Yoshinobu Takahashi homered for the third straight game Sunday to highlight a 13-hit offense as Japan beat hosts Greece 6-1 to advance to the baseball semifinals with the best record in the preliminaries at the Athens Games.
Shinya Miyamoto tumbles over Greece baserunner Vasili Spanos after Spanos was forced
out at second base in the fifth inning of their game on Sunday in Athens. Japan won 6-1.
Japan finished the round-robin preliminaries with a 6-1 record and will meet the loser of the game between Australia and Canada to be played later Sunday. Cuba has also secured a place in Tuesday's semifinals.
"Playing in the games to come is the reason we came here. We're just beginning the battle. I don't care who we face in the semis," said Japan head coach Kiyoshi Nakahata.