hit a grand slam, marking his third consecutive game with a home run, as the team scored 11 consecutive runs without a single out being recorded. They decided the game with a historic onslaught, the most runs ever scored in a single inning in an international tournament featuring professional players. In the second inning, infielder Tomoya Masaki (27) also hit a two-run home run, marking his third consecutive game with a homer. Aiming for their third consecutive championship title, they will face South Korea in the finals on the 15th.

He capped off a historic onslaught with a high arc. Muneyama led the way at the end, maintaining that momentum. In his second at-bat in the first inning with the bases loaded and no outs after already scoring seven runs, he scooped up an inside low slider on a 1-2 count. 'I had a feeling it might go over the center fielder,' he said. It was a grand slam that flew into the front row of the right-center stands. He basked in the massive cheers as he proudly ran around the diamond.

This was about the first grand slam of my life, so it was a good hit. It was also the first time in my life that I hit a Home Run three days in a row.

In the first inning, they continued to make solid contact for 38 minutes, scoring a total of 11 runs without a single out being recorded from the start. With runners on first and third and no outs, Nishikawa's batted ball induced an error to bring in the opening run, followed by consecutive timely hits from Yamaguchi and Watanabe. After Sasaki Tai brought in the fourth run with a timely infield hit, they drew three consecutive bases-loaded Walk, and Muneyama quickly delivered the finishing blow with a grand slam. The 11 runs in one inning is the most ever in an international game featuring professional players. 'We were able to decide the game in the early stages,' said a nodding Muneyama, who hit his fourth home run of the tournament with his third consecutive game with a long ball. Having hit everything from a solo shot to a grand slam, he achieved a 'cycle home run.' In three games, he has 8 hit in 15 At Bat and 10 RBI. No one can stop him now. He contributed to the team advancing to the finals with three consecutive victories.

He does not yield to tough environments. This match began just 13 hours after the previous night's game against South Korea, where he hit a dramatic three-run home run to win. 'It was tough because I didn't get much sleep,' he said. A man who usually insists on getting eight hours of sleep was only able to get five due to the schedule. Even so, it didn't matter once the game started. He demonstrated a level of concentration that blew away his lack of sleep. After the game, he laughed and said, 'I want to go to sleep right away.'

The 'Masamune duo' with the number one hitter Masaki combined for a rampage of 8 Home Runs and 18 RBI over three games. Manager Iguchi praised them jokingly, saying, 'When they hit that many Home Runs, I don't even need to come up with strategies, so it's quite easy for me.' The MVP race with Masaki is also intensifying. Muneyama tightened his handsome face and said, 'If I focus on it too much, it won't lead to good results. It is an award I want to win, but I want us to bring out each other's strengths and lead the team to a win.' Only one more win remains until the top. With the dynamic performance of the 23-year-old expected to be the regular short stop, they have put themselves in a position to clinch the Asian championship. (Kota Miyauchi)