Motoko Fujimoto drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning Saturday as Japan edged the United States 1-0 in extra innings in the preliminary round of the Japan Cup softball tournament.
Fujimoto hit a hard grounder off the glove of the third baseman with two outs and a runner on third, giving Japan its second win over the U.S. team in as many meetings after its surprise victory in the final of the inaugural World Cup of Softball earlier this month.
The victory at Hodogaya Stadium improved Japan's record in the four-country tournament to 3-0 and set up a rematch against the U.S. in Sunday's final.